Dealing with estate agents can be an intimidating experience for the first-time buyer. BBC News offers a brief guide to what rights homebuyers have in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What is gazumping, and why can I be gazumped?
If you put in an offer to buy a house which is accepted by the seller, but then the seller decides to go back on the agreement and accept a higher offer from a different bidder, then you have been gazumped.
Despite being a frustrating, and potentially expensive, experience the practice is perfectly legal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Even when your offer has been accepted, the estate agent has a legal duty to pass on any other offers received unless specifically told not to by the seller.
In Scotland a sale is considered legally binding from the moment an offer is accepted.
I've been told the seller has received a higher offer. Should I believe that?
Badly handled offers are one of the top complaints at the estate agents' ombudsman.
People who try to increase the price of a property after accepting an offer can cause heartbreak for a buyer.
But even if it is questionable ethically, if you are the vendor and are offered an extra £20,000, then you are likely to accept.
But could a higher offer simply be a ruse to get you to part with more money? It can be difficult for the buyer to know.
According to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), an agent must not invent a bid or claim to have a cash or first-time buyer unless this is true.
Nor can they state that they have a potential buyer unless this is true.
The OFT suggests people should demand to see evidence if they have suspicions.
This can be difficult in practice, though, particularly if you want to keep on good terms with the agent.
Is the Estate Agent obliged to pass on my offer?
