Buying Agents vs Estate Agents – What’s the Difference?

The key difference between a buying agent and an estate agent is who they represent. Buying agents represent the buyer, whereas estate agents work on behalf of the seller. As the purchasing party, a buying agent is your advocate, working solely on your behalf to uncover both on-market and discreet off-market opportunities, negotiate the most favourable terms and oversee every aspect of your purchase right through to completion and beyond. An estate agent, by contrast, represents the seller, marketing the property to secure the highest possible sale price.

In this guide, you’ll discover how each professional operates, where their services overlap and the key differences between levels of service, helping you to decide who is best suited to your requirements.

What Is a Buying Agent

A buying agent is retained by the purchaser to deliver a white-glove, end-to-end service. At Eccord, our award-winning team combines nearly two decades of prime central London expertise. We have a vast network helping buyers find their perfect property. From Kensington Mews houses to Mayfair apartments, we uncover every suitable opportunity and discreetly execute our service to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Once instructed, your buying agent immerses themselves in your brief, researching both on-market and off-market opportunities to identify properties that match your precise requirements. Rather than subjecting you to a “scattergun” of viewings, they curate a concise shortlist complete with detailed briefing packs, floorplans and survey reports.

When it comes to negotiation, they draw on market data and an understanding of seller motivations to secure the best purchase price and terms, often saving clients multiples of their fee.

As a leading London Buying Agent, our role extends beyond “sold subject to contract.” At Eccord, we coordinate due diligence, liaise with solicitors and surveyors, and manage completion-day logistics. Post-completion, we can introduce you to trusted interior designers, project managers or property managers, ensuring your new home is truly ready for occupation or investment.

What Is an Estate Agent

Estate agents, sometimes referred to as selling agents, are engaged by vendors to achieve the highest sale price in the shortest timeframe. Their day-to-day involves valuing the property, creating a compelling marketing narrative, arranging professional photography and listing the home across major portals. They conduct accompanied viewings to generate competition among buyers and advise on offers to drive up bids.

The key difference here is that their efforts lie with the best interests of the seller. Estate agents often encourage ambitious asking prices and present a broad selection of viewings, hoping that volume will spur multiple offers. While they manage the sales process through to the exchange of contracts, their formal involvement typically ends there. After the exchange, buyers often find themselves responsible for coordinating surveys, legal queries and completion logistics without the dedicated support a buying agent will offer you, for example.

Do Buying Agents and Estate Agents Offer the Same Property Services?

Although both serve different sides, buying agents and estate agents share certain property service overlaps. Both have an expert level of knowledge around Prime London’s property markets. Both arrange property viewings and negotiate terms. Yet the spirit in which they carry out these tasks is the fundamental difference.

How a Buying Agent Can Help

Here, we will give a practical example of an overseas client with a demanding schedule. Your buying agent will arrange private video walk-throughs and concise written reports, filtering out any misleading marketing claims, such as overstated lease lengths or hidden maintenance liabilities. They negotiate firmly yet diplomatically, ensuring your offer stands out without overpaying. On completion day, a buying agent may verify that every condition has been met before authorising final payments, then introduce you to vetted contractors for any immediate works.

How an Estate Agent Can Help

If you are selling, an estate agent’s ability to market your property is very valuable. Their role is to position your home to attract the widest pool of qualified buyers and often stimulate bidding wars that elevate offers. Once an acceptable bid is secured, they chase solicitors, coordinate exchange dates and resolve any last-minute snags.

What Are the Differences?

This comparison table is a great visual for you to use to quickly identify the core difference between both Buying Agents and Estate Agents.