More about online estate agents

What are Online Estate Agents?

Online Agents provide a low-cost, fixed-fee service to sell your home. Unlike traditional high street estate agents, most online estate agentsoperate from a centralised office which allows them to keep their costs low, and charge a low fee.

What do Online Estate Agents include in their service?

As a minimum, all Online Agents will include listings on the main property portals Rightmove and Zoopla. Beyond that, service levels can vary significantly – for example, some will charge extra for photography and floorplans. When comparing Online Estate Agents and their fees, it's important to compare like for like – the price on the tin won't necessarily be what you end up paying!

Should I use an online estate agent?

You can save a lot of money using an Online Estate Agent. But saving money shouldn't be your only consideration; a quick and smooth sale, and ensuring you maximise the resale value of your most important financial asset should also feature high on the list.

Because these agents operate from nationwide call centres, their local knowledge is typically limited, so they'll value your home using historical sales data. This means there's a risk that your property ends up getting either under or over-valued. However, some like Yopa and Purplebricks (known as 'hybrids') employ local property experts who which means they can often provide a more accurate valuation.

In most cases, you'll also need to do the viewings yourself so remember to take this into consideration.

When do I pay the agent?

Most agents will offer an option to either pay upfront and save money, or pay later. If you opt for the 'pay later' option, pay attention to small print, as in many cases this isn't payment on completion, but simply a litle further along the process (e.g. 3 or 6 months). It's also important to bear in mind that this fee is typically non-refundable.

Are there any hidden costs?

Most Online Agents promote a variety of packages which can make it hard to gauge whether you're getting a good deal or not. Our site allows your to easily compare like for like, by showing the total costs (including any extras) for every agent.