Pat Saef Estate Sales (2025)

FAQs

What percentage do most estate sale companies take? ›

What Percentage Do Estate Sales Take? Estate sale companies generally charge a standard commission rate between 30 to 40 percent of sales. Before they agree to take on a client, they'll typically provide a gross sales minimum. This means that the total value of all the items to be sold must meet or exceed that value.

Haggling or negotiating is a common and expected practice at estate sales. It's completely normal to try to get the best deal possible, and the seller is likely expecting it.

It's a commission-based field, so the majority of the money estate sale companies make comes from the sale of the items. Different companies have different pricing structures, but in a recent survey, we found the average commission rate, nationwide, is 35%.

Some companies say, "Dealers come on Fridays". Well that is true, but they also come on Saturdays. From my experience I tend to like Sat and Sun sales. I figure I will be able to capitalize on those days, as many people are off on the weekends.

Evaluating Condition And Rarity

Condition and rarity greatly impact the value of estate sale treasures. Whether it's a vintage painting, a piece of antique jewelry, or a mid-century furniture set, the better the condition, the higher the value.

Most home sellers will get the best results if they set their asking price within 5% of what target buyers would consider to be the fair market value of the property.

Arrive Early, But Don't Expect to Shop Early

While it's customary to line up well before an estate sale begins (companies will often hand out numbers to acknowledge your place in line), don't expect that premature arrival to get you in the door a second before the sale officially opens.

Winter is ideal for sellers; summer spells magic for buyers

To illustrate, a lot of homeowners hold yard and garage sales in summer because they tend to clean their attics, basement, and garage during the warmer months. Moreover, agreeable weather gets them more traffic and makes selling their belongings easier.

While our sales open at 9am, our customers sometimes arrive as early as 3am (or even the night before) to ensure they are first in line to get their most sought after item(s). This is where the watched list comes into play. The standard practice is that the first person to arrive is the person who starts the list.

Fees tend to be between 0.9% and 3.6%. It's a good idea to ask exactly what the fee covers before signing a contract. Make sure to check any additional costs before deciding on an agent. Estate agent fees should only be paid when your sale is completed.

What percentage do most real estate agents charge? ›

Agent fees

Most real estate agents charge a commission, which means they take a small percentage of the final sale price. Others work on a flat fee basis, so if you prefer that approach it's worth shopping around. Commission percentages vary from as low as 1.5% to as high as 3.5%.

The average in sales, though, is usually between 20-30%. What is a good commission rate for sales? Some companies offer as much as 40-50% commission. However, these are typically sales reps that require more technical skills and knowledge, plus have a compensation structure that relies more heavily on commission.

Commissions are typically calculated as a percentage of a property's sale price, though some brokerages will charge a flat fee. The average agent commission rate nationwide is 5.8% of the home sale price, according to HomeLight's real estate transaction data of thousands of home sales each year.