Quick note: when buying through an estate agent, you’ll sometimes be put under pressure to use their in-house broker. Occasionally you might even be told that they’ll only put your offer forward if you speak to their broker first. This is because it generates extra income for the branch (at the low end of the market, this can sometimes be more than the fee they’ll get for selling the property), and also partially because they’re used to having their time wasted with offers from people who it turns out can’t get finance. If you don’t want to do so, don’t be afraid to say no: they must pass on
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