Strutt & Parker

If you’re in the UK, I’d think of “best real estate companies” in three buckets: the portals people search on, the estate/letting agents people instruct, and the specialist platforms for renting or comparing agents.

Quick recommendation

Best UK property portals — what people actually use

1. Rightmove — the first place most UK buyers and renters check. Semrush ranked Rightmove as the UK’s most-visited real-estate site in July 2026, with 52.9 million monthly visits, well ahead of Zoopla. (semrush.com)
2. Zoopla — the best second portal to use alongside Rightmove, especially for price history, sold-price context and not missing listings. Semrush put Zoopla second among UK real-estate websites with 17.98 million monthly visits in July 2026, and a YouGov survey commissioned by Zoopla found that UK consumers most expected homes to be listed on Rightmove and Zoopla. (semrush.com)
3. OnTheMarket — worth checking, but I’d treat it as a secondary portal rather than your main one. Some agents use it heavily, and occasionally properties appear there that you might not spot elsewhere, but Rightmove and Zoopla remain the core two for most people. (zoopla.co.uk)

My practical advice: set alerts on Rightmove and Zoopla. If you’re serious about a specific town or postcode, also register directly with the best local estate agents, because good agents often call their applicant list before a listing gets wide attention.

Best estate agents for selling

There isn’t one “best” estate agent across the UK. The best choice is usually the branch and individual negotiator with the strongest record in your postcode and property type. GetAgent says it compares agents using Land Registry and major portal data, looking at sale time, asking price achieved, properties listed and fees, and it has helped over 1.2 million UK homeowners since 2015. (getagent.co.uk)

That said, these are the big names I’d include on a shortlist:

1. Connells Group / Countrywide brands

Best for: broad national coverage, mainstream sales, lettings, mortgages and property services.

Connells Group is one of the UK’s biggest property-services groups; it reported supporting 86,000 property exchanges in 2025, around one in ten UK home sales, and a lettings portfolio of over 128,000 properties. (connellsgroup.co.uk) Countrywide, part of the same wider group, includes many familiar local brands such as Bairstow Eves, Bridgfords, Hamptons, John D Wood, Taylors, Slater Hogg & Howison, Palmer Snell and others. (countrywide.co.uk)

Use if: you want a large, established network.
Watch out for: don’t accept add-on mortgage, conveyancing or insurance products without comparing independent alternatives.

2. Purplebricks

Best for: online/hybrid selling and lower-fee packages.

Purplebricks says independent Zoopla whole-market data showed it had the highest average UK estate-agent market share in 2024 among major agents it tracked, ahead of William H Brown and Connells. It also says Purplebricks/Strike have sold over 328,000 homes combined. (purplebricks.co.uk)

Use if: you want a recognisable online brand and a more fixed-fee style of service.
Watch out for: online/hybrid agents can work well, but in a slower market you may want a strong local negotiator who actively chases buyers, viewings and chains.

3. eXp UK

Best for: self-employed local estate agents operating under a national platform.

TwentyCi reported that in Q2 2025, online agents’ overall market share was 4.8%, and that eXp was the number-one online/hybrid agent and the largest brand in the country for new instructions during that quarter. (twentyci.co.uk)

Use if: you find a strong individual eXp agent with excellent local results.
Watch out for: the individual agent matters more than the logo.

4. Savills, Knight Frank, Strutt & Parker

Best for: prime London, country houses, estates, rural property, high-net-worth and international buyers.

For high-value property, the brand can matter more because buyer networks, photography, PR and international reach are more important. Chambers’ UK-wide high-net-worth estate-agent rankings list Knight Frank, Savills, Russell Simpson and Sotheby’s in Band 1. (chambers.com)

Use if: you’re selling a premium London home, country house, estate, waterfront property or anything likely to appeal to wealthy domestic/international buyers.
Watch out for: fees can be higher; negotiate and compare against a strong local independent.

5. Foxtons

Best for: London lettings, and some London sales markets.

Foxtons reported a portfolio of over 32,000 tenancies and described itself as London’s number-one lettings agent brand and the UK’s largest lettings agent brand in its 2025 full-year results. (investegate.co.uk)

Use if: you’re a London landlord who wants a high-volume lettings machine.
Watch out for: London renters and sellers can have strong views on particular agencies, so check recent branch reviews and fees carefully.

Best UK rental platforms

1. Rightmove — best first stop for whole-property rentals.
2. Zoopla — best second stop so you don’t miss listings.
3. OpenRent — best for renting directly from landlords or for landlords who want a lower-cost way to advertise and manage referencing/tenancy setup. OpenRent describes itself as the UK’s largest letting platform, serving over 8.9 million users. (openrent.co.uk)
4. SpareRoom — best for rooms, lodgers and flatshares. SpareRoom calls itself the UK’s number-one flatshare site and says someone finds a flatmate through the platform every three minutes. (spareroom.co.uk)

My “best overall” picks

If you want the simple UK stack I’d actually use:

• Buying: Rightmove + Zoopla + register with 3–5 local agents.
• Selling: GetAgent first, then invite 3 agents to value: one strong local independent, one big chain, and one online/hybrid option.
• Renting: Rightmove + Zoopla + OpenRent; use SpareRoom if you’re open to a room or flatshare.
• Letting as a landlord: OpenRent for DIY/low-cost; Foxtons or a strong local letting agent for London/full management; Connells/Countrywide brands for broad national coverage.
• Prime property: Savills or Knight Frank, plus a strong local specialist.

The most important rule in the UK: choose the best local performer, not just the biggest national brand. The branch, negotiator, pricing strategy and buyer database usually matter more than the logo on the board.

If you're in the UK and asking about “real estate companies,” most people mean property portals, high-street estate agents, and online/hybrid agents – not the US-style brokerage model. Here are the brands people in Britain actually use, broken down by what you need.

1. Property search portals – where everyone starts

• Rightmove – The biggest by far. If you're buying or selling, almost every UK estate agent lists here. Start your search with the Rightmove app.
• Zoopla – The second biggest. Also useful for sold prices, market trends, and valuation estimates.
• OnTheMarket – Up-and-coming portal, often used by independent agents. Some properties only appear here, so check it alongside Rightmove.

These are free for buyers and renters. They're the closest thing to “the top real estate products” in the UK.

2. Traditional / full-service estate agents

These are firms people actually instruct to sell a home. The “best” depends on the area and price point.

Prime / premium property (London and country estates)

• Savills – The benchmark for high-end, rural, and London prime property.
• Knight Frank – Huge in luxury London and international buying.
• Strutt & Parker – Strong for country houses and farmland, now part of BNP Paribas.
• Hamptons – Popular in the South East and prime London, good for buy-to-let too.

High-street / everyday sales and lettings

• Connells – One of the largest estate agency groups in the UK; they own lots of local brands.
• Countrywide – Now part of Connells; one of the biggest high-street names (includes Bairstow Eves, Hamptons, etc.).
• Foxtons – Famous in London, strong marketing, but not for everyone.
• Your Move / Reeds Rains – Very common across England and Wales, especially for first-time buyers and landlords.

For local quality, though, many people prefer a good independent local agent over a national brand – check Google reviews for your town.

3. Online / hybrid agents

• Purplebricks – The biggest hybrid agent. You pay upfront instead of a high commission percentage. People use it for budget sellers who know what they're doing.
• Strike (formerly HouseSimple) – No upfront fee in some areas; interesting if you're selling on a budget.
• Yopa – Another hybrid, one flat fee, but offers local branch support too.

Online agents are cheaper, but you're usually doing more legwork yourself. They’re “used a lot” but satisfaction varies.

4. Lettings / rental platforms

If you're renting or letting a property:

• Rightmove / Zoopla again are the main listing places.
• OpenRent – The big one for DIY landlords and tenants. No traditional agent fee; very widely used for rentals.
• Zoopla Rental – Useful for valuations and tenant finding.
• Countrywide / Hamptons Lettings – If you want a managed tenancy with a professional agent.

5. Property data and valuation tools

• Zoopla / Rightmove – give instant online valuations.
• HM Land Registry – Free official sold-price records (the real data).
• Nationwide / Halifax house price indexes – useful for national trends.

Bottom line:
If you're buying or selling, use Rightmove + Zoopla to find what's available, pick a good local estate agent or a hybrid like Purplebricks if you want to save fees.
If you're looking at luxury property, Savills and Knight Frank lead the market.
If you're a landlord/renter, OpenRent is the go-to product alongside Rightmove.

The “best” UK real estate company really depends on your location and price point – there's no single dominant national brand in the way there is in the US, so local reputation matters a lot.

In the UK, the "best" estate agents (real estate companies) depend on your location, whether you're buying, selling, or renting, the property type/price range, and priorities like customer service, speed, fees, or reach.

Most people use a mix of traditional high-street agents (with physical branches), larger chains or franchises, premium specialists, and increasingly hybrid or online models. Listings are typically marketed on major portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, which dominate searches.

Recommendations draw from recent 2025 awards (e.g., allAgents customer reviews, EA Masters/Best Estate Agent Guide, ESTAS), sales volume data, market presence, and reviews. These highlight agents people actually use and rate highly. Always check local branches, recent Google/Trustpilot/allAgents reviews, and get multiple valuations, as performance varies by area.

Premium/Luxury and High-Net-Worth

These are go-to for higher-value or international properties, with strong brand recognition and global networks:

• Savills and Knight Frank — Frequently top digital visibility rankings and Chambers lists for high-net-worth clients. They handle sales, lettings, and more with extensive reach.
• Others like Strutt & Parker or Hamptons often appear alongside them.

Large National Chains and High-Volume Agents

These have widespread branches and handle a significant share of transactions:

• Connells Group (including brands like Countrywide, Fox & Sons) — One of the biggest by branches/market presence.
• LSL Property Services brands like Your Move and Reeds Rains — Strong national coverage and consistent top rankings by sales volume.
• Foxtons — Popular in London and the South East for sales and lettings.

Highly Rated by Customers (Awards Based on Reviews)

These stood out in 2025 for verified customer feedback:

• Hannells — Overall UK winner (allAgents, with very high ratings).
• Northwood and Beresfords — Strong overall and category placings.
• Martin & Co and Belvoir — Top for lettings; also strong franchise performers.
• Sparks Ellison — Crowned overall Sales & Lettings Agency of the Year in EA Masters/Best Estate Agent Guide Awards (noted for performance metrics like achieving asking price).

Other award winners include regional standouts like Manning Stainton or various local independents—check allAgents or similar for your postcode.

Online, Hybrid, and Self-Employed Models

These are popular for potentially lower fees or flexibility (though traditional agents still dominate most sales):

• eXp UK — Fast-growing with a self-employed agent model; topped some national sales/listings rankings in 2025.
• Purplebricks — Well-known online/hybrid option (still widely used, though its market share has declined).
• Springbok Properties — Often praised as a top hybrid/online performer with strong customer service awards.
• Others like EweMove appear in national category wins.

Quick tips for choosing in the UK:

• Search Rightmove or Zoopla for agents active in your area and compare recent sold prices/stc (sold subject to contract) stats.
• Look at allAgents.co.uk for verified reviews or Trustpilot/Google ratings.
• Consider fees (typically 1-2% + VAT for traditional; flat fees or hybrids vary), service level (full estate agency vs. online-only), and whether you need sales, lettings, or both.
• For quick sales, some use house-buying companies (e.g., Springbok or We Buy Any Home), but traditional agents usually achieve higher prices.

Local independents often outperform chains in specific areas based on reviews, so don't overlook them. If you're in a particular city or region (e.g., London, North, etc.), provide more details for tailored suggestions!