Compare each agent’s quoted fee with the exact services identified as included in its written agreement, using the same checklist for every agent. Study Australia advises contacting a few agents to compare their service fees and says written agent agreements should specify the exact services included in those fees.
Put the fee and service scope side by side
A fee amount alone does not show what the fee covers. Use a consistent worksheet for each quote:
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Quoted fee | The current amount stated by the agent |
| Included services | The exact services identified as covered by the fee |
| Excluded services | Any services the agent says are not included |
| Additional charges | Whether excluded services would carry a separate charge |
| Written wording | The provision listing the fee and its included services |
Use the same list of requested services when approaching different agents. If one quote includes services that another quote excludes, the difference in price cannot be assessed properly until the service scopes are aligned.
Ask each agent the same questions
Start with the question recommended by Study Australia: Which exact services are included in the fee?
Then clarify:
- Are those services identified in the written agent agreement?
- Which requested services are excluded, if any?
- Would any excluded service carry an additional charge?
- Is the quoted fee the full amount for the stated service scope, or only part of it?
Record each answer beside the corresponding quote. Do not treat an unconfirmed verbal description as part of the written service list.
Confirm what the general guidance cannot establish
The two points cited above do not establish a standard fee amount, a fixed price, or a universal refund term. No individual agent’s fee or service package can be verified from this general guidance alone.
The reader must still confirm the following in the agent’s current quote and written agreement:
- The exact fee amount
- The exact services included
- Any exclusions or additional charges
- Any payment, cancellation, change, or refund terms that apply
If those documents do not answer a question, ask the agent to clarify it rather than filling the gap by assumption. A useful comparison therefore requires more than several prices: each price must be matched to an identifiable service scope, while unresolved terms remain clearly marked as unconfirmed.