The smarter way to sell. Fast, committed, zero fees.

Option 1 — Estate agent (private treaty)

6–9 months. £2,500+ minimum fee (plus VAT). 26% fall-through risk.

You wait. Buyers haggle. Surveys come back with reductions. Roughly a quarter of sales fall through and you start again.

Option 2 — Quick-buy company

4–8 weeks. 15–20% below market.

Fast — but you pay for the speed with a heavy discount. On a £180,000 property, that's £27,000–£36,000 you don't see again.

Option 3 — Modern Method of Auction

56-day target. £0 seller fees. Committed buyer.

Multiple buyers compete for your property at the same time. The winner signs auction terms and pays a non-refundable reservation fee — so they can't walk. You pay zero. Most Howsold sales complete pre-auction, often within 8 weeks.

Daniel was looking to exit a single-property buy-to-let ahead of the Renters Rights Act. Tenanted sale — no notice issued, no void period. Sold to an investor from our network who already held several other local properties. Completed pre-auction.

Sarah and her brother inherited their mother's home. Both were based outside the city. The owner-occupier auction format suited a property in a popular family area — competitive bidding from local buyers. Clean estate administration, no chain.

Mark had inherited a property in poor condition and was facing council tax pressure as the empty period extended. He'd been quoted £18,000 for renovation by a builder before listing. We advised against — sold as-is to a local investor with established trades, completed in 41 days. He kept the £18k and walked away clean.

Concern #1

"Will I get less than market value at auction?"

In most cases, no — and often you'll get more. The mechanism that drives a private treaty price down (a single buyer haggling, surveys returning low, gazundering) does not exist in MMA. Instead, multiple buyers see your property at the same time and openly compete. On well-marketed Liverpool MMA sales we consistently see bidding above the reserve. Combined with £0 seller fees and no commission, the net figure you walk away with is often higher than an estate agent sale at the same headline price.

Concern #2

"What's the catch with the buyer paying a reservation fee?"

No catch — it's the whole point of the model. The reservation fee is non-refundable and paid by the buyer on top of the agreed price. It's what financially commits them. From the seller's perspective: you get a committed buyer and zero fees. From the buyer's perspective: they know they have to pay if they want the property — which protects them from being gazundered themselves or losing the property to a higher bidder mid-process. The buyer's fee is disclosed in writing in the auction legal pack before they bid.

Concern #3

"Is this regulated? Who do I complain to if something goes wrong?"

MMA sales are conducted under UK consumer law (Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, Consumer Rights Act) and the auction is governed by industry codes. Howsold is a member of the Property Redress Scheme — an independent redress provider authorised by National Trading Standards. If you have a complaint about Howsold's service, you can escalate to the Property Redress Scheme. All seller and buyer fees are disclosed in writing before any agreement is signed.

Concern #4

"What happens if the buyer pulls out after winning?"

The reservation fee is non-refundable, which makes withdrawal financially unattractive for the buyer. If a buyer does step back, we relist the property at no additional cost to you and typically approach underbidders quickly — many properties resell within days. Reservation fee withdrawal is uncommon, but if it happens, you don't pay Howsold any additional fee to relist.

Concern #5

"Why have I not heard of MMA before?"

Because high-street estate agents have no commercial incentive to recommend it — it does their job in less time, with more certainty, and without their commission. MMA has been quietly growing market share in the UK since 2020, and is increasingly used by motivated sellers, landlords, probate cases, and properties that have struggled on the traditional market. It's not new — it's just not in your estate agent's interest to tell you about it.

You want full flexibility to withdraw after agreeing a sale

MMA's strength is buyer commitment, but that runs both ways. Once you've accepted a winning bid, you're committed to selling. If you genuinely need the ability to pull out at any stage, private treaty with an agent gives you that flexibility — at the cost of having to pay if you want to keep it.

Your property has very limited local market interest

Competitive bidding requires multiple interested buyers. If a property is in a market segment with very thin demand (highly unusual properties, very remote rural locations, niche commercial use), competitive bidding may not materialise. We'd tell you on the first call if we think this applies.

You're not ready to commit to a fixed timeline

MMA's 56-day completion target works because both sides are committed. If you're not financially or emotionally ready to move on a fixed timeline — for example, you haven't yet found onward accommodation and have no fallback — speak to us first about timing. We can list to fit your readiness, but you shouldn't list before you're ready to complete.

You're in a chain that needs traditional alignment

MMA sales work best where the seller is chain-free or has flexibility in their onward purchase. If you're sale-dependent on a complex chain alignment, the fixed 56-day target may create pressure — though many sellers do manage this successfully.

1. The 26% fall-through rate is the highest in a decade.

Quick Move Now's 2025 data shows roughly a quarter of UK private treaty sales fall through — driven by long chains, survey renegotiations, mortgage delays, and gazundering. Sellers who've experienced one fall-through rarely want to risk a second. MMA's reservation-fee mechanism directly addresses this — and is the single reason most sellers we work with chose us over a traditional agent.

2. The Renters Rights Act is driving landlord exits — and investor demand.

Landlords exiting the UK rental market have driven a structural shift in investor demand. New investors are entering the market to absorb that supply, and rental yields have strengthened across most regions (UK rents rose 6.3% YoY in early 2026 per ONS). For a seller, this means MMA's investor network is bidding harder than 12 months ago — particularly for tenanted property, BTL exits, and properties in strong rental areas.

3. High-street estate agent fees are increasingly seen as poor value.

When sellers see that the "service" included in a £3,000+ commission consists primarily of listing on Rightmove and arranging viewings, the value proposition starts to look thin. MMA does the marketing, brings the buyers, and provides legal certainty — for £0 to the seller. This isn't a passing fad. It's a structural change in how UK property is bought and sold.