Local hybrid estate agent working from home

Homeowners selling and landlords letting. Fees are usually charged to the seller or landlord, and in England tenant fees are heavily restricted.

Commission on completed sales (a percentage of the sale price) or fees on lettings. Some hybrid agents charge a fixed or upfront fee instead. You are usually paid only when a deal completes.

• Confident selling and negotiating
• Good local property knowledge
• Organised with paperwork and deadlines
• Friendly, trustworthy manner with clients

• There is generally no general estate agent licence for selling homes in England, but check the registrations that do apply before you trade
• Estate agents are usually required to join a government-approved redress scheme, so check which schemes are approved and whether they cover sales, lettings or both
• Estate agency businesses are generally required to register with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision before trading, so check the current rules
• Lettings work has extra rules: client money protection is usually required, Wales has Rent Smart Wales registration and Scotland has a letting agent register, so check the rules where you work
• Consumer protection law requires accurate property details, so check what you must disclose in listings
• Income is commission-based and can be slow to start, so keep a cash buffer for several months
• Check whether you can run a business from home with your landlord or mortgage lender

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £1,500 to £6,000, depending on your listing and software choices, photography and marketing, and the insurance and registrations you need before you trade.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £500 to £5,000, depending on how many sales or lettings complete. Income is commission-based and can be slow to start, so keep a cash buffer for several months.

Check which registrations apply before you trade, including approved redress scheme membership and HMRC anti-money laundering supervision. For lettings, check client money protection, Rent Smart Wales and the Scottish letting agent register, plus what listings must disclose.