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🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

“The brokerage fee is already expensive, and now a house-viewing fee?” Korean consumers push back

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Korea Association of Realtors has proposed introducing a fee for property viewings and on-site inspections.
  • The proposed fee would be deducted from the final brokerage commission if the consumer signs a contract.
  • Brokers say the measure would address groups that view homes without intending to buy or rent, while consumers oppose the additional upfront cost.

Home seekers in South Korea are reacting angrily to a proposal that would charge them for viewing properties. The Korea Association of Realtors has raised the need for an “inspection fee” when consumers visit homes or conduct on-site property checks.

Under the proposal, a customer might pay 20,000 won in advance. If the visit leads to a contract, that amount would then be deducted from the final brokerage commission.

The industry says the idea responds to the rise of so-called “property-viewing crews,” groups that visit homes to study the market without any real intention of buying or renting. Brokers argue that these visits create unpaid work and waste their time, and that a minimum fee would help them maintain normal services and operations.

Consumers looking for homes and online users, however, have strongly objected to paying an additional charge before they can decide whether to proceed with a property.

A minimum viewing fee is necessary to maintain normal services and business operations.

· Industry representativesTheir argument for introducing a separate fee for property visits.
About this summary

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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