Agent in an agency: let’s do the maths
I’m asked this question very often, sometimes in a low voice: “Honestly, do you earn more at iad?” My answer is always the same: let’s get the calculator out. Not a sales brochure. A calculator, and a bit of honesty. I’ve been a salaried negotiator, a commercial agent and an agency manager. I know both sides of the payslip.
What I hear from agencies
Let’s start with what I hear when I talk to negotiators in agencies. To be clear: these are ballpark figures I’m often told, and every agency has its own rules.
For a salaried negotiator, people often mention a basic salary of between €1,500 and €2,000 a month, plus around 15% of the fees they generate.
For a commercial agent in an agency, I’m often told around 20% for bringing in the instruction, and 20% on the sale. So if you bring in the instruction and sell it yourself, you earn around 40%.
These figures aren’t a universal truth. Take your own contract and replace them with yours. That’s the whole point of the exercise.
The iad model, without the gloss
At iad, the advisor receives 69% of fees excluding VAT. Above €65,000 in turnover, it rises to 75%. Above €80,000, to 80%. Above €100,000, to 85%. The rate increases in tiers.
No joining fee. A monthly subscription to the tools, with a package of around €163 excl. VAT a month. Initial and ongoing training is free, and compliant with the ALUR law.
One last point that’s often forgotten: the business is transferable. What you build has a value you can pass on. In an agency, your portfolio generally belongs to the agency.
A worked example, to be taken with a pinch of salt
Let’s take a simple example: a professional who generates €65,000 in fees excluding VAT over the year. I’ve chosen this amount because it’s the first iad tier, not because it’s an average.
Salaried negotiator: 15% of €65,000 comes to €9,750. Add a basic salary of €1,500 to €2,000 a month, i.e. €18,000 to €24,000 over the year. Total: between €27,750 and €33,750 gross.
Commercial agent in an agency, who brings in and sells all their own properties: 40% of €65,000, i.e. €26,000 in commission. In reality it’s often less, because you don’t always sell what you bring in.
iad advisor: 69% of €65,000, i.e. €44,850 excl. VAT. Take off the tools package, around €1,956 excl. VAT over twelve months. That leaves €42,894 excl. VAT.
Careful: these amounts can’t be compared directly. A salary is a gross figure, on top of which the employer also pays its own contributions. The commercial agent and the iad advisor pay their social contributions and taxes on what they receive. To get to a net figure, you need to apply the charges for your status. I’m not going to give you a rate plucked out of thin air: run the simulation with your real situation, ideally with your accountant.
What independence really costs you
I owe you the other column of the table. Independence isn’t just flattering percentages.
No basic salary. The month you sign nothing, you earn nothing. You need some cash to start with and strong nerves. I’m well placed to know: in my first year at iad, I made a single sale. And that was after years in agencies. Changing model takes time to adjust.
The overheads are yours. Contributions, taxes, insurance, car, phone. The tools too, even if they’re bundled into a subscription.
And above all, nobody sets your hours. It’s a wonderful freedom, and a trap for those who need an external framework to move forward. Be honest with yourself on this point.
The real question isn’t the percentage
The percentage is what makes people click on the article. But the real question is: what do you control?
Your time, your area, your way of working. A portfolio that belongs to you. The option, if you wish, of building a team around you. And the backing of a network of more than 15,000 advisors in France, which completed around 63,000 sales in 2025.
There’s also what no calculator measures. The Sunday when you don’t feel like doing a viewing, nobody makes you. The client who trusts you follows you, not the sign above the door. And the day you want to slow down or hand over, you have something to pass on. In agencies, I long believed these topics would come later. They always arrive sooner than you think.
I’ll never tell you you’re going to get rich. I’ll tell you the model rewards work more directly. It’s up to you to decide whether that’s what you’re looking for.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the 69% rate apply to fees including VAT?
- No. It applies to fees excluding VAT. That’s the basis for calculating every tier.
- Do I have to pay a joining fee to join iad?
- No. There’s no joining fee. You pay a monthly subscription to the tools, with a package of around €163 excl. VAT a month.
- How can I estimate what I’d have left in net terms?
- Start from your actual fees, apply the iad rate, deduct the subscription, then the contributions and taxes for your status. The simulator on the site gives you a first idea, and your accountant will refine it.
Let’s do the sums together
Generic examples have their limits. Your area, your volume, your current contract: it’s with your own figures that the comparison becomes useful.
If you like, we can take a moment to lay it all out. You’ll come away with a clear picture, whether or not you join iad.