What Are the 10 Best Estate Agents in the UK?

An honest review with expert input to help you sell your house to the UK’s top agencies

Now you may already be wondering how a professional cash house buying company can comment on the practices of estate agents. It’s a valid query and one I will answer as I take you through this definitive guide on the top 10 estate agents in the UK. 

First, let me introduce myself a little. I’m Jess, the manager of The Property Buying Company’s selling division. I’m what you would call an estate agent expert, because I’m constantly dealing with agencies around the UK to buy and sell property. My 10-plus years of expertise cover all sort of property elements, from negotiations and valuations to local market analysis and, of course, estate agents. 

As Sales Manager for The Property Buying Company, my day-to-day operations are very similar to a traditional estate agent. I essentially help our clients sell their property while also managing a fantastic team of sellers. 

With all this experience and expertise under my belt, I feel well-placed to delve into estate agents around the UK and reveal the top 10 when it comes to service, trust and reach. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want to talk you through my process for determining the best agencies out there.

Table of Contents

• Our process for calculating the rankings

• Top 10 estate agents in the UK

• Some additional thoughts on choosing the best estate agent

• Can you trust estate agents?

• What to look out for when selling with an estate agent

• Should you use a local or national estate agent?

• How to find the best estate agent in your local area

• How do estate agents work in the UK?

• Estate agent branches versus franchises

• What’s the average cost of using an estate agent in the UK?

• Which estate agents have the cheapest fees?

• What signs indicate an estate agent is right for you?

• Pros and cons of choosing a sole agency verses multi-agency contract

• Which estate agent should you choose for a quick sale?

• Is a cash house buying company a better option than an estate agent?

Our process for calculating the rankings

To determine the 10 best estate agents in the UK, I’ve focused primarily on customer reviews and ratings on Trustpilot. In many cases, it’s the people who’ve used these agencies who provide the most trustworthy appraisals of what it’s like selling your house through them. So they’re a great source to call upon. 

Don’t worry, though, I haven’t just taken these overall Trustpilot rankings and left it at that. Far from it! I’ve drawn upon my 10-plus years’ experience in property buying and selling, as well as my direct interactions with estate agents on behalf of sellers to determine which agencies have solid track records for service and closing sales. I’ve also spent hours looking at individual reviews from former customers and how each of these companies respond to criticism. 

I know what you’re thinking. It would be remiss of me to only use customer reviews and my own experience to create this list. I’m already ahead of you. For this definitive ranking of the 10 best estate agents, I’ve also considered the following elements: 

• Overall reach (national or international, where relevant)

• Market share

• Annual revenue

• Use of online platforms for marketing (e.g. Rightmove and Zoopla)

• Overall fee structure

• Benefits or inclusions

Just remember that I’ve sourced this information from external sources, more often than not their company websites. So depending on when you’re reading this, some of the figures may be slightly different to what you see here. 

If you want up-to-date numbers, I always say it’s best to go straight to the source. This list should be used as a guide only and help you with your research. It will hopefully narrow down your search and save you time. But when you’re ready to choose an estate agency, I recommend getting in contact and asking them about their recent sales and success rates. 

By using this data, my own expertise, and the 50-plus years’ combined expertise of the team at TPBC, we’ve created a transparent and unbiased ranking of the top 10 estate agents in the UK. Our Property Consultant, Chris Atkins, also offers some great insight when it comes to choosing a good estate agent. 

“Choosing the right estate agent is vital. You want to choose one that is going to put in the extra effort and go above and beyond to get your property sold. They need to understand and take care of the attention to detail, knowing your house inside out,” says Chris. 

“When choosing an estate agent, the main thing you should look out for is when they try and ask you what you think the property was worth, and then simply agree with your price without giving their opinion. This often happens simply to win your business, only for them to later suggest reducing the property. An honest estate agent will provide their valuation first.”

Top 10 estate agents in the UK

Here are the 10 best estate agents based on the aforementioned criteria:

Based on this data, it’s clear to see many of the top 10 real estate agents in the UK offer similar services, including free house valuations. While their reach may vary, with some agencies focusing more on specific regions (e.g. South-East England) and others providing national coverage, all of them utilise online platforms such as Rightmove and Zoopla for nationwide marketing. 

You’ll also notice that aside from one (Purplebricks), all of these estate agents operate on a commission-based model. This means they don’t charge any upfront fees but instead take a cut from your eventual sale. Most of the ones on this list tend to take around 1.5% plus VAT, except for Foxtons, who take 2.5% plus VAT. So if your house sells for £400,000, you can expect to pay your agent £7,200 including VAT. 

These high commission rates for estate agents are why many people choose to sell their house fast to a cash house buying company, which doesn’t involve paying any fees or commission whatsoever. It is possible to sell your house for free via Purplebricks, but a lot of sellers end up paying for extras to help with marketing and open house days. 

We’ve actually got a great article covering Purplebricks versus estate agents, which is worth a read if you’re trying to decide between the two.

While the above table gives us a good overview in how these estate agents compare when it comes to customer reviews, we need to delve a little deeper to get a better idea of their customer service. Let’s take a closer look at the five best estate agents on this list when it comes to their customer service.

1. Knight Frank

Knight Frank may only have about 20 offices within the UK, but it’s also an international brand with global reach and contacts. Along with professional photography, this estate agency offers pretty typical commission rates and sale timeframes. 

Customer Feedback

The estate agent has earned a high overall rating on Trustpilot, averaging 4.8/5 from over 5,500 reviews. Of these reviews, it has a whopping 91% from 5-star appraisals and another 4% from 4-star reviews. However, another 4% of its reviews are 1-star. 

Knight Frank also has a 93% response rate, responding to 5,110 of its 5,512 reviews. RaveCapture, a review management service, considers anything above 10% to be a ‘High Response Rate’, so this agency is upholding a high standard when it comes to customer communication.  

Recent 5-star review: 

Excellent professional service. Superb communication and the perfect outcome. This is our second experience selling properties with Knight Frank – same agents and office, but 18 years apart. Both times we achieved great results. Highly recommend. – Winter Hill Cottage, 19 August 2025

Recent 1-star review (edited for conciseness):

Our experience with Knight Frank was extremely disappointing. They provided misleading information and failed to meet their commitments. From the start, there was a lack of transparency regarding the costs involved, and when we asked for details about services and fees, we never received a clear or accurate response. In the end, we felt deceived and frustrated by the treatment we received. – Thomas Beckford, 25 March 2025

Knight Frank responded to this review two days later by saying: 

We are sorry to hear about your experience. We are aware our team are in touch with you to assist to resolve the issues you are facing in the property. Please accept our apologies again.

Our Verdict

Knight Frank’s excellent communication with customers cannot be overlooked. It seems they respond well to poor feedback and maintain a reasonably high service standard. Many of the agency’s 1-star reviews are concerning the letting side of the business, so aren’t necessarily reflective of the experience you’ll have selling through them. They do drop the ball sometimes, but they at least acknowledge their mistakes when prompted and try to make amends. 

2. Andrews Property Group

Andrews Property Group has over 70 years’ experience in the property industry and around 40 offices around the UK. So expertise and reach are covered. It also has a decent commission rate and a relatively fast time to sell (1-2 months) for estate agents in the UK, where many are taking 4+ months to sell houses. 

Customer Feedback

The estate agency has the highest overall Trustpilot rating (4.9/5) out of all the companies on this list. It has been reviewed almost 2,500 times, including 91% 5-star and 3% 4-star appraisals. It also has 6% of its reviews as 1-star listings. Andrews Property Group doesn’t respond to as many reviews as Knight Frank, providing responses to 1,486 of its 2,492 reviews (60%), but it’s still considered a high response rate. 

Recent 5-star review:

The whole experience of selling a house was new to me! This happened due to the loss of my mum. But the staff at Andrews in Reigate were absolutely lovely. Very kind, very understanding, very mindful of the sadness of the occasion. Very compassionate when the need arose. They made what was a very difficult experience so very much easier. – Val, 6 August 2025

Recent 1-star review (edited for conciseness):

We recently used Andrew’s to sell a property. At first they seemed professional and did some great pictures of the property; however, as soon as the process began they lacked communication skills. They were also very unprofessional when they talked about other estate agents. I would not recommend. – Natalie Bullock, 30 May 2024

Andrews Property Group responded to this more than six months later, saying: 

Dear Natalie, thank you for taking the time to leave a review and we are very sorry to hear Andrews have not met your expectations. From our side, we do feel we have provided regular communication throughout the process and have evidenced this. Nonetheless, we value your input and wish you all the best with your onward transaction.

Our Verdict

While less communicative than Knight Frank, Andrews Property Group still maintains a high level of customer service. Their overall rating of 4.9/5 is impressive considering the thousands of reviews. However, in the past they have taken a long time to respond to negative feedback and it seems certain branches are more prone to bad service than others. So it may be worth researching your specific branch before approaching them. 

3. Your Move

Your Move has the widest reach out of the top five estate agents, boasting around 300 offices around the UK. The company claims to have sold over 9,600 properties in the last 12 months on its website. It also claims to have achieved 99% of the asking price on average in the same time frame. This is based on internal data so can’t be verified. As a seller, you get the typical perks of a big agency, including free valuations, professional marketing and negotiations. 

Customer Feedback

Your Move has over 10,000 reviews on Trustpilot, averaging a 4.4/5 rating. The high number of reviews is reflective of Your Move’s popularity and reach in the UK. The 4.4 rating also highlights a pretty consistent level of customer service across its selling, buying and letting branches. 

However, Your Move only has 83% of its reviews as 5-star appraisals, while 11% are 1-star reviews. It also has a 24% response rate, responding to 2,447 of its 10,402. This is the lowest response rate out of the top three agencies. 

Recent 5-star review:

Genuinely the most honest and trustworthy estate agents I have ever dealt with. They’re happy to help with any questions and always reply when they say they will. They arrive at viewings early, so you’re not left to show potential buyers around by yourself. They work as a proper team and are so supportive from start to finish. – Justine, 19 August 2025

Recent 1-star review:

They were due to attend for a property evaluation appointment. Received an email and text on the morning confirming the appointment. Failed to turn up. I emailed the Gravesend office to highlight my displeasure. No response received. Avoid if you are looking to sell with them. – Alex, 24 June 2025

Your Move responded to this review within one day, saying: 

We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We are sorry to hear that we missed your property valuation appointment and that you did not receive a response from our office. We will investigate this issue with Gravesend office and they will be in contact.

Our Verdict

Your Move is easily one of the most used estate agents on our list. However, this doesn’t always mean they’re the best. Communication with customers doesn’t appear to be as frequent, but they still have a good record among their thousands of clients. Many of their negative reviews are also from renters, so your experience as a seller may be very different. They’re going to be a good option if you want an estate agent with great reach and consistent service. 

4. Savills

Savills is one of the most recognisable estate agents in the UK. They’re a bit of an institution, providing a range of services and even earned a spot in our list of the best online house auctions. When it comes to selling property, Savills is known for its global contacts and premium marketing. They have over 130 offices in the UK and possess more than 160 years’ experience, according to their website. You’ll be waiting around 3-4 months on average to sell, but the commission is pretty low for a global estate agent. 

Customer Feedback

Savills only has 1,924 reviews on Trustpilot, holding an average rating of 4.2/5. Of these reviews, 75% are 5 stars and 20% are 1 star. Savills does, however, have a decent response rate of 80%.

I’ll be honest, this doesn’t exactly jump out at me and it shouldn’t for you either. It may be reflective of poor service, but because Savills offers so many services (selling, buying, letting, auctions etc.) it’s hard to pin down whether it’s reflective of the entire business or just one or two arms. 

Recent 5-star review (edited for conciceness):

We sold through Savills, through Justine Stapleton. Justine went above and beyond what we could ever have expected. Even calling on Easter Sunday to tell us about the offer we went on to accept. Her marketing skills definitely secured us a price we were happy with. Just brilliant work. – Kim Steel, 13 August 2025

Recent 1-star review:

The worst company to deal with. Asked for a portfolio valuation. Rang three separate times and promised a return call which never happened. Unprofessional, unacceptable and 100% rude. There are plenty of good companies that are professional. This is not one of them. – Chris Jenkins, 30 July 2025

Savills has yet to respond to this review. 

Our Verdict

Savills is a big and well-known estate agent servicing a lot of people and properties. Sometimes that means they don’t have as much time for clients as other smaller agencies out there. You need to weigh up your priorities when approaching a big agency like Savills and determine whether their reach and network are worth sacrificing customer service. 

5. Winkworth

Winkworth comes in at fifth on our list of the top 10 best estate agents in the UK mainly because of its extensive reach across the UK in cities and countryside areas. It also has over 190 years’ experience and a high rating on Google (4.99 stars according to its website). Winkworth is known for offering curated marketing depending on your location, including internationally if you wish. 

Customer Feedback

Winkworth may have high Google reviews, but it doesn’t perform as well on Trustpilot. It currently has a score of 3.8/5 based on 848 reviews. These consist of 68% 5-star reviews, 26% 1-star reviews and 3% 4-star reviews. It also has a 40% response rate, which is pretty low compared to most companies on this list. 

Winkworth isn’t wowing anyone when it comes to its Trustpilot performance, so let’s take a closer look at some recent reviews. 

Recent 5-star review (edited for conciseness): 

I recently sold my flat through Winkworth Blackheath and I couldn't recommend them enough. It was a first-class service throughout – from Steve's initial valuation to the viewings/negotiation with Tom, Maisie, Becca, and Alex, and the progression of the sale with Nicola. – Daniel, 1 August 2025

Recent 1-star review (edited for clarity):

I do not regret many things. Trusting Winkworth Kingsbury I definitely regret. Empty promises, a too high valuation to lure me, miserable communication, untransparent, blurring around etc. Their incompetence meanwhile caused real financial damage. Twice. – Joachim Latta, 4 February 2025

Winkworth has yet to respond to this review. 

Our Verdict

It’s hard to tell how service and experience will play out with Winkworth. It seems like many of their low reviews are for the letting or property management side of the business. While some sellers appear to be unhappy, the majority have had decent experiences with the agency. I think this one will require further investigation to determine whether what they offer is worth sacrificing a bit of customer service. 

Some additional thoughts on choosing the best estate agent 

1. Work out your priorities as a seller

When you’re looking at potential real estate agents, you really need to think about your priorities. One agency might be perfect for one seller and completely unsuitable for another. This is because sellers have different wants and needs. 

Now let’s be clear, almost ever seller wants to make a good sale that yields high profits. However, some will prioritise speed over revenue for various reasons (that’s where a cash buyer often comes in). Others will want access to a wider marketing network, while some sellers will just be looking for a good, local estate agent who provides quality customer service. 

So you need to work out what your priorities are and base your search and eventual decision on those and the estate agents available. 

2. Manage your expectations

The next most important thing to do is to manage your expectations. Estate agents want the best-possible outcome for your house sale, as they typically make more money the higher your property sells for. 

However, they’re not immune to fluctuations and difficulties within the housing market. Especially when it comes to sale timeframes. Many properties take months to sell on the open market (up to 34 weeks according to Zoopla), so be prepared to wait a while. 

You may not always get the sale price you were hoping for either. Again, this could be the estate agent’s fault, but is more likely to be due to unfortunate market conditions or low buyer interest for your particular property. 

Sometimes it can help to go with one of the cheapest estate agents instead of one that takes a high commission. This way, regardless of the outcome, you can avoid feeling like you’ve overpaid for their services. If you choose a no sale, no fee estate agent, just make sure you’re aware of all the fine print. 

3. Cut through the bull

It’s no secret that estate agents are known for talking rubbish. Some of this can be chalked up to ‘industry speak’, but for certain agents it can blur the lines of truth and lie. One example is estate agencies often overvalue a property to get your business then later lower their valuation after they’ve locked you into a contract. 

Here’s an example of this behaviour from Foxtons called out in a recent Trustpilot review: 

It’s important to be aware of the usual tricks estate agents use when talking to buyers and sellers. This way you can identify any red flags when feeling out the right one for you. If you do end up getting locked in with an estate agent you no longer want to use, there are ways to get out of these contracts. 

4. Don’t be fooled by a high market share

If an estate agent has a high market share, it doesn’t always mean you’re going to get a high level of customer service. In fact, it can often mean the opposite because these bigger companies with many clients may have less time to give to a single seller, especially if you’re not selling a multi-million-pound property, which many of us aren’t. 

A higher market share also usually means having a higher number of branches around the UK. These branches will have their own reputations when it comes to customer service and satisfaction. So just don’t go off the company’s overall reputation. Dig a little deeper into specific branches near you to decide if they’re worth approaching. 

If you’re wanting a more personalised service, it might be better to deal with a smaller estate agency. We see this reflected in the highly reputable service offered by Knight Frank and Andrews Property Group, who took the first two spots on our list of top UK estate agents.

Top Tip: If you’re unsure about what to ask an estate agent when you’re selling, here’s a list of 30 important questions to ask an estate agent.

Can you trust estate agents?

The majority of estate agents in the UK are trustworthy. The reputable companies, such as the ones listed here, uphold the regulations of the Estate Agents Act 1979, which dictates honest trading standards when it comes to things like negotiations, marketing, handling funds and resolving conflicts or complaints. 

Trustworthy estate agents are also active members of voluntary regulatory bodies, such as Propertymark. Although it’s currently not a requirement for estate agents to be qualified or licensed, as outlined by the House of Commons, it is a requirement for residential estate agents to belong to either The Property Ombudsman (TPO) or The Property Redress Scheme. This is to ensure property disputes are handled according to high trading standards. 

You can check if an estate agent is a member of TPO or lodge a complaint with The Property Redress Scheme online. 

Unfortunately, despite these regulatory bodies and requirements, the fact that estate agents are legally required to have a licence or qualifications means they’re not lawfully regulated. This can result in people encountering some bad eggs. At best this means experiencing poor customer service. At worst, this can mean getting scammed and losing money.  

In 2023, Property Industry Eye published an article about estate agents illegally withholding offers from sellers. This was off the back of an investigation by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Teams, which found that some estate agents weren’t passing on the highest offers if the buyers weren’t willing to use their services (e.g. surveyor and mortgage broker), which would usually earn the agents additional commission. 

The following quote from James Munro, head of the enforcement committee, sums up the issue: 

“If you’re thinking of buying a property, and you go in and they say, ‘Would you like to speak to our financial adviser or mortgage adviser?’ And you say, ‘No, I’ll sort all that myself. Here’s my offer for the property’.

“Well, that employee, sometimes on the bigger agencies, is on a commission, so if they can get those referral fees they will put that offer forward. But then there may be another offer which is lower, but that person is using all of the connected services, and mysteriously the higher offer just gets lost on the system.”

It’s very hard to detect and stop this behaviour, which was also covered by an article in the Times. What it means for sellers is you may never see the highest offer on the table, losing thousands of pounds because your chosen estate agent would rather earn their commission through ancillary services.  

It’s these kinds of untrustworthy dealings that make it even more important to research estate agents thoroughly. 

What to look out for when selling with an estate agent

Vetting an estate agent is an important step to take before agreeing to any contracts. Fortunately, most agencies are easy enough to research online and in person, either in one of their offices or over the phone. You just need to know what questions to ask.    

What’s their track record and online reputation like?

First and foremost, you should thoroughly research estate agents’ reviews and reputations online. This is a great place to start because you don’t have to commit to a meeting or phone call right now. You can just sit at your computer and weed out the ones that don’t appeal to you. 

Here are some steps you may want to tick off during your research: 

✅ Review customer testimonials on Trustpilot and Google.

✅ Check and post on forums about specific agencies in your area (e.g. Reddit and Propertymark).

✅ See if the estate agent has real-world customer testimonials on their website.

How do they want to value your home? 

How an estate agent values your home is an indication of how they intend to conduct themselves throughout the entire process. This is important, because if an agency overvalues your property it can put off buyers and drag out how long it takes to sell. You may end up selling for much less than their initial valuation, which can leave a bad impression. 

An undervaluation could be even worse. You may end up losing thousands of pounds you could’ve otherwise made from the sale had it been valued properly. 

Here are some things you may want to clarify with the agency before or after their valuation to ensure it’s realistic: 

• Do they have evidence for their valuation, such as comparable properties and local developments?

• What’s their strike rate for selling properties at their asking price? 

• Do they use humans to make a valuation or just Automated Valuation Models (the latter may undervalue your property)?

• Do they uphold the RICS valuation standards or are they using a member of the RICS to do the valuation? 

• Can they provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) utilising Land Registry data, comp properties and internal sales data? 

What’s their fee structure?

Before you sign a contract with an estate agent, you should first review their fee structure and know it back to front. This means being aware of any hidden fees. You don’t want to end up paying a higher commission or additional fees than you thought. 

Here are some things to look out for when reviewing an estate agent’s fee structure:

• A clear commission percentage (e.g. 1.5% + VAT).

• Whether they’re using a single agency or multi-agency approach (the latter will result in a higher commission rate closer to 3% VAT).

• Whether or not they earn commission from ancillary services (e.g. using their mortgage broker or solicitor). 

• Any hidden fees (e.g. registration fees and non-refundable deposits).

• Whether they charge for extras (e.g. photography, hosting open days, marketing). 

• Whether they charge for admin tasks (e.g. chasing sales or drawing up contracts).

• Any fees for withdrawing your property from the market or if it doesn’t sell.

What are their contract terms?

Beyond their fees, it’s important to review all additional contract terms before signing. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re locking into a long contract with an agent you no longer want to use. 

The small print in contracts is particularly important to review, as it can be used to manipulate sellers. The Telegraph published an article about this in 2024, detailing how estate agents were costing sellers thousands of pounds by including poor practices in their small print. 

Here are some key points to look out for when reviewing contract terms: 

• What’s the contract length?

• Is there a long tie-in period (i.e. how long are you locked in initially)? 

• Does the agency have sole selling rights (i.e. you will have to pay them commission regardless of whether you find the buyer or they do)? 

• Is there a notice period for terminating the contract?

• Is there a cooling off period after signing that allows you to get out without any hassles? 

• Is the agency entitled to commission if you sell to a buyer they found once the contract has ended?

• How will they protect any deposits?

• How will they handle any disputes and resolutions?

What’s their marketing strategy?

A good marketing strategy can be the difference between selling your house in one month instead of four months. It could also result in you finding buyers willing to pay more for your property. You want to make sure your chosen estate agent has a quality marketing approach, especially if you’re paying a high commission rate. 

Here are some boxes the estate agent should be ticking off when it comes to marketing:

• They use online platforms, such as Rightmove and Zoopla. 

• They provide professional photography and floor plans (some may charge extra for this). 

• They provide expert property staging (may cost extra). 

• They need to provide compelling property overviews that are also truthful and include all the necessary details (e.g. number of bedrooms, bathrooms etc.).

• They provide virtual tours or video walkthroughs (may cost extra). 

• They promote properties within their networks (e.g. email marketing and social media posts).

How will they handle offers and negotiations?

This is another important detail that shouldn’t be missed. You need to guarantee that your estate agent will be honest and transparent when dealing with offers and negotiating deals on your behalf. Estate agents have recently been under the spotlight for favouring offers from buyers willing to use their in-house services, so it’s extra important to vet their approach at the moment. 

Here are the key things your estate agent should be doing when it comes to offers and negotiations: 

• Pass on every genuine offer that’s equal to or above your specified threshold in a timely manner (they’re legally required to do this).

• Treat all offers equally. 

• Continue sharing offers right up until you’ve exchanged contracts with a buyer. 

• Confirm any offers in writing, including any conditions. 

• Guide you on whether to accept, counter or reject an offer with honesty and expertise.

• Help you evaluate buyers and their offers. 

• Communicate offers to you within 24-72 hours. 

• Continue supporting the sale process once the offer has been accepted. 

Do they have any conflicts of interest? 

When your estate agent starts fielding offers, they should make you aware of any conflicts of interest. You don’t want to end up selling your house to one of their friends or a buyer they’re representing as well. 

According to Section 21 of the Estate Agents Act 1979, agents are legally required to disclose any conflicts of interest before starting negotiations. If this happens, you’re within your right to seek independent advice and choose to not proceed with the sale. 

Some possible scenarios where this may arise and a conflict of interest must be declared in writing include:

• Your chosen estate agent wants to buy the property.

• A friend, colleague or family member of your estate agent wants to buy the property.

• They’re providing additional services to the buyer (e.g. mortgage loan). 

• They’re representing the buyer. 

What’s their post-sale process?

This is one of the final stages of your relationship with an estate agent. When you make it this far, you’re hopefully going to be feeling elated at having sold your property. But it’s important your estate agent doesn’t disappear now. There are still many ways they can help the post-sale process, which should be expected considering their commission fee. 

Your estate agent should be:

• Liaising with solicitors and keeping you informed of any issues. 

• Staying on top of conveyancing and notifying you of any problems. 

• Handling all payments and invoicing. 

• Leading the property handover and release. 

• Answering any questions you have during this phase
  

Should you use a local or national estate agent?

Deciding between a smaller local agency or a larger national one really comes down to your individual preferences and priorities. For example, if you want a more personalised service and local insights, it’s usually better to go with a local estate agent. If you want international reach or are hoping to benefit from a stronger brand name, you may want to choose a national agency. 

I’ve outlined the pros and cons for both options in the below table to help you decide. I also recommend reaching out to a couple of local and national agencies to get a better idea of their offers and styles.

How to find the best estate agent in your local area

You can find estate agents near you through various channels and platforms. Here are some tried and tested ways to find agencies in your local area. 

1. Rely on word of mouth, such as referrals from neighbours or friends in your area. Even better if they’ve sold a similar property to yours and had a great experience. 

2. Take a stroll or drive and keep an eye out for estate agent signs in front of houses. Make a note of the ones that stand out or that you see more often. 

3. Check local forums or Facebook groups for recommendations.

4. Visit local estate agents in their offices. You can also call the offices to speak to an estate agent. Sometimes having a conversation is the best way to get a feel for who they are and how they work. 

5. You can also use this great Estate Agent Finder tool from HomeOwner’s Alliance. It lets you search for estate agents near your postcode and filter by property type, number of bedrooms and estimated value. 

How do estate agents work in the UK? 

Before you approach an estate agent to sell your house or flat, it’s crucial to understand how they operate. Selling through an estate agent is quite different to selling at an auction or selling your house to a cash buyer. 

Here’s a quick overview covering how estate agents typically work when selling your house:

Estate agent branches versus franchises

Estate agent branches and franchises are very different things. Each one has its own operation model. It’s important to know the differences before you approach a branch over a franchise and vice versa. 

Here’s a breakdown of how an estate agent branch differs to a franchise:

What’s the average cost of using an estate agent in the UK?

According to HomeOwner’s Alliance, estate agents in the UK take an average commission of 1.42% including VAT. So if you can find an estate agent you like and trust who’s asking around this area when it comes to commission, you’re in a good place.

However, the cost of an estate agent can vary greatly depending on which agency you use, where you live and how many agencies you want collaborating on your sale. The cost can range from 0.9% to 3.6% commission depending on these factors and many more. 

If you’re using a single estate agency, you’ll likely pay between 1.2% and 1.8% (including VAT) in commission. If you want multiple agencies collaborating on the sale, you’re looking at paying 3% to 3.6% commission.  

Using an estate agent costs you more than selling to a cash house buying company. However, you generally make more from a sale on the open market. Here’s a quick comparison of the cost of selling through an estate agent versus other methods. Keep in mind that for some of these methods you’ll also be required to pay for legal and surveyor fees.

As you can see, you can save a lot of money by selling to a cash buyer. But it’s worthwhile looking into how much less cash buyers pay for houses before you consider this method.

Which estate agents have the cheapest fees? 

If you don’t want to sell to a cash buyer to avoid fees, you can still find estate agents out there that don’t charge such a high commission or so many fees. Low-cost estate agents are typically online or hybrid estate agents. By that I mean they only provide an online platform for marketing and selling your house or they provide a mix of traditional high-street agent services and online ones. 

We have a great article covering the top five cheapest estate agents in the UK, which has all the information you need. I recommend reading this guide if you want to explore this route but aren’t prepared to pay a lot. 

Is 1% a good commission rate for an estate agent? 

The short answer to this is yes, paying 1% commission to an estate agent is a great deal because it’s right at the cheaper end of the 0.9% to 3.6% range we typically see in the UK. However, you also need to consider what you’re getting for that low commission rate. 

Sometimes, estate agents with lower commissions don’t offer the same services as those with slightly higher rates. So just double check what you’re getting for 1% commission. It may be worthwhile choosing an agent charging 1.3% or 1.5% if it means better marketing, service and overall outcome. 

Should you choose an estate agent with the smallest commission or best rating?

This depends on your priorities and circumstances. Choosing an agent with the smallest commission means you won’t have to pay as much once you sell. However, your experience with them might not be one you remember fondly. 

Choosing the estate agent with the best rating online (e.g. Knight Frank or Andrews Property Group) may mean you pay more at the end but also enjoy the experience a lot more and potentially make more from the sale. At the end of the day customer reviews and ratings, not commission rates, are indicative of a good company. And as the old saying goes, you often get what you pay for. 

What signs indicate an estate agent is right for you?

If you’re struggling to work out whether you’re choosing the best estate agent, I recommend using this checklist. It’s a great way to make sure your agent is ticking all the right boxes. I know, that’s a lot of boxes to tick but you’d be surprised by how many estate agents consistently tick them all off. 

Pros and cons of choosing a sole agency verses multi-agency contract

As a seller, you can typically choose to sell your house with an estate agent via three contract types: sole agency; sole selling rights; and multi-agency. If you choose a ‘sole selling rights’ contract it means you need to pay the agent commission even if you find the buyer yourself. You’ve essentially sold your right to sell to the agent for the contracted period. 

For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend choosing this type of contract. When it comes to ‘sole agency’ and ‘multi-agency’ contracts, both have their pros and cons worth considering. Here’s a quick breakdown of these: 

Which estate agent should you choose for a quick sale?

If you want to sell your house quickly, you probably shouldn’t approach an estate agent. The HomeOwners Alliance recommends using a quick house sale company (aka a professional cash buyer) over an estate agent for fast sales. The reason being that estate agents are hamstrung by the same issues that make selling a house on the open make such a long and tedious process. 

Estate agents are usually looking for traditional buyers, who are people reliant on property chains (i.e. selling their house) or mortgage loans to purchase your property. Both of these things can drastically slow down the process. Delays with solicitors or conveyancers, survey problems and poor communication by estate agents can also add on weeks or months. These are the main reasons why it takes between 17 and 34 weeks to sell a house in the UK. 

If you want a quick sale, you’re better off approaching a professional cash buyer like The Property Buying Company. We specialise in fast and honest cash sales of houses and flats in any condition around the UK. Instead of waiting over 30 weeks to sell your house, you could have the sale finalised and the funds in your account within 2-3 weeks. Sometimes as fast as seven days. 

Is a cash house buying company a better option than an estate agent?  

The answer to this question depends on you and your priorities. Different sellers want different things, which can lead them to choose sale methods that other people would rather avoid. 

The main thing to remember is that cash house buying companies are just as legitimate as real estate agents. We even have a guide on how to choose a legitimate cash buyer. So you shouldn’t just go with an estate agent because they’re more traditional. As we’ve already covered, you can still encounter unlawful estate agents within the industry because of there being no licensing or qualification laws. 

You should instead weigh up these two options based on your priorities and wants. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to decide which route is best for you:

Does a cash buyer sound like the right route for you? Read our review of the best quick house buying companies in the UK to explore your options. You can also learn how the cash buying process works with The Property Buying Company. If you’re ready to get a free, no-obligation cash offer on your property, simply submit your postcode below to get started.