estate agents fees

[bednobs]

My friend had his house on the market with x estate agent. Someone in our village approached him (after i told them the house was for sale) and is now going to buy it. Obv the estate agent had nothing to do with this transaction as there wasn't even a for sale sign, and the buyer didn't know the house was on the market till i told them. Can it really be as simple as for my friend to give the agency notice then sell it to the buyer? Do the estate agents have policies in place to prevent this? how much of a gap would you have to have to be deemed not in contract any more?

[dzug2]

It depends on the details of the contract your friend had with the estate agent. 'Sole Agency' means the fee is payable however the place is sold

[bednobs]

yes, his contract states that if he sells it by anyy means while in contract, the fee is still payable. I wonder how much of a gap is needed (if no gap needed, why don't more people just find a buyer then bin off the estate agent?)

[sidkid]

Give the poor estate agents a break....they've got to pay for their Porsches somehow......:-)

[boxtops]

When you say "gap" - I guess it means that the seller has to discharge the estate agent, then leave it say a couple of months before he makes a private sale.

[ladybirder]

You need to look at the contract with your agent. If you can get out of it without any cost to yourself, which I have done myself, and the estate agent has no record of your buyer having viewed the property through them, then I don't see a problem.