I'm already using an Estate Agent. Can I use your service aswell?

Yes that's fine. You can still use us or any other similar Internet service.

In fact, knowing that you might get a sale more quickly than them should help your agent pull their finger out. After all they don't want to lose their fat commission.

Many people who have found their homes weren't selling have taken action themselves by signing up to an online service like this, and found a buyer surprisingly quickly - or their agent has.

Check the Type of Contract you have with your Estate Agent

Estate Agents Contract Types

Sole Selling rights

Just make sure that your contract is not for Sole Selling rights. If so your agent can claim commission even if you sell the property yourself. However even in spite of this some people still want to advertise with us to speed things up and sell their own house or flat.

If your contact is for Sole Selling then do inform the agent that you are advertising yourself in case they claim that this is unacceptable to them. In this event you might want to get rid of them.

To do this simply call them and tell them you are serving notice on your agreement. Then put this in writing and send it recorded delivery. Check their response. If they say you can't serve notice then simply take legal advice. Read more on How to Get Rid of Your Agent

 

Sole Agency

If your contract is for Sole Agency this means they are simply your sole appointed estate agent - the only estate agent who can sell your property.

You should be OK selling your property yourself without paying any commission. (Unless of course the agent introduced the buyer to you).

 

Multiple Agency

This is where you get several agents to sell the property. The one who sells the property gets the commission.

The agents will usually want a higher commission if they are in competition with others.

Warning

Watch out for the phrase in your contract Ready Willing and Able buyer or purchaser.

This means that if the agent had a buyer in hand but you decided not to sell, for whatever reason, the agent can claim commission from you.

If you have such a contract it is best to serve notice on it immediately.

The type of agent who has sneaked it into the agreement is the type of agent who will pretend that they had a ready buyer when in fact they were neither particularly willing or able - for example they didn't even have a mortgage in place. Read more on How to Get Rid of Your Agent

 

Don't Try to Cheat Your Agent


Whatever you may think of your agent never try to trick them, for example, by saying that a prospective buyer who they introduced, came through your own advert and not through them.

Unlike almost any other form of agency, where such a dispute may arise, the law is firmly behind Estate Agents in this regard.