For sale by owner not sold through brokers each year (as of 2004). MSN Money suggests that 30% of homes are sold without using a real estate agent. More than half of the homes sold in Quebec are sold without an agent. In the UK, the average commission rate is significantly lower than in Canada or the US. Properties for sale by owner are less common. By law, all sales of property have to be supervised and handled by an independent solicitor who acts as a mediator and holds the buyer's money until the purchase process is finished. In Australia, the FSBO is still
Estate agent agents and or property portals that are based in the United Kingdom have started to encourage UK and worldwide estate agents to collaborate by showing all their properties, thus allowing site visitors to see a vast array of UK and overseas properties all on one website. Research undertaken in 2007 said that the most effective way of selling property is via 'For Sale' signs, 28% of customers had seen the estate agent's "For Sale" signs before researching more in depth into the properties. Searching for houses via the internet came in a close second (21%), with newspapers third at (17%).