By the sound of it your agent isn't a great negotiator if he dropped his fee that quickly! I kid (sorta). In all honesty there are loads of agents desperate for business that will do 1% on everything. If they don't have a lot of business, maybe theyre not the best agents!
We start our fees at 1.5% too and drop them to say 1% for over €900,000 properties. That's in Dublin, in the regions you will rightly pay more than 1%.
But it does pay to incentivise your agent. He only needs to earn you an extra €3000 - €5000 to more than pay back what he earns in fees.
You are better off haggling over any upfront costs. There really should be any for a start. Some will charge you €500 - €1000 upfront which is mostly a con. They're getting paid before they've done the job. What if your property doesn't sell or you are unhappy with the agent later. It should be no sale no charge with just the % fee at the end.
Most importantly, pick an agent you like and trust, who listens to you and will be proactive helping you through the sale.
Good luck though! Galway_blow_in is damn right on solicitors fees. These are not % fees anymore.€1500 is about right for a single conveyance.