Commission is the most debated item in a sale, and the least understood. It is free: neither Belgian law nor the IPI sets a scale. What you pay depends on what you negotiate, on the property, on the region, and on the mandate you sign.
What is commonly charged
Rates commonly observed in Belgium fall between 2 and 4 % of the sale price, excluding VAT. Some agencies charge a flat fee, particularly on lower-value properties where a percentage would not cover their costs.
Two things often change the arithmetic:
- VAT at 21 % is added to the quoted rate. A 3 % commission actually costs 3.63 % of the price. Always check whether the figure quoted is exclusive or inclusive of VAT — on €400,000 the difference is not trivial.
- The type of mandate. An exclusive mandate usually earns a lower rate than an open one, since the agent is assured of the commission if the property sells.
On a €350,000 property, 3 % excluding VAT is €10,500, or €12,705 including VAT.
What the commission covers
This is the question to ask, because the content varies enormously between agencies.
Almost always included:
- the valuation and pricing advice;
- photographs and the listing copy;
- distribution on the portals;
- organising and conducting viewings;
- screening candidates and checking their ability to finance;
- negotiation;
- follow-up through to the signing of the preliminary contract.
Sometimes included — check:
- professional photographer, floor plans, virtual tour, home staging;
- paid boosting on the portals;
- the EPC certificate, electrical inspection, post-intervention file;
- follow-up between the preliminary contract and the notarial deed;
- printed advertising or targeted campaigns.
Mandatory certificates (notably the EPC) remain the seller's responsibility under most mandates: they fall on the seller by law, the agency merely orders them. Find out whether the cost is passed on to you.
When does the commission fall due?
The principle: on completion of the sale. In practice, most mandates provide that it is due on signature of the preliminary contract, not the notarial deed — the preliminary contract constituting a sale between the parties.
Three clauses deserve close reading:
- The withdrawal clause. Some mandates provide for compensation if you take the property off the market or refuse an offer at the asking price. This is lawful, but it must be known before signing.
- The survival clause. It provides that commission remains due if you sell, within a set period after the mandate ends, to a buyer the agency had introduced. The principle is legitimate: it prevents the agency being bypassed after the introduction. Check the duration.
- Exclusivity and tacit renewal. An exclusive mandate that renews indefinitely by default is a mandate that is hard to leave. The initial term and the exit conditions must be explicit.
What can genuinely be negotiated
Commission is negotiable, but that is not always where the effort belongs.
Easily negotiated:
- the rate, in exchange for exclusivity;
- a sliding rate above a given price — the agent then has a stake in beating the target;
- the duration of the mandate;
- inclusion of optional services (photographer, virtual tour) rather than a rate cut.
Poorly negotiated:
- a large cut with nothing in return: an agent who halves their own fee in five minutes has just shown you how they will defend yours against a buyer.
That last observation is the real subject. Negotiation is the core of the trade you are buying. How an agent defends their own fee is a free sample of how they will defend your price.
Why the rate is the wrong battle
On a €350,000 property, securing 2.5 % rather than 3 % saves €1,750 excluding VAT.
An asking price set too high at the outset, requiring two successive cuts and six months on the market, commonly costs €15,000 to €25,000 on the final price — not counting the mortgage payments carried in the meantime.
The ratio is one to ten. Choosing your agent on the rate means optimising the small item while neglecting the large one. The right order: first the right agent and the right asking price, then the conversation about the fee.
Before you sign
- The rate, stated as excluding or including VAT, and the amount in euros on your property.
- A written list of what the commission covers, and what remains at your expense.
- The exact moment the commission falls due.
- The mandate's duration, renewal, and exit conditions.
- Whether a survival clause exists, and for how long.