Property auction fees for sellers
We read the seller fee pages of ten auction firms on 14 September 2026. Only one published a charge of its own in pounds, so most of what you need to know has to come from the firm, in writing.
On this page
The short answer
Property auction fees for sellers usually have three parts: an entry or marketing fee, commission charged only on a sale, and your solicitor's costs for the legal pack and conveyancing.3 Under the modern method the buyer often pays instead of the seller.8 Of ten auction firms The House Desk checked on 14 September 2026, none published a commission rate.
How much does it cost to sell a house at auction?
At a traditional auction the seller pays the auctioneer an entry fee and a sales commission, and pays a solicitor separately. Auction House says the entry fee covers upfront marketing, and commission is charged after the property has sold and contracts are exchanged.3 Allsop lists solicitor fees alongside the same two.2 What each auctioneer publishes, and what it leaves out, is set out in our profiles of Allsop, SDL Auctions, Bond Wolfe and iamsold.
Seller costs at a glance
- Entry or marketing fee
- Charged by most firms we read. Amounts rarely published4
- Commission
- Due only on a sale, at firms that state it. The percentage is agreed with the auctioneer1
- Legal pack
- SDL: typically up to £500. Clive Emson: around £200 to £4005
- Conveyancing after the sale
- SDL: £750 to £1,2005
- Modern method selling fee
- Typically none at iamsold. The buyer pays a reservation fee8
The legal pack and conveyancing figures are the auction firms' own indications of what a solicitor might charge, not quotes. Clive Emson gives its figure as an average.6 Your solicitor's quote is the figure to plan on, and solicitor fees when selling covers what goes into one.
Solicitor costs as two auction firms indicate them
- Legal pack, Clive EmsonThe firm's average estimate £200 to £400 6
- Legal pack, SDLTypically up to this figure £500 5
- Conveyancing after the sale, SDL £750 to £1,200 5
Seller fees as auctioneers publish them
First for Auctions was the only one of ten auction firms to publish a seller charge of its own in pounds. It is an administration fee that rises with the property's value.1 The House Desk read all ten firms' seller fee pages on 14 September 2026. None published a commission percentage or a minimum commission, and three described their seller service as free or fee-free, with the cost moved to the buyer.
| Firm | Entry or marketing fee | Commission | Other published seller charges or notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First for AuctionsCompany 09939099 | Charged and non-refundable. Amount not published1 | Percentage plus VAT, agreed, and only if sold. Rate not published | Administration fee of £750 up to £150,000, £1,500 from £150,001 to £300,000, and £2,400 from £300,001 to £500,000. Searches paid by the firm and recovered from the buyer |
| Allsop | Charged, amount not published2 | Charged after sale, rate not published | Directs sellers to contact the firm |
| Auction House | Charged, usually on instruction, sometimes from the deposit by agreement4 | Varies by region, room, property and value. Not published3 | Franchise network, with costs set by the local team |
| SDL Property AuctionsTrading name of Eddisons Commercial Limited | Not published5 | Not published. Set at instruction | "Sell for free" option where the buyer pays extra. Legal pack typically up to £500, and after-sale solicitor £750 to £1,200 |
| Clive EmsonRegional Property Services Ltd | Depends on the property. Not published67 | Varies by lot. Taken from the buyer's deposit, and none if unsold | Legal pack around £200 to £400, as the firm's average estimate |
| iamsold | Not applicable to modern method sales as published8 | Typically no selling fee | Buyer pays reservation fee. Auction pack pricing is in the seller's auction contract |
| Smart Auction UK | None, as stated11 | None, as stated | Seller pays own solicitor, EPC and, in Scotland, Home Report |
| Town and Country Property Auctions | Service described as free, with no figures12 | No figures | Footer names Town and Country Franchise Ltd |
| Bond Wolfe | No figures in the selling guide13 | No figures | Directs sellers to contact the firm |
| Pugh Auctions | No figures14 | No figures. Confirmed on appointment | Page states Pugh is now part of BTG Eddisons |
"Not published" means we did not find a figure on the page cited on the date shown. It does not mean the charge is zero. We also tried Future Property Auctions, whose site blocked our access with a security check on 14 September 2026, so it is not included.
How much do auctioneers charge in commission, and is VAT added?
Auctioneers charge commission as a percentage of the sale price, plus VAT, agreed with each firm. None of the ten firms in the table publishes its percentage. At First for Auctions the commission is payable only if the property sells.1 Clive Emson says its commission comes out of the buyer's deposit, so a seller whose property does not sell pays none.6
A minimum commission matters more on a cheaper lot, where a percentage alone would be small. The RICS professional standard for auctioneers says the seller's terms should state the amount of the fees and expenses and the circumstances in which they become due.15 If a firm has a minimum, it belongs in those terms.
Ask whether every figure you are quoted includes VAT. First for Auctions, for one, states VAT on commission but not whether its administration fee includes it.1 The Property Ombudsman's code requires members to give written terms of business, including fees and charges, before a client is committed.17 Those terms are the place to have each fee shown with VAT.
Where a firm charges its administration fee in price bands, I would ask which band your property falls in and what figure decides it. At First for Auctions the fee doubles from £750 to £1,500 once the value passes £150,000, and it is charged on top of commission.
Haroon Ali Author, The House Desk. Over 11 years in property and renovation The RICS standard allows the auctioneer to deduct agreed fees from the buyer's deposit.15 Where that happens, commission never passes through your hands. It comes off what reaches your solicitor.
When a seller's auction costs fall due, traditional auction
- On instruction Entry or marketing fee4 Usually paid now at Auction House, or from the deposit by prior agreement.
- Before marketing Legal pack13 Your solicitor prepares it before the lot is marketed.
- On the sale Commission, plus VAT1 Due only if the lot sells, at firms that say so.
- Up to completion Conveyancing Paid to your solicitor, not the auctioneer.
Entry fees, marketing and the legal pack
Before any sale, a seller can owe the entry or marketing fee and the solicitor's work on the legal pack. Auction House says its entry fee pays for the catalogue entry and marketing up to auction day.4
The legal pack is the bundle of documents buyers read before they bid, and your solicitor prepares it before the lot is marketed. In Bond Wolfe's description it holds the title documents, the special conditions of sale, searches and other legal papers.13 SDL puts its cost at typically up to £500, and Clive Emson at around £200 to £400.56 Your solicitor can quote on your own title.
Some firms carry the search costs for you. First for Auctions says it commissions and pays for searches and recovers the cost from the buyer, so the seller has no upfront cost for them.1 Where a firm does this, the buyer's charge appears in the special conditions, which the RICS standard says must list all additional buyer charges.15
Is the auction fee refundable if the property does not sell, or you withdraw?
A lot that fails to reach its reserve usually owes no commission, but a non-refundable entry fee is already spent. Clive Emson and First for Auctions both say commission is only charged on a sale.61 First for Auctions says its entry fee is not refunded.1 How a reserve is set, and how it sits against the guide, is in guide price and reserve price explained.
Withdrawal is where the published information runs out. None of the ten firms published a withdrawal fee. Under the RICS standard, the seller's terms should state exactly what you owe if you withdraw between appointment and the auction.15 Read that clause before you sign.
What you may still owe if there is no auction sale
- The lot does not reach its reserve What it can cost: Usually no commission, at firms that say it is only charged on a sale. A non-refundable entry fee is already spent.1
- You withdraw before the auction What it can cost: Whatever your terms of appointment say. None of the ten firms published a withdrawal fee.15
- You sell before or after the auction What it can cost: The auctioneer's fee may still apply. Check how long that period lasts and whether it covers a buyer you find yourself.15
What the buyer pays, and why it matters to you
Buyers at auction often pay charges on top of their bid, and a buyer who knows about them bids with them in mind. A buyer's premium is an extra charge on top of the winning bid. The RICS standard says any buyer's premium or administration charge must be clearly stated from the start of marketing, so buyers can work out the full cost.15 Auction House says buyers may pay administration charges and buyer's premium on exchange.3
A seller can also ask for charges to be added to the buyer's side, for example a contribution to the seller's costs. The standard says these must be in the special conditions of sale.15 SDL's "sell for free" option works this way, and SDL notes it raises the price for buyers.5
The Property Ombudsman's position on the modern method, as reported in 2019, treats buyer-paid fees as a potential disadvantage to the seller, because a buyer may vary their offer.18 The same reasoning applies to any buyer charge, though no source we found measures how much buyers adjust.
| Operator and market | Published buyer charge |
|---|---|
| iamsold, England and Wales | Reservation fee typically 4.5% including VAT, minimum £6,600 including VAT, varying by property (published March 2024)8 |
| iamsold NI, one listing | Reservation deposit 2%, minimum £6,000. Administration fee 1.8% including VAT, minimum £2,400. Registration fee £5010 |
iamsold tells buyers the reservation fee forms part of the price for stamp duty.9
A cheaper lot: one buyer budget, split between the fee and the bid
- A buyer's total budget £100,000
- iamsold reservation fee at its minimum84.5% of the whole £100,000 would be £4,500, so the minimum applies minus £6,600
- Left for the bid itself £93,400
Costs under the modern method
Under the modern method the buyer's reservation fee usually takes the place of the seller's fee. The reservation fee is the payment a winning bidder makes to hold the property. According to iamsold there is typically no selling fee for the seller, and the reservation fee it keeps pays for auction and marketing costs and does not go to the seller.89 In another version iamsold describes, the seller covers the fees and the buyer's payment becomes a deposit that counts towards the price.8
Either way, you still pay your own solicitor. Our modern method of auction guide covers the deadlines, when each side is bound and whether the recommending agent is paid.
Who pays what, by auction method
What to get in writing before you sign
Get every fee as a figure, including VAT, in the terms of appointment before you sign. The RICS standard expects those terms to state the amount of each fee, when it becomes due and what you owe if you withdraw.15
- The entry or marketing fee, whether it is refundable, and when it is paid.4
- The commission rate, any minimum, and whether VAT is included.
- Any administration fee, and whether the firm pays for searches and recovers them from the buyer.1
- What you owe if you withdraw before the auction, and if you sell before or after it.15
- Every charge the buyer will pay, so you can see the full cost of buying your property.
- For a traditional sale, the deposit and the completion date in the special conditions. The Common Auction Conditions default to a deposit of at least 10% and completion 20 business days after the contract.16
For where these costs sit among the other costs of a sale, see the cost of selling a house. For the auction process itself, see selling a house at auction.
Questions people ask about auction fees
Who pays auction fees, the buyer or the seller?
Usually both. At a traditional auction the seller pays an entry fee and, once the lot sells, commission. Buyers often pay a buyer's premium or administration charge on top of their bid. Under the modern method the seller often pays no selling fee and the buyer pays a reservation fee instead. You still pay your own solicitor either way.
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Sources
(18)
Numbers in the text link to these. Each was read on the date shown. How we research
- Auction selling fees explained
- How much does it cost to sell my property with Allsop?
- How much does it cost to sell at auction?
- What is an entry fee?
- Property auction fees for sellers
- How much does it cost to sell a house at auction?
- Contact us
- Fees explained: buying and selling with MMoA
- Property auctions explained: buyer FAQs
- Fees and charges explained, iamsold NI listing
- Property auctioneers, Smart Auction UK home page
- Town and Country Property Auctions home page
- Our guide to selling property at auction
- Guide to selling property at online auction
- Auctioneers selling real estate (incorporating Common Auction Conditions), RICS professional standard, UK, 7th edition
- Common Auction Conditions (5th edition), reproduced with the consent of RICS
- Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents
- Ombudsman says agents must tell sellers about potential disadvantage of modern method of auction