Buying guides
Plain English articles on property sourcing agents, buying without an estate agent, off market homes, and UK purchase costs.
9 min read
What is a property sourcing agent and do you need one?
A property sourcing agent, often called a buying agent or property finder, is retained by the purchaser rather than the seller. Their job is to translate your brief into a disciplined search, surface suitable stock from on market, off market, and agent networks, coordinate viewings, analyse pricing evidence, and support negotiation through to exchange. Unlike an estate agent who is contractually tied to achieving the best outcome for the vendor, a sourcing agent sits on your side of the transaction and is incentivised around your success, typically with a retainer plus a completion based success fee.
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8 min read
Property sourcing agent vs estate agent: who works for whom?
An estate agent is instructed by the seller to achieve the best price and terms for their client, within the rules of practice. A property sourcing agent is instructed by the buyer to find suitable property and negotiate favourably for the purchaser. Both can be professional, courteous, and knowledgeable, but their legal and commercial duties point in opposite directions once an offer is on the table.
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10 min read
How to buy a house without using an estate agent
Most UK residential sales still involve an estate agent because sellers want marketing reach, viewings managed, and negotiation handled. Buying without interacting with an estate agent usually means one of a few scenarios: a private sale agreed directly with the owner, a purchase at auction, buying new build from a developer’s sales team, or inheriting or transferring property within a family. None of these removes the need for conveyancing rigour, searches, and a clear transfer of title.
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9 min read
Why hiring a property agent is a better investment than going it alone
Buyer agents typically charge a retainer and a success fee linked to completion. Expressed as a percentage of purchase price it can feel material, yet it is usually small relative to stamp duty, legal costs, and the capital at risk if you overpay or miss a defect. The investment case is not “will they find a secret house for ten thousand pounds less” but “will they stop me making a six figure mistake or wasting a year of rent while I search inefficiently”.
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11 min read
Hidden costs of buying a house in the UK
Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland scales with price and buyer status, with reliefs for some first time buyers up to thresholds that change with policy. Wales and Scotland operate different transaction taxes with their own bands. Budget using official calculators and refresh figures if your completion straddles a fiscal event. Do not forget Land Registry fees for registration, which are smaller but still part of cash to close.
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10 min read
Off market properties and how to find them
Off market usually means the property is available for sale but not advertised on the major portals, or it is only shown to a shortlist of proceedable buyers. Reasons include privacy for high profile sellers, testing price quietly, avoiding chain publicity, or simply moving quickly between known parties. It rarely means a magical inventory of half price houses; it is a distribution choice, not a guarantee of value.
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