Estate agency contracts

Listing a home for sale on Zoopla! is completely FREE - we charge no advertising fees and no commission. We are an online publishing service, not an estate agency. For this reason, using Zoopla! as well as an estate agent is a popular choice since it provides greater exposure at no additional cost.

The most commonly used forms of estate agency contracts are 'multiple agency' and 'sole agency' agreements, which allow you to also market and sell your home directly. Other forms of contract are 'sole selling rights' and 'ready, willing and able buyer' agreements, which are more restrictive and should be avoided.

The standard estate agency contracts are:

Multiple Agency

This means that you may instruct multiple agents to market your home. The appointed agent(s) will be entitled to a commission if they have introduced the eventual buyer to you, otherwise you will have nothing to pay.

Sole Agency

This means that you may only appoint one agent to market your home. The appointed agent will be entitled to a commission if they have introduced the eventual buyer to you or if another estate agent sells your home.

Sole Selling Rights

This means that the appointed agent has the exclusive right to market your home and will be entitled to a commission irrespective of who buys your home and whether or not they have introduced the eventual buyer to you.

Ready, Willing and Able Buyer

This means that the appointed agent will be entitled to a commission if they find a buyer who is willing and able to exchange contracts on your home, irrespective of whether the sale is completed or not.