Most UK sellers face three real choices: market the property through an estate agent, put it into a property auction, or sell direct to a cash buyer. This guide is the honest three-way comparison — all headline numbers, all fees, all trade-offs in one place.
Comparison at a glance
| Estate agent | Traditional auction | Cash buyer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical timeline | 12–18 weeks | 7–10 weeks | 7–14 days |
| Headline price | 100% | 75–90% (if reserve met) | 80–92% |
| Seller fees | 1–2.5% + VAT agent + £800–£1,500 legal | 2–3% + £300–£600 legal pack | £0 |
| Fall-through risk | ~25% | 0% post-auction | 0% post-exchange |
| Reserve-not-met risk | N/A | Real — pay fees anyway | N/A |
| Mortgaged buyers allowed | Yes | Effectively no | N/A |
| Public exposure | High | High | None |
| Certainty of completion | Low until exchange | Medium (binding on day) | High once accepted |
Worked example: £320,000 property
Assuming a standard freehold property in a mid-value UK postcode, 65% LTV mortgage at 5% interest, council tax band D.
Estate agent
- Sale price: £320,000
- Agent commission (1.5% + VAT): −£5,760
- Legal fees: −£1,200
- Carrying costs over 4 months @ £850/mo: −£3,400
- EPC + staging: −£600
- Expected net (no fall-through): £309,040
- Adjusted for 25% fall-through risk: ~£307,000
Traditional auction
- Hammer price (typical): £272,000 (85% of market)
- Auctioneer commission (2.5%): −£6,800
- Legal pack preparation: −£500
- Carrying costs over 7 weeks @ £850/mo: −£1,430
- Expected net: £263,270
Cash buyer
- Offer: £281,600 (88% of market)
- Agent commission: £0
- Legal fees: £0
- Carrying costs over 2 weeks @ £850/mo: −£425
- Net: £281,175
The honest summary
| Route | Net proceeds | Time | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent | ~£307,000 | 4 months | 75% |
| Cash buyer | £281,175 | 2 weeks | ~100% |
| Auction | £263,270 | 7–8 weeks | 75% (reserve met) |
The estate agent route produces the highest expected net proceeds on a straightforward property — but takes 4 months and carries real fall-through risk. The cash buyer produces slightly less net proceeds than estate agent but dramatically faster and with near-total certainty. Auction lands behind both on this particular property profile.
When auction outperforms
- Unique or interesting property where competitive bidding drives the price up.
- Short-lease flats, tenanted portfolios, problem properties — auction’s natural buyer pool is already investor-oriented.
- Hot market conditions where auction bidding exceeds open-market offers.
- Situations where public exposure helps — specialist property finding its ideal buyer.
When cash buyer outperforms
- Chain-break rescue — see chain-break rescue.
- Probate sales with executor timeline uncertainty — see probate property.
- Divorce sales needing certainty — see divorce sales.
- Repossession rescue with a court date looming — see stop repossession.
- Unmortgageable property where mortgaged sales just won’t happen — see unmortgageable property.
- Any situation where certainty of completion date is worth more than the last 5–10% of market value.
When estate agent outperforms
- Standard, mortgageable, freehold property in an active-market postcode.
- Seller has 3+ months with budget for carrying costs.
- No time pressure, no specific onward-date requirement.
- Willingness to absorb the fall-through risk.
- Top price is the priority, not the timeline.
Decision framework
Ask yourself:
- Do I need certainty on completion date? → Yes = cash buyer. No = continue.
- Is the property standard and mortgageable? → No = cash buyer or specialist auction. Yes = continue.
- Do I have 4+ months and budget for carrying costs? → No = cash buyer. Yes = continue.
- Is the property genuinely unique or specialist? → Yes = consider auction. No = estate agent.
Most sellers fall into paths 1–3 when they’re honest. Route 4 (estate agent) requires a standard property with no time pressure — less common than sellers assume.
The hybrid approach
Some sellers try two routes sequentially — estate agent first, cash buyer as backup if the open market doesn’t work inside 8 weeks. This can work but carries a risk: having been on the open market for 2+ months can signal to subsequent buyers (including us) that there’s something wrong with the property, even when there isn’t. If you’re considering this approach, commit to the open market on realistic pricing and a fixed deadline, then switch cleanly if it hasn’t produced an acceptable offer.
Related
- Cash buyer vs estate agent (detailed)
- Cash buyer vs auction (detailed)
- Online estate agent vs cash buyer
- How to sell a house fast in the UK
Run your own numbers
If you want to see these calculations with your property’s actual figures, try our cash-offer vs estate-agent calculator. Or share your postcode with us for a real written offer within 24 hours.