PCN Estate agents
A referral network for estate agents, with one agency in each postcode area
The Professional Connections Network (PCN) connects one estate agent in each UK postcode area with one accountant, financial adviser, mortgage broker and solicitor. You refer buyers and sellers who need a mortgage, conveyancing or tax help. The other four refer clients who need to sell.
Run by Independent Check Ltd, in business since 2012. Who we are
OpenTaken121 of 121 areas open for estate agents
Tap an area to check it. The boxes enlarge London and Manchester.
121 of 121 postcode areas are open for estate agents.
Which clients do estate agents send and receive?
These are the referrals that most often pass between an estate agent and the other four professions. Which ones you see depends on your clients and on who holds your area.
You refer
- Accountants
Landlords selling a rental property, who have capital gains tax to report within 60 days of completion.
- Financial advisers
Sellers releasing equity or downsizing, who want advice on what to do with the money.
- Mortgage brokers
Buyers without a mortgage in principle, so their offer can go forward with the lender's figures behind it.
- Solicitors
Sellers and buyers who need a conveyancer, so the sale doesn't wait while they find one.
You receive
- Accountants
Landlords selling part of a portfolio, and business owners selling a home as part of a move.
- Financial advisers
Clients downsizing in retirement, or selling to release money for care.
- Mortgage brokers
Remortgage clients who decide to move instead, and buyers who need to sell first.
- Solicitors
Homes to sell when an estate is being wound up after a death.
Why would an estate agent join PCN?
A sale moves faster when the buyer has a broker and both sides have a solicitor from the start. PCN gives you one of each in your postcode area to refer to.
Advisers, accountants and solicitors often hear about a sale before an agent does: an estate after a death, a landlord selling up, a couple downsizing. In PCN, those referrals go to the one agency that holds the area.
You still choose who to refer each client to, and the client is always free to choose their own firm.
Who you’d work with
- Accountants→
Refer pension, legal and mortgage questions. Receive estates, landlords and new companies.
- Financial advisers→
Refer wills, tax returns and house moves. Receive inheritances, sale proceeds and business sales.
- Mortgage brokers→
Refer conveyancing and planning. Receive buyers and self-employed applicants.
- Solicitors→
Refer estate property, accounts and beneficiaries. Receive conveyancing, wills and company work.
What a referral from an estate agent looks like
A referral starts as a short summary with no names or contact details. The other firm accepts or declines on that alone, so say what the client needs and by when.
To a mortgage broker
First-time buyers with an offer accepted on a flat. Their agreement in principle has expired and the seller wants proof of funding this week.
To a solicitor
Seller with an inherited house and probate expected next month. Needs a conveyancer ready to start as soon as the grant is issued.
To an accountant
Landlord selling a buy-to-let they have owned for 15 years. They have never reported a gain before, and completion is in eight weeks.
Before you send, check the summary
- It says what the client needs and when they need it.
- It includes anything that saves the other firm a question, such as the type of income or the property involved.
- It leaves out names, emails, phone numbers, full postcodes and dates of birth. PCN holds the referral back until they’re removed.
- You’ve ticked to confirm the client agreed to be referred.
Examples only, written to show the format. They are not real clients.
Where do estate agents fit in a client’s referrals?
Four everyday client situations. Your profession is marked, and each arc is one referral between two firms in the same postcode area.
- 1Estate agent → mortgage broker
The buyer needs a mortgage agreed before the sale can go ahead.
- 2Estate agent → solicitor
Buyer and seller each need a solicitor for the conveyancing.
- 3Estate agent → accountant
The seller is a landlord. Capital gains tax on a residential sale has to be reported to HMRC within 60 days.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
- 1Financial adviser → solicitor
Planning for retirement often starts with an up-to-date will and lasting powers of attorney.
- 2Financial adviser → accountant
Taking pension income changes the client’s tax position.
- 3Financial adviser → estate agent
The client decides to downsize and sell the family home.
- 4Estate agent → mortgage broker
The next home needs a later-life mortgage.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
- 1Accountant → solicitor
A new company needs articles, a shareholders’ agreement and contracts.
- 2Accountant → financial adviser
Directors ask about pensions paid through the company, and cover if one of them falls ill.
- 3Accountant → mortgage broker
Self-employed income needs a broker who knows how lenders read company accounts.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
- 1Solicitor → accountant
The estate needs a final tax return for the person who died.
- 2Solicitor → estate agent
The family home is valued and put up for sale.
- 3Solicitor → financial adviser
Beneficiaries want advice on what to do with what they inherit.
- 4Financial adviser → mortgage broker
One beneficiary uses an inheritance as a deposit and needs a mortgage.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
Telling sellers and buyers about referral fees
PCN doesn't pay or charge anything per referral. If you agree a fee with another firm, tell sellers and buyers about it, including how much it is. NTSELAT guidance under the Estate Agents Act 1979 expects this. The Property Ombudsman's code expects disclosure too.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check your regulator’s current rules before you agree any fee with another firm.
Questions estate agents ask
Anything else, call the Independent Check team on 0800 246 1094.
All questions→Do buyers have to use the PCN broker or solicitor?+
No. A referral is an introduction the client agreed to. They can choose another firm, and their offer shouldn't depend on it.
Which postcode area does a referral go to?+
The one you choose when you send it, usually where the client lives or where the property is. It goes to the firm in your chosen profession that holds that area.
What if there's no solicitor in my area yet?+
Then the referral can't go through PCN yet, and the form tells you before you write anything. Referrals start when firms from the other professions in your area join.
Hold your postcode area for estate agents
Membership is free. PCN charges nothing to join and takes nothing from referrals.
- 1Check your area
See whether it’s open for estate agents.
- 2Create your profile
Your firm’s details. It takes about five minutes, and the area is held for 48 hours while you do it.
- 3Send and receive referrals
Start as soon as other professions in your area join. Until then, no other estate agent can take your area.