What can a fee cover?
An appointment might cover agreeing a brief, searching for properties, speaking with agents, arranging viewings, comparing information and negotiating on your instructions. It may also cover a defined property you found yourself. Ask which tasks and areas are included and who will perform them.
A fee for a search is separate from the purchase price and from your solicitor, surveyor, lender or tax adviser. Ask whether VAT and expenses are included in each quoted amount.
Compare the payment triggers
An agent may propose a fixed fee, a percentage, a staged fee or another arrangement. Ask when each part becomes payable: on appointment, after a period of work, on an accepted offer, exchange or completion. Do not assume one agent’s terms apply to another.
Ask what happens if you withdraw, the seller withdraws, a purchase does not complete, or you buy a property introduced during or after the appointment. Check any minimum fee, exclusivity and cancellation terms.
For an overseas buyer, ask whether attended or remote viewings, a representative’s visit, translation, travel and additional searches are included. Identify third-party charges and who pays them; a buying-agent fee does not automatically include those services.
Work through an example
For example, a 1% fee on a £1 million purchase would be £10,000 before VAT, if VAT applies. This is an illustration of the arithmetic, not Rivermark’s quotation or a statement of market rates. Ask the agent to calculate the fee on your expected price and explain how it changes if the price changes.
If a separate initial payment is proposed, ask whether it is credited against a later fee or paid in addition. Compare the total payable in different outcomes rather than comparing only headline percentages.
- At appointment: is any initial payment refundable or credited against a later fee?
- During the search: are travel, additional areas or repeat viewings included?
- On purchase or termination: which event triggers payment and what happens if a transaction falls through?
What Rivermark agrees
Rivermark discusses the property search or defined single-property appointment and sets out the work and fees in writing before starting. The client decides whether to make an offer; a solicitor, surveyor and finance or tax advisers handle their respective work.
Ask for clarification on anything that is not clear before signing. Government guidance explains the roles involved in a home purchase.
Further reading: GOV.UK: how to buy a home
Official guidance checked 5 November 2026. Confirm the current position and how it applies to your circumstances with the relevant adviser.