Private sale

[Mitzi50]

My house was on the market up until October with a local estate agent - there was no interest (no viewers at all in 6 months!) so I took it off the market with a view to trying again in the spring.

Yesterday someone knocked on the door asking if the house was still for sale. They had approached the original agent who told them it wasn't available. Does anyone know if I can sell to them directly and not pay the estate agent?

Any agent with a couple of brain cells would have contacted you when the potential buyer enquired and tried to wangle themselves some commission.

By doing what they've done and telling the potential buyer to 'do one' - they've acknowledged they have no contractual interest or arrangement with you - you are free to sell to whoever you like.

The agent can only claim commission for introducing a buyer, if that buyer contacted you or them during the period in which the agent was contracted to sell the house.

It's defintely not an open ended arrangement.

Thanks - the agents have been useless

I bought the bungalow I'm in now, privately. The viewing was arranged through an EA. The owners were in the property when we arrived ( but not living there) After 30 mins the EA still hadn't turned up so we all told them not to bother and proceeded with negotiations between ourselves.
It was less stressful as we talked to each other instead of going through the EA.