Ending contract with estate agent early?

[LizzieMint]

I wondered if anyone had ever persuaded their estate agent to break the tie-in period and if so, what was the reasoning?
Our house has been on the market 10 weeks or so and in that time we've only had 4 viewings - in an area where houses rarely come up and are usually snapped up, that's a poor showing (pretty sure pricing is OK and nothing wrong with the house). We're now getting pretty pushed timing-wise for when we need to move, so we'd like to give a new agent a crack at it rather than having to rent/move again later. We've also found a house we want, and don't want to lose that one.
We are supposed to be tied in for a further 6 weeks with the current agent but given that there's nothing happening there, no interest, no viewings, we have zero confidence that they will manage to sell it and if we wait till the 6 weeks is up, that's our timing stuffed up. So I'm going to try and persuade them to let us finish the contract early. is there any hope?!

You could approach a second agent, either to prepare details, photos etc ready to launch the day that your current contract ends, or you could market the house simultaneously with two agents. Bear in mind that if you go for the latter then the fee is usually higher than a sole agency fee, but you might be able to negotiate this with the second agent. No harm in talking to other agents, though, and letting your current agent know that you're looking around; it might put a rocket up them.

I have a few other agents chasing me already waiting for the contract to end (ones who valued the house earlier).
I would definitely get them ready to go asap. I wonder if I ask to end the contract early, whether they may take a joint agency approach as a compromise. The fee will be paid by new job (relocating) so if it's more, that's not such a big deal. Hence the urgency as we have an immovable deadline to get moved by.

Definitely go for it! Check your contract with agent 1 - there may be nothing stopping from instructing another agent (as long as you pay the higher fee if agent 1 ultimately secures the sale).

Hmm, they are not impressed with the suggestion, put it that way!