Selling your home is often one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. For many homeowners, the natural first step is to contact a local estate agent. Estate agents can provide guidance on pricing, marketing, and negotiating with buyers. But before you commit to working with one, it’s essential to ask the right questions. After all, the estate agent you choose can influence how long it takes to sell, how stressful the process feels, and ultimately how much money ends up in your pocket.
Yet while estate agents are the traditional route, they aren’t the only option. More and more homeowners today are choosing alternative solutions — like selling directly to a property buyer such as SellTo — to avoid delays, hidden fees, and uncertainty.
This article will help you understand what to ask an estate agent before signing a contract with them, what the answers really mean, and why in some situations, selling directly to a professional home-buying company may actually be the smarter, faster, and less stressful option.
We’ve broken this article into three in-depth parts:
- Part 1: The essential questions to ask any estate agent before agreeing to sell with them.
- Part 2: Hidden truths about the estate agency process that homeowners rarely realise until it’s too late.
- Part 3: A comparison of selling through an estate agent versus selling directly to a property buying company like SellTo — with case studies, examples, and practical advice.
Let’s dive into Part 1.
Part 1: Essential Questions Every Homeowner Should Ask an Estate Agent
When you invite estate agents to value your property, it can be tempting to go with the one who gives you the highest valuation or the one who seems most enthusiastic. But estate agency contracts can tie you in for weeks or even months, so you need to be thorough before agreeing to anything. Here are the key questions to ask:
1. What is your commission fee structure?
Estate agents typically charge a percentage of the final selling price, ranging anywhere between 0.75% and 3%. At first glance, that might not seem huge, but when you calculate it against the value of your home, it adds up fast. For example, if your home sells for £250,000, even a 1.5% fee means £3,750 before VAT. That’s money coming straight out of your profit.
Many sellers don’t realise that fees aren’t always fixed. You can often negotiate them — but agents may try to justify higher fees with promises of “superior marketing” or “strong buyer networks.” Always ask exactly what you’re paying for and whether there are any additional hidden costs, such as photography, floorplans, or premium listings on property portals.
2. How long is your sole agency contract?
A sole agency contract means you can only sell with that agent for a set period. Some contracts lock you in for as long as 16 or even 20 weeks, during which time you’re stuck whether the agent performs well or not. Ask what the minimum tie-in period is and whether you can terminate early if you’re unhappy.
Many homeowners find themselves frustrated when weeks pass without meaningful updates, but they’re powerless to switch agents because of the contract they signed. If flexibility matters to you, make sure the agreement reflects that.
3. How do you determine the asking price?
This question is critical. Some agents deliberately overvalue homes to win your instruction. While this might sound flattering, an overpriced property will often sit on the market for months, growing “stale” in buyers’ eyes. Eventually, you may have to reduce the price below its true market value just to attract interest.
Ask the agent to explain their valuation process in detail. Do they rely purely on recent sales data? Do they compare to similar properties in the area? Are they basing it on what they think will get your property sold quickly? A transparent, evidence-based approach is a good sign.
4. How will you market my property?
Marketing is more than just uploading your home to Rightmove or Zoopla. The best estate agents use a mixture of professional photography, virtual tours, social media promotion, and local buyer databases. Ask what their marketing package includes and whether you’ll have to pay extra for premium exposure.
Some sellers are surprised to learn that basic listings are included but professional photography or featured slots may cost hundreds more. Don’t be afraid to push for clarity here.
5. Who will actually handle my sale?
The person who comes to your home for the valuation isn’t always the person managing your sale. Once you’ve signed up, your file may be passed to a junior negotiator with far less experience. Ask who your main point of contact will be and how often they’ll update you.
A responsive, experienced agent can make a huge difference in reducing stress and ensuring offers don’t fall through.
6. What percentage of your sales actually complete?
It’s one thing to secure offers, but another to see them through to completion. Nationally, around 1 in 3 property sales fall through after an offer is accepted. Ask the agent how often this happens with their listings and what they do to minimise the risk.
7. What happens if my sale falls through?
Delays and failed sales are more common than many homeowners expect. Buyers change their minds, mortgage approvals collapse, and chains break down. Ask your estate agent what their process is if this happens. Will they quickly remarket your property? Do they have backup buyers lined up?
Why This Matters for Sellers
These questions aren’t just box-ticking. Each one reveals how much control you’ll really have, how much the process could end up costing you, and how likely you are to experience setbacks. Many homeowners only discover these issues when it’s too late.
That’s why some sellers, particularly those who are motivated to move quickly, avoid estate agents altogether. Selling directly to a property buyer like SellTo eliminates the uncertainty of contracts, fees, and long waiting times. But before we explore that option in depth, let’s look in Part 2 at some hidden truths about estate agency practices that sellers rarely hear upfront.
Part 2: Hidden Truths About the Estate Agency Process
Choosing to sell your property through an estate agent may feel like the “normal” thing to do. After all, estate agents have been around for decades, and most people you know will have used one at some point. But what many sellers don’t realise is that the estate agency model hasn’t changed much in years. It still relies on lengthy processes, outdated systems, and commission-driven incentives that don’t always align with your best interests.
If you’ve never sold a house before, or if you’re only loosely familiar with how estate agents operate, there are several hidden truths that you deserve to know before committing yourself to a contract.
1. Valuations Aren’t Always Honest
One of the biggest frustrations for sellers is the way some estate agents handle valuations. It’s a common tactic for agents to inflate the value of your home during their pitch. They know you want to hear the highest possible number, and they also know that many sellers will simply choose the agent who gives the biggest figure.
But here’s the problem: an inflated asking price rarely leads to a quick sale. Instead, your property may sit on the market for weeks or even months, attracting little to no interest. Eventually, you’ll be advised to reduce the price — sometimes several times — until it finally sells, often for less than its true market value.
This practice benefits the agent because they secure your instruction upfront, but it leaves you stuck with wasted time and mounting frustration.
2. “For Sale” Doesn’t Mean “Sold”
Many sellers assume that once an offer is accepted, the hard part is over. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Industry data shows that around one in three agreed sales fall through before completion. The reasons are varied:
- Buyers fail mortgage affordability checks.
- Surveys uncover unexpected structural issues.
- Buyers pull out when they find another property.
- Long chains break because someone else in the sequence changes their mind.
When this happens, you may find yourself back at square one, relisting the property and waiting for fresh offers. Each delay drags out your moving plans and increases the risk of costs piling up.
3. The Agent’s Incentives May Not Align With Yours
It’s easy to assume that your estate agent wants to get you the very best price possible. And while that’s true in theory, remember that their commission is based on a percentage of the sale price.
Here’s the reality: if you sell your house for £250,000 instead of £240,000, your agent’s commission might only increase by £150 or so. That small difference isn’t worth months of extra work for them, which is why agents may be more motivated to secure any offer quickly than to hold out for the very best one.
This mismatch in incentives means your goals as a seller — maximum value and certainty — aren’t always perfectly aligned with your agent’s goal of getting the sale closed quickly so they can move on to the next listing.
4. Tie-In Contracts Can Limit Your Freedom
Most estate agency contracts include a “sole agency” clause, which prevents you from switching to another agent or marketing your property elsewhere for a set period of time.
On paper, this is designed to protect the agent’s investment in marketing your property. In practice, it can trap sellers into working with an underperforming agent for weeks or even months. If you’re not happy with the service, there’s little you can do until the contract expires — leaving you stuck in limbo.
5. Marketing Quality Varies Tremendously
You might expect that all estate agents will give your property the same professional marketing treatment, but that’s rarely the case. Some agents will invest in professional photography, glossy brochures, 3D tours, and targeted online ads. Others will simply snap a few photos on their phone and upload them to a property portal.
The frustrating part? Both agents may charge the same commission. Unless you ask very specific questions upfront, you won’t know what level of service you’re really paying for.
6. Communication Gaps Create Stress
A good estate agent should keep you updated regularly, chasing solicitors, liaising with buyers, and smoothing out problems. But many sellers complain that after the initial flurry of activity, communication dries up.
You might go weeks without hearing from your agent, or find yourself chasing them for updates. Worse still, you may discover important developments only after they’ve already happened. This lack of transparency can add unnecessary stress to an already stressful process.
7. Delays Are the Norm, Not the Exception
Even if everything goes smoothly, the average UK property transaction takes between 3 to 6 months from listing to completion. If complications arise — as they often do — it can take much longer.
For homeowners facing financial pressure, relocating for work, or dealing with personal circumstances like divorce or probate, these delays can be devastating. The longer the process drags on, the more expensive and disruptive it becomes.
8. Hidden Costs Can Eat Into Your Profits
While estate agents talk a lot about their commission percentage, many sellers are surprised by additional charges. These can include:
- EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) fees.
- Premium listing upgrades on portals.
- Professional photography packages.
- Withdrawal fees if you decide not to sell.
When combined with solicitor fees, moving costs, and mortgage repayments during delays, these extras can easily wipe out thousands of pounds of your equity.
A Case Study: The Stalled Sale
Take the example of a couple who needed to sell their three-bedroom semi quickly after inheriting a property elsewhere. Their estate agent valued their home at £210,000, higher than other agents, which sounded appealing. But months later, after no serious offers, they reduced the price to £195,000.
An offer was finally accepted, but the buyer pulled out after their mortgage fell through. By the time the house eventually sold, almost 10 months had passed, costing the sellers nearly a year of council tax, insurance, and upkeep on a home they no longer lived in.
If they had chosen to sell directly to a professional home buyer from the outset, they could have completed within weeks — saving thousands in carrying costs and moving on with their lives much sooner.
Why These Truths Matter for Motivated Sellers
The traditional estate agency route works for some sellers, particularly those with time on their side who aren’t concerned about delays or uncertainty. But for motivated sellers who need speed, certainty, and simplicity, these hidden truths can make the process painful.
This is where alternatives like SellTo stand out. By offering a direct sale, without tie-in contracts, without inflated valuations, and without endless waiting around, SellTo allows sellers to avoid these pitfalls entirely.
Part 3: Estate Agent vs Direct Sale — Which is Right for You?
Now that we’ve explored the essential questions to ask an estate agent (Part 1) and uncovered the hidden truths about the estate agency process (Part 2), it’s time to address the real decision: is selling through an estate agent the best option, or is a direct sale the smarter move?
For many homeowners, the choice comes down to speed, certainty, and convenience versus the hope of achieving the maximum price through the open market. Let’s break this down in detail.
The Traditional Estate Agent Route
Pros of Selling with an Estate Agent:
- Wider exposure: Your property will be advertised on major portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, reaching a large pool of potential buyers.
- Possibility of bidding wars: In some markets, competing buyers may drive the price up.
- Local knowledge: Experienced agents understand buyer demand in your area and may already know buyers looking for homes like yours.
Cons of Selling with an Estate Agent:
- Uncertain timescales: There’s no guarantee of how quickly your property will sell. It could be weeks, months, or longer.
- High fall-through rates: Around a third of accepted offers never complete.
- Hidden fees: Photography, EPCs, premium listings, and solicitor costs can all add up.
- Stressful process: Managing viewings, negotiations, and legal delays takes its toll.
- Contract tie-ins: You may be locked in with an underperforming agent for weeks at a time.
This route is ideal for sellers who aren’t in a rush, who are happy to wait for the “right” buyer, and who are prepared for potential complications. But what if you don’t have that luxury of time?
The Direct Sale Route
Selling directly to a professional property-buying company like SellTo is a completely different experience. Instead of marketing your property on the open market, waiting for buyers, and hoping everything goes smoothly, you cut out all the uncertainty.
Pros of Selling Directly:
- Guaranteed sale: Once an offer is made, you can be confident it won’t fall through.
- Fast completion: In many cases, sales can complete in just a few weeks, sometimes even faster.
- No hidden fees: With SellTo, there are no estate agent commissions, marketing fees, or surprise costs.
- Certainty: No risk of chains collapsing, no waiting around for mortgage approvals.
- Flexibility: SellTo works around your timescale, whether you need to move quickly or require a little extra time.
- Convenience: No endless viewings, negotiations, or stressful back-and-forth with multiple parties.
Cons of Selling Directly:
- Price: You may not achieve the absolute top-end market value compared to a best-case-scenario estate agent sale. However, when you factor in fees, delays, and the risk of fall-throughs, the net difference is often far smaller than people think.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Estate Agent | SellTo Direct Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 3–6 months on average | Often 2–4 weeks |
| Certainty | 1 in 3 sales fall through | Guaranteed sale |
| Fees | 1–3% commission + extras | No fees |
| Control | Bound by tie-in contracts | Flexible, on your terms |
| Stress | Multiple viewings, negotiations, solicitor delays | Hassle-free |
| Price | Potentially higher but uncertain | Fair cash offer, guaranteed |
This table illustrates the real trade-off. While an estate agent sale might achieve a slightly higher price, it comes with uncertainty, delays, and costs. For motivated sellers — those who value speed, simplicity, and reliability — the direct sale option often proves far more practical.
Real-Life Scenarios Where Direct Sales Shine
- The Relocation Seller
Imagine you’ve been offered a job in another city and need to move within a month. An estate agent might take weeks just to arrange viewings and secure an offer. Even then, you’re looking at months before completion. By contrast, SellTo can provide a cash offer and complete within weeks, letting you relocate stress-free. - The Inherited Property
You’ve inherited a property that needs maintenance, insurance, and council tax payments while it sits empty. Selling through an estate agent could drag on for months, costing you money every day. A direct sale to SellTo allows you to release the value quickly without ongoing expenses. - The Divorce Sale
Divorce is already emotionally challenging. Prolonged delays with estate agents often create conflict between separating partners. With SellTo, both parties can agree on a guaranteed sale, receive their share promptly, and move forward with less stress. - The Chain Breaker
You’ve found your dream home, but your buyer pulls out at the last minute. Suddenly, the entire chain is at risk. SellTo can step in as a guaranteed buyer, keeping your purchase intact and saving the move.
Why Motivated Sellers Choose Certainty Over Speculation
For many sellers, the idea of achieving the absolute top price is less important than achieving a guaranteed outcome. Selling your property isn’t just about the number on paper — it’s about what that sale enables you to do.
- Clear debts.
- Relocate quickly.
- Downsize with peace of mind.
- Release equity for retirement.
- Avoid months of ongoing bills and uncertainty.
When you weigh up the hidden costs of delays, fall-throughs, and fees, the difference between an estate agent’s “optimistic” valuation and a guaranteed direct sale offer is often far less than it seems.
Case Study: The Stress-Free Downsizer
Consider a retired homeowner looking to downsize from a large family home into a more manageable bungalow. They listed their house with an estate agent at £325,000. After four months on the market and multiple price reductions, the highest offer they received was £305,000. Worse still, the buyer withdrew after survey issues, setting the process back to square one.
Exhausted by the stress, they approached SellTo, who offered £295,000 with completion in three weeks. While slightly less than the failed market sale, the speed, certainty, and removal of ongoing bills made it the better choice. In the end, the seller walked away relieved, free to enjoy their new home and lifestyle without further delays.
The Bigger Picture
Selling your home isn’t just a financial transaction — it’s a life decision. The traditional estate agent model may work for those who have patience and flexibility, but for many homeowners, the risks and frustrations are too high.
SellTo exists to give sellers another path: one that prioritises certainty, speed, and peace of mind. By removing the middlemen, avoiding tie-in contracts, and guaranteeing completion, SellTo helps sellers take control of their property sale — without the headaches of the open market.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Path
The questions you ask an estate agent before signing a contract are important. They reveal the reality of commission fees, contract tie-ins, and the uncertainty that often comes with the open market. Yet as we’ve seen, even the most diligent seller can’t escape the risks that come with relying on buyers, mortgages, and chains.
That’s why more and more motivated sellers are choosing to bypass the traditional route altogether. By selling directly to SellTo, you remove the uncertainty, avoid the fees, and gain the certainty of a fast, guaranteed sale.
If your priority is to move quickly, reduce stress, and take control of your property journey, the direct sale route may not just be an alternative — it may be the best solution for you.
