How can I find someone to view a property for me in the UK?

What should you do if you want to view a property but you can't get there yourself? Many of my readers live abroad, some are looking over a huge area, and others simply don't have time to search for a property and carry out initial viewings.

In the UK estate agents work for the seller, and will not help buyers to find a property. They will only show you listings that they themselves are marketing, and they will do their best to reel you in!

Is there a way to get unbiased, objective viewings, preferably by a third party? Yes, you have six options for arranging remote viewings, but first, read this...

Important warning

This article covers booking someone to do a viewing. This is different from booking someone to do a survey. Viewing reports are only personal opinions. They may help to inform your judgements, and prompt you to make further investigations, such as viewing in person or instructing a survey, but they cannot be relied upon to make any major decisions. They should never be used as a justification to proceed, or not to proceed, with a property purchase.

Surveying is a regulated profession. You can search for RICS-registered surveyors in the area where the property is located on the RICS website. You can also book a survey through the reputable group, Countrywide Surveying Services.

Easy options

1) Friends and Family

If you have friends, family, or acquaintances in the area, you could ask them to view the property for you and share their feedback. If you're looking fairly near Tamworth, I can help for a modest fee.

2) Ask the selling agent to provide a walkthrough tour

The agent has a vested interest in selling the property, so if you are a serious buyer, they may be happy to provide a one-to-one walkthrough tour. (This may only be available to proceedable buyers). These tours are often done via WhatsApp or FaceTime, but some agents like to use a dedicated professional service.

Bear in mind that the estate agent works for the seller, so they will want to focus on the best bits, and avoid the potential deal breakers. You will have to establish your own tour parameters and ask for specific areas to be shown in order to minimise this effect. For example, you might ask to see a view up and down the street, a corner where damp may lurk, the condition of the roof tiles, the boiler, or the entire outlook from the property, warts and all. Remember to listen for traffic noise and look out for issues such as parking restrictions and electricity pylons!

3) Ask the agent to provide a 360° virtual tour

Some estate agents provide virtual viewings using 360-degree tours, allowing you to explore the property at your own pace from home. Links to these tours are often displayed on the property listings. If the agent doesn't have a tour available, why not ask them to create one? If they don't have the necessary facilities in-house, they can book a 360° photographer through services like Viewber.

Low budget options

Let's assume you want professional help, but you don't have much money to spend. Here are the best options:

4) Use a freelancer from a specialist property services platform

Whether you're looking to buy or rent a property, I highly recommend finding a viewing assistant on Viewber, one of the very few platforms which offer this service. Viewber works with property buyers and sellers, landlords, and estate agents, and provides a wide range of solutions through its huge nationwide network of independent freelance providers (like myself!)

'Viewbers' come from a wide range of backgrounds, and have varying degrees of skill and experience, but they are all DBS checked and they have all completed essential in-house training for the services they provide.

You can book a local 'Viewber' through their dedicated platform. 'Viewbers' can visit a property for you, take photos and videos, create 360 virtual tours, provide standard or bespoke reports, or conduct one-to-one video walkthroughs. All you need to do is register as a client with Viewber, choose your service, and book your 'Viewber'.

Warning

You cannot engage freelancers as advisors or ask them to negotiate a purchase for you. Those jobs are regulated in the UK, and anyone undertaking them must be covered by the two approved Ombudsman schemes. Also, as mentioned before, viewings and Viewber reports are not the same as surveys, and cannot be relied upon in the same way.

5) Use a freelancer from a non-specialist platform

I'm keeping an eye on freelancer platforms like TaskRabbit, Airtasker, Upwork, and Fiverr. None of these have property viewing options built-in at the moment, but they may do in the future. The most likely in the UK is TaskRabbit. Currently, there are no property search services under the 'Packing and Moving Services' category, but maybe you could sneak a task in under shopping - you are shopping for a house, after all!

Warning

As above, you cannot engage freelancers as advisors or ask them to negotiate a purchase for you. Make sure that any freelancer you employ is DBS checked, has sufficient knowledge to provide a good service, and holds any necessary accreditations for the work you need.

Big budget options

6) Engage the services of a property buying company

Property finding companies are not especially common in the UK, and where they do exist, they tend to focus on two main areas: investment property, and wealthy private clients. Fees are high, commensurate with the scale and prestige of their operations. There is normally a retainer and a final commision relating to the purchase price.

One of the major advantages to the larger companies in particular, is their access to off-market properties - wealthy private clients don't necessarily want to advertise their property on the open market.

Most of these companies specialise in the London area, but some extend to offering prime country properties across the country, particularly in the Home Counties, the Cotswolds, and the West Country. Search companies are not so prevalent in other areas.

When searching for property search companies, note that some are single individuals presenting themselves as a large company. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad thing, you will want to consider the size and set-up, reach, contacts, and skills, of the operation, when selecting your home search partner.

Find a buying company via an Ombudsman scheme

Buying agents must be registered with an Ombudsman scheme by law. Do not use an unregistered company. You can search for local buying agents at either of the two official Ombudsman websites:

The Property Ombudsman. You'll find a section in the dropdown for Residential Buying Agents. You can use the search to check which scheme a company is registered with.

The Property Redress Scheme. This does not have a category search, but you can still use the search to check which scheme a particular company is registered with.

Examples of well-established buying companies

Here are some examples of large, well-established home finding companies. I have not used these companies myself, and cannot recommend them personally.

Buying Agent Partnership covers most of the country with its independent regional consultants.

The Buying Agents are buying agents who specialise in London, particularly Off Market and Pre Market properties.

Property Vision specialises in London and prestigious areas.

Garrington East is Phil Spencer's search agency. They specialise in finding quality property in East Anglia, including Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Recoco Property Search, (short for Relocation: Coast & Country), specialises in the West Country and London.

The Buying Solution is a property buying agency attached to Knight Frank estate agents. It covers most of the UK and specialises in off-market deals.

Prime Purchase is similar to The Buying Solution, but it is linked to Savills estate agents.

Black Brick covers London and 'country' areas, with a focus on the West Country and Surrey.

Robert Bailey Property is a specialist London buying agent.

RFR Property is another London search agency.

Middleton Advisors deal with London and Country properties via its 30+ property professionals.

Aykroyd & Co is based in Mayfair, and focuses on central London.

La Pera Davies is a boutique search company specialising in London and international properties. (Previously GLP Fine Properties).

Henry Pryor deals with property searches above £500,000 in London and the South of England.

Turnbull Property specialises in Central London. 

You might also find suitable companies by searching for Relocation Services, but many of these only deal in property rentals, not purchases.

I hope you found this article useful - good luck with your search!