Alternatives to Estate Agents Arise Amidst a Competitive Property Market in 2025

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The UK’s property market is seemingly making a comeback. There was a long-expected shock caused by the stamp duty brackets moving. March 2025 saw a 57 per cent uptick in transactions compared to the five-year average. Stamp duty came into play that April, and so, transactions slumped by around 37 per cent.

In May, signs of life were noted in the stats, with that downturn rising up to just a 17 per cent slump. In this time, we’ve seen house prices come down and a buyers’ market be established. This is also being buoyed by the increase in council tax on second-home owners. Now, we’re seeing expensive country houses selling at a high rate.

It’s an indication of buyers being willing to test the market more amidst news of potential savings. The amount of housing stock is giving buyers power, especially in negotiations. So, many people looking to sell a property and even buy another in these advantageous circumstances have been turning to a more streamlined selling method.

Negotiations Enabling a Significant Discount

In the UK, buyers and sellers are fully permitted to negotiate on price. It’s a possibility that means that most people who list their property for a set price won’t sell for that price. Instead, it’ll get knocked down a bit by those who consider themselves savvy negotiators. Rarely does a bidding war erupt to yield a higher price than the listing.

There are many steps to the negotiation process, and yet, it’s incredibly fluid. Whenever a house is on the market, someone can contact the seller or the estate agents listing the property with an offer. Eventually, if the buyer is keen enough and the seller is flexible enough, a price will be agreed and written into the legal paperwork.

Across the country, the rates of discount afforded by negotiations vary greatly. Among the biggest discount areas seen previously have been in North East & Cumbria at NE68 where the average sale price was over 29 per cent lower than the listing. In CM22 of the East of England, a near-11 per cent knockdown was recorded.

Weighing the Market Against a Cash Buyer

With reports in June 2025 pointing to the “toughest sellers’ market in ten years,” most sellers can expect buyers to be more brazen than ever. Negotiations in a competitive space could yield even greater discounts for buyers. Through this traditional route, though, the buyer will still need to cover the nearly three per cent in associated fees.

In a crowded market, more and more sellers are looking for alternative options to the traditional selling route. Many see cash house buyers as the top way to sell your house fast. However, in some situations, sellers could also save money – or rather, make more money – by turning to these online property buyers.

A useful feature of a cash house buyer platform is the property value slider, which today illustrates that the instant cash offer will lean towards being 15 per cent of the market value. Compared to some of the negotiation discounts recorded, it amounts to a fair cut from listing prices. Just as importantly, using the service means that all of the legal fees are already included in that cut.

So, while cash buyers have for a while now been seen as the quick way to sell, in some UK postcodes, they may actually be the better choice for price in 2025 if the seller is surrounded by keen negotiators.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.