The UK has 18,000 registered Estate Agents whose job is to sell and rent houses, apartments (more likely to be called flats in the UK) and commercial sites (shops and offices), all of which are  called ‘property’.

Estate Agent Fees

Estate Agents work on behalf of the property owners, who pay a fee for their services, so don’t expect to pay a fee yourself if you are looking to rent or buy in the UK. You can find an Estate Agent before you arrive in the UK by visiting one of their many websites, where you can look at all the available properties and contact them to let them know when you are coming, and what you are looking for. You may find a directory of Estate Agents useful to link you to agents in your chosen part of the country.

Local Agents 

Although it will save you time to approach a few agents before you arrive, there is no substitute for going to the area where you want to live, and visiting the local Estate Agents on the high street (main shopping/business area). When you walk in they will ask you to register with them, which involves them taking down your contact details, so don’t worry about having to produce any documents at this stage, it’s just an introduction.

Local agents have local knowledge and can usually show you properties that are not being advertised yet, because they are new to the market. It is also a good idea to register with as many as you can, as this will give you much more choice and speed up the process.

Estate Agent Associations

In the UK anyone can become an Estate Agent, there are no qualifications necessary. So look for companies that are registered with national associations, such as the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) or the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Both of these ‘governing bodies’ have a code of conduct that their members agree to follow, so it will help you to trust that the agent you are using will act professionally.

Estate Agents fees are usually quite flexible, but a general rule is that they will charge the property owner between 1.5 – 4% of the selling price for sales, and take around 10% of the rental fee for managing rentals. If you are going to rent you might find some agents will try and charge you a fee (called an ‘application’ or ‘administration’ fee), of up to £300. However, there are lots of rental properties available in the UK, so don’t allow an agent to pressure you into paying, when there is a good chance that just down the road, you will find another one who charges you nothing. Our advice is to “shop around” (approach different agents until you get the best deal for you).

Optional Services

Some UK Estate Agents may also try and arrange a mortgage for you, if you need one. This can be very helpful but remember, just because you are buying a house through them, it does not mean that you have to take a mortgage with them as-well. Again, shop around and look for the best deal, or get some advice from an independent mortgage broker, it could save you money.

By John  Hillman

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USEFUL WORDS

estate agent = a person or company whose job it is to sell / find flats and houses for others
register with an agency = give your contact details
selling price = the price the owner wants for the property
mortgage = a legal agreement by which a bank or similar organisation lends you money to buy a property
shop around = to compare services and properties offered by different estate agents
view a property = have a look at a house or flat to see if you would like to buy it
make / put in an offer on a property = to suggest the price you would like to pay to the seller of the property – usually done via an estate agent

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Hypothetical ‘Would’

Use would with be or verbs of liking and wishing to express a desire for the present or future.  Fulfilment of the desire is impossible or improbable:

It would be so nice to live by the sea (the speaker doesn’t live by the sea)
I would prefer to be a man (the speaker is a woman)

To state a simple fact, use the Present Simple:
It is nice to live by the sea

Use the Present Simple to talk about something you currently like and do, but use would like to talk about an unfulfilled desire:
I like to stay in 5-star hotels (I do stay in 5-star hotels and I enjoy it)
I would like to stay in 5-star hotels (I don’t stay in them, but it’s my desire)

Wish + would expresses a desire for another person (not) to do something:
I wish you wouldn’t look at flats we can’t afford!