Page "Estate agent" Paragraph 1

An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent.

Estate agents are mainly engaged in the marketing of property available for sale and a solicitor or licensed conveyancer is used to prepare the legal documents.

In Scotland, however, many solicitors also act as estate agents, a practice that is rare in England and Wales.