Estate agents and private property adverts
Can I advertise with MyKeys.co.uk and still use my estate agent?
Yes you can. Please read the information on this page to better understand your options. Please also see our FAQ page.
The following information should help if:
- Your home is already on the market with an estate agent but want to increase your chances of a sale by doing some advertising yourself.
- You are putting your house on the market soon and want to know which estate agent contract to look for so you can also advertise privately.
There are three common types of estate agent contract:
- Sole Agency
As the name suggests, your chosen estate agent is the only agent with the right to sell your property. You cannot appoint another estate agent without agreement from your chosen agent and a change of contract. However, if you find a buyer yourself you don't have to pay the estate agent's commission (although you may still have to pay towards advertising or a 'For Sale' board). If you change from one agent to another, there may be a period when both agents' commissions are due if your property is sold.
As MyKeys.co.uk only provides a means of advertising your property (like a newspaper advert) we are not an estate agent. This means you can advertise your property privately with us and not pay your estate agent's commission if you find the buyer.
Please note that it is the responsibility of the seller to ensure they have a contract that allows for private selling by the vendor. We recommend that you tell your estate agent that you will be using a private sale website and ask that they acknowledge this in the contract.
- Sole Selling Rights
The estate agent is the only one with the right to sell your property. It is different from sole agency: if you find a buyer yourself, you still have to pay the estate agent.
If you have this type of agreement and still choose to place an advert with us then there will be no potential cost saving for you. However, an advert with us could easily generate more enquiries and a quicker sale as we advertise on websites that your estate agent won't use. With our packages starting from just £39 it may be worth your while placing an advert with us anyway.
- Ready, Willing and Able Purchaser
You have to pay if the estate agent finds a buyer who is prepared and able to buy your property and exchange unconditional contracts. You still have to pay even if you withdraw from the sale and unconditional contracts are not exchanged. Thankfully this type of contract is relatively rare.
Therefore, if you are currently looking to appoint an estate agent but also intend to advertise privately then you should seek an estate agent that uses sole agency contracts. This should allow you to keep any commissions due if you find the buyer for your property - we recommend you have this written into your contract.
If you already have a contract with an estate agent then you should easily be able to see which type of contract you have because the terms 'sole agency', 'sole selling rights' and 'ready, willing and able purchaser' must be explained in writing if they are used in a contract.
If you have a sole agency contract then you can advertise with us and should be able to keep any estate agent commission due if you find the buyer.
If you have a sole selling rights contract then you can still advertise with MyKeys.co.uk and our partner websites to increase your chances of a sale. However, you will still have to pay your estate agent his commission regardless of who finds the buyer.
If this is the case and you really would like some extra advertising for your property then we suggest placing an advert with us but putting your estate agents contact details on the advert - if he's going to get his money either way then he might as well handle the enquiries we generate as well.
We hope this page has cleared up any questions you may have had regarding the use of private adverts alongside the services of an estate agent.
For more information on estate agents, their contracts and obligations please visit the
Office of Fair Trading website.
If you're still not sure then feel free to either call or
email us with your specific questions
See our advertising packages from just £39
We currently have people selling their home without an estate agent in the following areas:
Avon,
Avon Bristol,
Bedfordshire,
Berkshire,
Buckinghamshire,
Cambridgeshire,
Cheshire,
Cornwall,
County Durham,
Derbyshire,
Devon,
Dorset,
East Sussex,
Essex,
Greater London,
Greater Manchester,
Hampshire,
Hertfordshire,
Humberside,
Kent,
Lancashire,
Leicestershire,
Lincolnshire,
Merseyside,
Middlesex,
Norfolk,
North Somerset,
North Yorkshire,
Northamptonshire,
Northumberland,
Nottinghamshire,
Oxfordshire,
Scotland,
Somerset,
South Gloucestershire,
South Yorkshire,
Staffordshire,
Suffolk,
Tyne And Wear,
Wales,
West Midlands,
West Yorkshire,