On this page you will find details of links to Property Agent Companies, such as estate agents, letting agents and commercial property agents, from the UK and beyond...

 

In the United Kingdom, property agents are known as estate agents, whereas in the USA they are known as realtors. In European countries like France and Spain, and they're known as Notaries. Despite what property agents are known as and where they are located, the role of a property agent is similar in principle. Estate agents act on behalf of a seller to help sell a property. Most estate agents in the United Kingdom belong to a professional association or body which establishes a code of conduct and sets out what what of Sellers can expect what what from their agent. It helps provide a framework of regulatory guidelines and documentation to help buyers buy and sellers sell.  The estate agent will prepare the 'particulars' of the property when advertising it. Traditionally most estate agents have a high street branch with a shop front window to advertise pictures and particulars of properties for sale. During the last 20 years the Internet has become the dominant medium to assist agents in gaining the initial contact from prospective Buyers. The convenience and speed of the Internet means that property advertisements can be displayed on portals such as Let-a-property.info in minutes. There are literally thousands of property agent websites to choose.  User's prefer to browser for homes online in the privacy and comfort of their hoe or workplace, before they get in their car and visit the property to buy or sell.

 

Property agents main role is to advertise the property in local newspapers and on the Internet, to find a suitable vendors and qualify their needs and wants in terms of affordability. Agents typically also liaise with both the Buyer's and Vendor's solicitor or legal representative. Agents may also come into contact with surveyors of representatives of a mortgage company to ensure mortgage finance has been arranged and mortgage valuations and or structural surveys are completed on time.

 

Buying the property is the single largest purchase most people will ever make and as such they will normally require some form of mortgage or loan to fund the purchase. In some property agents branch offices, agents may allow an independent financial adviser or a mortgage broker to offer to either 'tied' or independent advice regarding mortgage products. The property agent would normally have receive an introductory commission in exchange for passing the contact details of the prospective home buyers on.

 

The property market in many western economies has boomed between 1990 and 2006. There have been isolated local falls in some countries such as Spain (where oversupply has forced a huge amount of empty property on to the market). However, in most western countries, speculation of and an increased demand for accommodation (driven by increasing and migrating population what and changing social factors), has forced prices upwards. In addition, the cost of borrowing has decreased while the range of competing Financial Products to buy a property has increased. The credit crunch of 2008, (which was associated with banks and mortgage lenders exposure to wholesale bad debt form sub prime USA lending) has severely dented confidence in property markets worldwide.

 

The credit crunch has had a local negative effects on property agents, with cuts in staff in estate agent networks with multiple branches or a large advertising commitment. In the building sector in particular, new house builders have been particularly affected by the drop in first time buyers and reduction in the number of new mortgage approvals. However, in the very long term, the underlying macro economic and socio economic problems of increased population growth and increased cross border population migration are forecasted to continue, forcing property prices slowly upwards in the long term.