How to compare fees

Why a single figure tells you little

The same amount can buy a list of listings or support all the way to handing over the keys. Quotes are comparable only when you can see what work is done by each payment and what is left out.

Catalan housing law (Ley 18/2007) says an agent's fee is either a percentage of the price or a fixed amount, and the owner's mandate must state the fee and how it is paid. Ask for the same in a buyer contract: the fee model, the amount and the payment schedule in writing before work starts.

Put the quotes side by side

Enter each quote in one table. An empty cell is a question to ask before you sign.

What is paid separately

Even full support does not include the costs owed to the tax office, the notary, the land registry and independent specialists. Detailed figures are in notary costs when buying and taxes when buying in Catalonia.

• Purchase tax. When the seller is a private individual, the buyer pays ITP. The general rate is 10 % up to €600,000, rising on a scale to 13 % above that; some buyer categories and uses of the home have different rates. A new-build from a developer carries VAT at 10 % and AJD at 1.5 %.
• Notary and registry. Fees are set by Real Decreto 1426/1989 and 1427/1989 and are the same at every notary. In Catalonia the buyer pays for the escritura, the first copy and registration unless the contract says otherwise.
• Mortgage. Under Ley 5/2019 the bank pays the notarial costs of the mortgage deed, registration of the charge and the gestoría; the borrower pays for the valuation (tasación).
• Specialists. Lawyers, technical surveyors, tax advisers and translators work under their own contracts and invoices. Ask who chooses them and who pays.

When payment becomes due

The key question is which event triggers payment. Signing the contract, a property being found, an accepted offer, signing arras or the escritura carry very different risks for you. Ask what happens if the deal collapses after arras, if your objective changes or if you find the property yourself.

Get a receipt for every amount you pay; the Agència Catalana del Consum advises keeping proof of any payment. A lawyer can explain how the contract terms work.

Checking for double payment

Ley 18/2007 bars an agent from being paid by both parties for the same transaction without their express agreement. If an intermediary charges you, ask whether anyone else pays them on this deal: the seller, an agency, a bank, specialists. You need the answer in writing, for this specific transaction.

At ReloVictory the price is set once the brief and scope of support are agreed. The fee model, payment stages and any relevant commercial ties are put in writing before work begins; if there is no third-party payment, that is stated expressly. No outcome, discount or absence of hidden defects is guaranteed.

Last updated 26.10.2026.