selling

Sell house fast: estate agent, auction or cash buyer compared on price, speed and risk

Sell house fast compared: estate agent, auction and cash buyer side by side on price, speed, cost and fall-through risk, using GOV.UK, RICS and Citizens Advice.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 6

The three routes side by side

General information, not advice. This page covers England and Wales and compares the routes using named sources, which we read on 4 November 2026. Each route suits a different seller, and none is best for everyone. The figures are averages or published guides, not quotes.

Factor	Estate agent	Auction	Cash buyer (market sale offer)
How it works	Listed on the portals, viewings, then offers	Bidding on the day, with a reserve you set	One buyer, no mortgage, often no chain
Speed	GOV.UK: about 5 months on average, longer in a chain	RICS: completion usually four to six weeks after the auction	HomeOwners Alliance: can be about a week, though some sales take months
Price	Aims for the open-market price	Set by bidding, with the reserve as your minimum	HomeOwners Alliance: often 75% to 80% of market value, up to 85%. Our rough guide: 70% to 85%
Cost	Citizens Advice: agent fee from less than 1% to 3.5% of the price, check VAT	Set in the auctioneer's terms of appointment. RICS gives no standard fee	HomeOwners Alliance: no estate agent fees. Fees and charges should be confirmed in writing
Fall-through risk	Nothing is binding until exchange of contracts	Unconditional: legally obliged once the hammer falls. Conditional: an option to exchange	Nothing is binding until exchange of contracts
Suits	Sellers who can wait and want the highest price	Sellers who want a firm date and accept the price on the day	Sellers who put certainty and speed ahead of price

Part 2 of 6

Estate agent

This is the usual route. Citizens Advice says most agents charge a percentage of the final sale price, from less than 1% to 3.5%, and tells sellers to check what is included and whether VAT is added. Our guide to estate agent fees explains fee types. GOV.UK says that an agreement to sell becomes legally binding only on exchange of contracts, so an accepted offer can still fall through before then, particularly when a chain is involved.

Part 3 of 6

Auction

RICS lists three advantages of auction for sellers: certainty, marketing exposure and speed. It says the successful bidder is legally obliged to complete once the hammer falls, subject to the money laundering regulations, though terms vary for conditional sales. In an unconditional auction, contracts are exchanged on the fall of the hammer and completion is normally between four and six weeks later. In a conditional auction the bidder buys an option to exchange within a set period, usually four weeks.

The reserve is the minimum price you will accept, and the auctioneer cannot sell below it. If a lot does not reach the reserve, RICS says the auctioneer will usually try to sell it at the reserve or higher, as set out in the terms of appointment. Read those terms for the commission and any extra charges. Our guides to selling at auction and auction versus estate agent go through the steps.

Part 4 of 6

Cash buyer

A cash buyer pays without a mortgage, so there is no lender to cause delay. The HomeOwners Alliance says offers are often around 75% to 80% of market value and sometimes up to 85%, and that estate agent fees do not apply. It also says a quick sale should be much faster than a traditional one, yet some sellers report waits of many months. Citizens Advice notes that quick house sales usually offer a discount.

The same checks apply to any buyer or provider: get the fees and legal costs in writing, ask whether the offer can change and why, use your own solicitor, and compare the offer with a valuation. Our article on how cash house buyers work lists the questions in full. For a head-to-head with one provider, see the cash buyer versus auction comparison.

Part 5 of 6

Which gets the highest price, and which is cheapest?

The route with the highest headline price is not always the one that leaves you with the most. Weigh the sale price against the fees, the months of mortgage and bills while you wait, and the risk of a chain collapsing. Citizens Advice also lists points beyond the figure, such as whether the buyer is in a chain and whether they can move when you want.

An illustration with a round number and our rough guide, not a quote: on a home worth £300,000 on the open market, 70% is £210,000 and 85% is £255,000. A 3.5% agent fee on a £300,000 sale would be £10,500 before VAT. The sale method comparison tool lets you put your own price and costs against each route.

Part 6 of 6

Next step

Get at least one written valuation, ask two agents or auctioneers for their terms in writing, and if you are considering a cash sale, ask for the offer and fees in writing. Never sign an agreement that stops you selling elsewhere before your own solicitor has read it.

This page is general information, not advice.

Our take

Pick the route on net proceeds, not on speed alone

Each route trades something. An auction runs to a set timetable, a cash buyer can be quick but often offers below market value, and an agent aims for the full price but takes about 5 months on average. We think the right question is what you keep after costs and how soon you need it.

Our sale method comparison puts auction, estate agent and cash buyer side by side on net proceeds and timescale. If you want a cash buyer's interest, our cash buyer form asks an independent buyer to contact you. It is free to you and there is no obligation. We introduce, we do not buy.

Compare sale routes

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

Which is the fastest way to sell a house?

Auction and a cash sale are usually quicker than an agent sale. RICS says auction completion is usually four to six weeks after the hammer falls. GOV.UK puts a typical sale at about 5 months. Nobody can promise a date for a cash sale.

Which gets the highest price?

An agent sale aims for the open-market price. A cash buyer often offers less: the HomeOwners Alliance says around 75% to 80% of market value. An auction price is set by bidding, with your reserve as the floor.

What does each route cost?

Citizens Advice says agent fees run from under 1% to 3.5% of the price. Auctioneers set their own terms, and RICS gives no standard fee. The HomeOwners Alliance says estate agent fees do not apply to a cash sale, but fees should be confirmed in writing.

What is the fall-through risk of each?

GOV.UK says a sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts, so an agent or cash sale can fall through before then. RICS says an unconditional auction buyer is obliged to complete once the hammer falls.

Who is each route for?

An agent sale suits sellers who can wait for the highest price. Auction suits those who want a firm date and accept the price on the day. A cash sale suits those who put speed and certainty ahead of price.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.