Using several estate agents to sell your home: is it allowed?

Using several estate agents looks like the fastest route to a sale: more agencies, more potential buyers, a signature sooner. In practice, everything depends on what you sign. One selling agreement allows it, another rules it out and leaves you liable. Below you will read which types of agreement exist in Belgium, when several agencies genuinely help, and how to compare agencies before you commit.

What you sign counts for more than how many agencies you call

In Belgium, an estate agent works on the basis of a written brokerage agreement, commonly called a selling mandate. That document sets out what the agency does for you, how long the mandate runs, when commission becomes due and whether you may work with other agencies in the meantime. As long as you have signed nothing, you may speak to as many estate agents as you like. A conversation, a visit to the property or a price indication commits you to nothing.

The tipping point is the signature. From that moment the terms of the agreement apply, and they differ considerably from one agency to another. So read two things carefully before you sign: which type of mandate it is, and in which cases the commission remains due. The duration and the options for ending the mandate are set out in the agreement itself as well. Ask about them when an agency does not explain them of its own accord.

Exclusive mandate or open mandate: the difference in practice

With an exclusive mandate you entrust the sale to a single agency for the duration of the agreement. You may not bring in a second estate agent during that period. If you sell to someone in your own circle, the wording of the agreement determines whether the agency is still entitled to a fee. Agencies ask for exclusivity because it gives them more certainty about their investment in photography, advertising and viewings.

With an open or non-exclusive mandate you may entrust the same property to several agencies. Whoever brings in the buyer earns the commission. The other agencies get nothing. That sounds attractive for a seller, but it changes how the estate agent behaves. An agent who is not sure of being paid usually invests less in professional photographs, paid listings and following up on candidates.

There is also a middle form, in which you grant exclusivity but keep the right to sell to a buyer you find yourself. In that case, have it set down in writing what happens to the commission.

When several estate agents work in your favour

Bringing in several agencies pays off above all when your property is hard to place through a single network. Think of a property on the boundary between two regions, a farmhouse or a loft with a narrow buyer profile, or a home in a price bracket above the usual segment of your local agency. Every agency has its own list of registered searchers. Two lists together cover more candidates than one.

In a slow market, spreading the work can help too. If your property has been online for months without viewings, a second agency with a different approach sometimes does get things moving. The condition is that the price is right. A second estate agent does not fix an asking price that is too high, it only repeats that price on a second website. So have your price reviewed first with a free valuation of your property before you approach an extra agency.

When several agencies start working against you

The same property listed on different sites at the same time gets noticed. Often not in the way you want. Buyers see two adverts with different photographs, sometimes with a different asking price or floor area, and draw their own conclusion: this seller is in a hurry, there is room to negotiate. Your negotiating position weakens before the first viewing has even taken place.

There is a practical risk as well. When two agencies show the same candidate around, both can claim the commission. You may then pay twice, or end up in a dispute that drags on for months. So keep track of which agency introduced which candidate and confirm it in writing. Limit the number of agencies to a handful as well. Three agencies that take your file seriously deliver more than six that treat it loosely.

How to compare agencies before you sign

The comparison is best made before you sign anything, not afterwards. Ask each agency three things: which price they consider realistic and what they base it on, which commission percentage applies and exactly which costs are included in that rate, and how many properties they sold in your street or municipality over the past year. The answers vary more widely than most sellers expect.

With the price indication, pay attention to the reasoning behind it. A figure without comparable sales to support it is a sales argument, not a valuation. Also check that the estate agent is registered with the Belgian professional institute for estate agents, known as the BIV in Flanders and the IPI in Wallonia and Brussels, because in Belgium that registration is a legal requirement to practise the profession.

If you would rather make that comparison in one go, you can do so via ImmoMakelaarVergelijker.be, where you compare local estate agents side by side. You describe your property once and we put your file to a maximum of three agencies in your region that are comfortable with that type of property. You compare their price indication and their terms side by side and decide for yourself who to go ahead with. It is free and without obligation.

Frequently asked questions

May I use several estate agents for the same property in Belgium?

Yes, as long as you have not signed an exclusive selling mandate. With an open or non-exclusive mandate you may entrust the same property to different agencies, and the agency that brings in the buyer earns the commission. If you have granted exclusivity, you may not bring in a second estate agent while that mandate runs.

Do I then pay commission to every estate agent?

No. With an open mandate, only the agency that brings the sale about is owed commission. A dispute does arise when two agencies have contacted the same buyer. So note for each candidate which agency the contact went through.

What if I sell my property myself during an exclusive mandate?

That depends on what your agreement says. Some mandates provide for a fee even when you find the buyer yourself. Others make an exception for candidates from your own circle. Ask about this before you sign and have it recorded in writing.

How many estate agents should I compare?

Three is a workable number for most sellers. You then see the difference in price indication, rate and approach, without your property appearing everywhere at once. More agencies rarely produce extra buyers and make follow-up heavier.

In short

Using several estate agents is allowed, unless you have granted exclusivity. The real question is not whether it is permitted, but whether it moves your sale forward. For a property with a broad buyer profile you usually gain more from one agency that commits fully. For a property that is hard to place, or a sale that has stalled, a second agency can make the difference. In both cases, compare first and sign afterwards. You can compare up to three estate agents in your region without obligation and choose for yourself who sells your property.