An estate agent is an individual who arranges the sale or purchase of a property. He or she could also be involved in the administration of letting out and maintaining a property, whether residential or commercial.
A high street agent will charge a commission fee for his or her services based on the price the property is sold at (this tends to be from 1 to 3% and inclusive of VAT – although it’s worth negotiating). Online estate agents tend to charge a flat rate fee (anything from £400 to £2,000).
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has a list of its members by locale. Every estate agent registered to this professional body must abide by its code of practice.
