You do not necessarily need to use an Estate Agent to sell your house. However, whilst you can sell your house directly, it’s wise to weigh up the costs in both time and money to work out the best approach for yourself.

Below are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of selling via an Estate Agent vs selling yourself:

Selling via an Estate Agent

Advantages

  • The Estate Agent will arrange for photographs to be taken and produce floor plans
  • They will list your property on all the major online portals
  • They will handle enquiries and assist with arranging viewings
  • In some cases (normally as an added extra) they will conduct the viewings on your behalf
  • They will vet the potential buyer to make sure they are suitable and in a position to proceed

Disadvantages

  • It can be costly to use an Estate Agent, sometimes as much as 2 or 3 per cent of the sale price
  • Potential buyers can be put off if they are not provided with a good level of service when enquiring

Selling directly

Advantages

  • It can save you money as you are not paying Estate Agent fees
  • You have control and can speak directly with the buyer prior to any viewings
  • You can represent your house better than an Estate Agent could – after all you have lived in the house!

Disadvantages

  • It would be much more time consuming as you would need to handle everything yourself
  • You would need to arrange and handle all of the viewings yourself
  • You would need to vet the potential buyer yourself, so the risk of fraud is greater
  • The added cost of advertising – you would need to pay to list on the major property portals
  • You may not have knowledge of the local market like the Agents do