Most estate sale companies quote a commission: a percentage of what sells. It’s tempting to pick the lowest number. But the percentage is only part of the cost, and two quotes can look similar while leaving you with very different amounts.
Ask what the percentage applies to
Ask each company exactly what the commission is calculated on. Is it total sales before sales tax? Does it include items the family buys back? Is there a minimum fee if the sale is small?
List every other charge
Ask for each of these in writing, even if the answer is “none”:
- a minimum or setup fee
- labor for sorting, cleaning or staging
- advertising and listing fees
- card-processing fees
- cleanout, donation runs or haul-away after the sale
- any charge if you cancel or remove items after pricing
Run one example for every quote
Use the same made-up total for each company. This example is only arithmetic, not a typical rate:
| Company A | Company B | |
|---|---|---|
| Total sales (example) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Commission | 35% = $3,500 | 40% = $4,000 |
| Other fees | $1,500 | $0 |
| You keep | $5,000 | $6,000 |
The higher percentage left the family $1,000 more. Try a low, middle and high total too, because minimums matter most when sales are small.
Agree how you’ll be paid
Ask when you’ll be paid after the sale, how, and what the final statement will show: total sales, sales tax, commission, each fee, the net amount, and what happened to unsold items.
Our free worksheet has columns for three companies. Fill it in on each call, then bring it to the walk-through. And when you call, please mention “Joel from Fairhaven Design sent me.”
Based on EstateSales.NET’s guidance on choosing a company and what to expect, checked November 8, 2026. The example figures are invented to show the arithmetic.