Best Estate Agents in Durham

Durham's property market is unlike most in the North East. Alongside family homes in Neville's Cross, Gilesgate and Framwellgate Moor, a large share of the terraced housing near the centre is let to Durham University students, and that shapes everything from when houses come up for rent to which agents you will find on the high street. Most of the city's agents cluster on Old Elvet and New Elvet, a short walk from Elvet Bridge, which makes it easy to call in on several in one morning.

Here are five established agents with offices in the city, covering sales, family lettings and student lets.

J W Wood

J W Wood is the long-standing independent of the group, founded in 1910 and still family-based, with its Durham branch at 7 Old Elvet. From there it handles sales, residential and student lettings, auctions, commercial property, surveys and valuations, with conveyancing and mortgage referrals also on offer. The firm is a member of Propertymark (NAEA and ARLA) and The Property Ombudsman.

Its breadth makes it a useful first call if you are not sure whether to sell, let or take a property to auction.

Best for: Best for: a long-established, full-service independent with auction and survey expertise.

Bradley Hall

Bradley Hall is a regional independent with offices across the North East, and its Durham branch sits at 26-27 New Elvet. As well as residential sales and lettings with property management, the firm offers commercial agency, building surveying, planning and design, land and new homes, and its window display on New Elvet is hard to miss. The branch covers the city and surrounding areas including Belmont, Framwellgate Moor, Langley Moor and Bowburn, and is open on Saturday mornings.

Bradley Hall shows RICS regulation and Property Redress Scheme membership on its branch page, and is listed as a signatory of Durham University's Student Lettings Code of Practice.

Best for: Best for: sellers who want a regional independent with surveying and commercial know-how under one roof.

Robinsons

Robinsons is a County Durham agent with seven branches across the region, including its Durham office at 1-2 Old Elvet. The Durham team is particularly strong on lettings, with a full landlord service covering tenant finding and referencing, rent collection, maintenance and inspections, plus free rental valuations, and the firm also sells homes and has a dedicated student homes section.

Robinsons is a signatory of the university's Student Lettings Code of Practice, and its website displays RICS, Propertymark and Property Redress Scheme logos.

Best for: Best for: landlords wanting a managed lettings service from a County Durham firm.

Reeds Rains

Reeds Rains is a national chain with a genuine local presence: a prominent office at 81-83 New Elvet near Elvet Bridge. The branch handles sales and lettings across the city and out to Bishop Auckland, Crook, Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, offers free valuations, and is open on Saturdays. It is a member of The Property Ombudsman.

A chain branch can suit sellers who want broad portal coverage and a large buyer database, and Reeds Rains is also a familiar name for student and professional lets in the city.

Best for: Best for: sellers and landlords who value national reach from a city-centre office.

Loc8me

Student housing is its own market in Durham, and Loc8me is one of the specialists. The company, which also operates in other university cities, has its Durham office at 85 New Elvet and focuses on letting student houses, with support for tenants through the process. It is a member of the Property Redress Scheme and a signatory of Durham University's Student Lettings Code of Practice.

If you are a student (or a parent helping one), it is worth comparing a specialist like Loc8me with the general agents above, many of whom also let to students.

Best for: Best for: students looking for a shared house close to the colleges.

Renting as a student in Durham

Durham University runs a voluntary Student Lettings Code of Practice through its Housing Hub. Signatories commit not to issue contracts for the same property to more than one group at once, to give students at least two working days to sign (five where a non-standard guarantor is needed), and to help end overnight queuing outside agents' offices. The list of signatories, which includes Bradley Hall, Robinsons and Loc8me among many others, is on the university's Housing Hub website, and it is worth checking before you sign. The university does not recommend individual agents.

Do not feel pressured to sign early in the academic year: houses continue to come up, and the Housing Hub publishes advice on what to look for. Our guide to where Durham students live covers the main student areas.

How to choose an agent

Whether you are buying, selling or letting, a few checks apply everywhere:

• Get three valuations. Ask each agent how they reached their figure and what comparable sales they used, and be wary of the highest valuation simply to win the instruction.
• Check redress membership. Every estate and letting agent in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme (The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme), and letting agents handling rent must have client money protection.
• Read the contract. Look at the fee, the length of any sole agency period and the notice period before you sign.
• Tenants' fees are capped. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, letting agents in England cannot charge tenants for viewings, referencing or admin; the main permitted payments are rent, a capped tenancy deposit and a capped holding deposit.

If you are new to the city, our best streets to live in Durham guide is a good place to start, and you will need a conveyancer, so see our solicitors in Durham guide too.

Are you an estate or letting agent in Durham we have not included? Get in touch.