Comparing agent fees and service scope for a Dubai villa sale

[talia_stone]

I need to control the selling cost without ending up as the person coordinating every enquiry and closing problem. The proposals for my Dubai villa, expected to sell near AED 4,624,000, range from a basic package to one covering photography, screening of buyers, negotiation and transaction support.

What should I ask each agent to evidence in writing? My comparison currently includes the fee basis, named contact, typical response time, recent relevant sales, how buyers are checked and who handles an offer through to completion. I also want clear disclosure of conflicts and any separately charged work. A concrete example of who takes over when the main agent is unavailable would be more useful than a broad promise of full service.

 

[talia_stone]

To clarify, I’m not automatically looking for the lowest percentage. My concern is paying less initially and then discovering that nobody owns the process once offers or closing issues appear. I’m thinking of asking each agent to put the named contact, included tasks and any conflicts in writing. What else belongs on that comparison sheet?

 

[knitsAndPlan]

First establish whether the proposals use the same fee basis. Is each fee calculated on the eventual sale price, and are photography and transaction tasks included rather than separately charged?

Then ask who answers buyer enquiries, who qualifies viewers, who presents offers, and who takes over if the named contact is unavailable. One missing fact: have the agents defined what “buyer qualification” actually means, or is it just a phrase in the proposal?

 

[AdaHope]

I would not give recent comparable sales too much weight on their own. Several agents can point to the same nearby transactions, and that says little about execution after an offer arrives.

Ask for the offer workflow: how offers are recorded, when you are notified, who negotiates, and how competing offers are handled. Fall-through rate may sound measurable, but it is meaningless without a consistent definition and timeframe. More useful is what support remains included if a buyer withdraws or closing stalls. Also ask when the agent would disclose representing another party with potentially conflicting interests.

 

[daily_porch]

Build a simple table with rows for fee basis, photography deliverables, enquiry response commitment, buyer qualification, viewing feedback, offer presentation, negotiation, named file handler, conflict disclosure and closing coordination. Mark each item included, excluded or separately charged.

Then ask every agent to walk through the same scenario: a qualified buyer makes an offer, renegotiates and later threatens to withdraw. Their answers should expose the staffing and fall-through support better than broad claims. Compare the written scope first; negotiate the fee second.