Sales or lettings: which estate agent services do you need?

When you need help with property, choosing the right estate agent service is not always straightforward. The differences between sales, lettings and management can affect everything from your costs to the support you receive. Understanding what each service covers—and how to see which agents actually offer them—will save you time and help you ask the right questions before you commit.

Understand the main types of estate agent services

Estate agents do more than simply sell homes. Here are the main categories you will see and what each means:

• Residential sales: This is the familiar service of helping homeowners sell their house or flat. The agent markets the property, arranges viewings, handles offers, and manages the process right through to completion. If you want to sell your home, look for agents with residential sales listed among their services.

• Lettings (let only): This service is for landlords who want to rent out a property but handle the ongoing management themselves. The agent finds tenants, checks references, draws up agreements, and collects the first rent. Once tenants move in, you take over the relationship.

• Lettings (rent collection): Some agents will collect rent from tenants each month and pass it on to you, but leave other management tasks (like repairs or disputes) to you. This suits landlords who want help handling money but are comfortable with day-to-day tasks.

• Lettings (full management): The agent looks after almost everything: finding tenants, collecting rent, arranging repairs, handling legal checks, and dealing with issues that arise. This is often chosen by landlords who live far away or prefer not to be involved.

• Property management: Broader than lettings management, this can cover the ongoing care of a building or portfolio, including maintenance, inspections, tenant queries and legal compliance. It is worth checking exactly what is included, as some agents use the term for different levels of service.

• Commercial property: Some estate agents also deal with offices, shops, warehouses, and other non-residential buildings. These require different expertise, so if you need to buy, sell or let a commercial space, make sure the agent lists this service.

• New homes: Agents may work with developers to sell newly built houses or flats. If you are looking to buy a new build or have one to sell, check if the agent covers new homes.

• Auctions: Selling at auction can be faster, but follows different rules from a standard sale. Some agents offer this service for properties that suit a quick or unconditional sale.

• Block management: This involves managing the shared areas and services in blocks of flats. The agent collects service charges, organises repairs to communal spaces, and deals with legal compliance for the building as a whole. If you are a leaseholder or freeholder in a block, or a resident management company, you may need this service.

Why many estate agents specialise

Not every estate agent covers every type of property or service. Many specialise in one or two areas, such as residential sales or lettings, and may not offer commercial, block management or auction services at all. This matters because specialist knowledge and experience can make a difference to how your property is handled and how smoothly the process runs.

On Annuvell Local, each agent’s listing shows a list of services they provide. You will see whether an agent covers residential sales, lettings, property management, commercial property, new homes, auctions or block management, among others. These are displayed as comparison facts, so you can quickly see who offers what and spot the differences between agents. If a service is marked as Not stated, the agent has not published information about it—this does not mean they never offer it, but you will need to ask.

If you have a specific need—such as managing a block of flats, selling a shop, or letting to students—check the services list before contacting the agent. This saves time and helps you find someone with the right focus.

What to check for residential sales

If you are selling a house or flat, focus on agents who list residential sales as a service. Not all agents handle both sales and lettings, so do not assume an agent who manages rentals will also sell homes, or vice versa.

Key questions to ask include:

• What is included in your sales service? Some agents offer extras like professional photos, floorplans or virtual tours, while others stick to the basics. Ask what is standard and what costs extra.
• Do you handle all types of properties? Some agents may specialise in specific property types, such as flats, period homes or new builds.
• Can you provide a free valuation? Many agents offer an initial valuation without charge. On Annuvell Local, you can see which agents mention a free valuation in their services.

You can also use How to choose an estate agent to sell your home for a deeper look at what makes a good sales agent.

What to check for lettings and property management

Lettings services come in several levels, so clarify what each agent offers:

• Let only, rent collection or full management? Make sure you understand the difference and choose the level that matches how involved you want to be.
• Are you a member of a redress scheme and a client money protection scheme? In England, letting agents must belong to both if they handle client money. This protects you and your tenants if something goes wrong.
• Do you manage repairs, inspections and legal compliance? If you want full management, ask exactly what the agent does and what is not included. Some will handle everything, while others may leave certain tasks to the landlord.
• Do you offer landlord and tenant services? Some agents provide extra support for landlords or tenants, such as handling disputes or offering legal updates. These may be listed as landlord services or tenant services on Annuvell Local.

If you are considering property management (for a block of flats or a portfolio), check whether block management or general property management is listed, and ask for details about what is covered.

You can compare these services directly using the estate agents category page.

What about commercial property, new homes, auctions or block management?

If your property need is out of the ordinary—such as selling a shop, buying a new build, entering a property for auction, or managing a block of flats—look for agents who state these as services. Not every agent will have the expertise or authorisation to handle these types of property.

• Commercial property: Offices, shops and warehouses require different legal checks and marketing strategies. Confirm the agent’s experience in this area.
• New homes: Buying or selling a new build often involves specific processes and developer relationships. Ask what experience the agent has with new homes.
• Auctions: If you are considering selling at auction, confirm whether the agent handles property auctions and what the process involves.
• Block management: Managing shared buildings has its own rules and challenges. Ask what is included, how service charges are handled, and how problems are resolved.

Each of these services is shown as a comparison fact on Annuvell Local, making it easier to shortlist agents who can help.

Services that span sales and lettings: what to ask

Some situations cross the lines between sales and lettings. For example, you may wish to sell a property that already has tenants, or buy a property as an investment and rent it out straight away. In these cases, it is worth asking extra questions:

• Do you handle the sale of tenanted properties? Not all agents do; some focus only on vacant sales. If you are selling a property with tenants in place, confirm the agent’s experience and approach.
• How do you coordinate between sales and lettings teams? If the agent has separate teams, ask how they work together so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Can you advise on transitioning from letting to sale, or vice versa? Moving from renting to selling can involve legal and practical steps. While agents cannot give legal advice, they should be able to explain how the process usually works.
• Will the sale affect existing tenants? Ask what communication and support the agent will provide to tenants during the sale process.

These are good points to raise in your first conversation, to be sure the agent is comfortable handling your exact scenario.

How to read an estate agent profile on Annuvell Local

When you search on Annuvell Local, each estate agent profile shows:

• A list of services, such as residential sales, lettings, property management, commercial property, new homes, block management, auctions, student lettings, free valuation, landlord and tenant services, mortgage services, virtual or rental valuation.
• For each comparison fact, you will see if it is verified, provided by the business, stated, or Not stated. Not stated means the agent has not published information about that service.
• Contact details that have been checked, with an indication if the phone number is verified or if a website is unreachable.
• A Verified badge, if ownership has been checked. This cannot be bought and is not affected by advertising.

You can compare up to four agents side by side, seeing which services each one offers. If you find an agent who looks suitable, you can use Request Quote to send your description directly, or send the same enquiry to several agents at once from a comparison view. You must be signed in with a verified email, and while a reply is not guaranteed, this can save time when you want responses from more than one agent.

For more on what each fact means, see How comparison attributes work for estate agents.

Next steps

Write down what you need help with—selling, letting, management or something more specific—so you can filter agents who offer that service. Use Annuvell Local to filter estate agents near you by service and compare them. Read each profile to check for the right services, then request quotes from two or three agents who match your needs. Comparing what each one includes will help you make an informed choice before you commit.