Frequently asked questions

The Alliance of Independent Buying Agents (AIBA) is an invitation-only group of like-minded, independent, experienced property buying agents. It was created by four founding buying agents who recognised the need for a go-to place for buyers and property industry professionals to quickly and easily find high-quality, experienced independent buying agents. Alongside, the Alliance aims to promote and uphold the highest standards in buying agency through the quality of conduct, communication, and reputation of its members.

AIBA was established to promote professionalism, independence and high standards within the buying agency sector and to help improve access to the services of high quality independent buying agents.

Membership fees are kept deliberately modest, solely supporting the administration and development of the Alliance. Neither AIBA, or any of its members, participate in, or receive a share of, members’ transaction fees, ensuring that membership decisions remain focused on quality, experience and professional standing.

AIBA has created a comprehensive, easy-to-use directory of its peer-respected, experienced buying agent members, all of whom work exclusively for buyers. AIBA buying agents provide services that cover everything from identifying the right properties (including off-market opportunities) to skilled deal negotiation and effective management of the purchase process and due diligence, representing their clients’ best interests at all times.

The professional help of an AIBA member buying agent could therefore make all the difference to the success of your property search and acquisition journey. Take a look through our Members Directory and have confidence that all AIBA members are recognised and respected by their fellow buying agent members for their experience, abilities and their commitment to delivering high standards of service and client care.

As an invitation-only Alliance, the high quality of our members is crucial, and the process for accepting a new member is thorough. We require AIBA members to invite only new buying agents who meet the required high standards of independence, experience and integrity and who share our collective aim to promote and uphold the highest standards in service provision and client care in buying agency.

Proposed new members must first be invited to join by at least two existing AIBA members, and then they will need to formally verify that they meet membership requirements on all fronts. This, combined with the requirement for a majority decision from the Peer Review panel that oversees the admission of new members, helps AIBA deliver on its aim to build a respected membership of trusted, high quality independent buying agents.

AIBA is free for anyone to use who is looking to find an independent buying agent. The AIBA Members Directory is the perfect place to help identify the peer-respected independent buying agents covering your chosen location/s.

Each AIBA member buying agent operates as an independent business, and each will therefore have their own fee structures for the services they provide, which they will inform you about directly themselves. The process of formally instructing your chosen buying agent and the contractual side of fees, terms and costs for their services is strictly between the buyer and the buying agent. AIBA has no involvement.

We recommend you use the AIBA Members Directory to first identify member buying agents who cover the target geographical area or areas of interest to you. Members’ profiles will give you an initial snapshot of their experience, areas of expertise and style of service provision. Weblinks to each member’s own website will then enable you to find out more about them before you make contact with those you are most interested in.

AIBA gives no priority to any member agent over another on the members page, and their names are displayed at random in the Members Directory for each location.

It is important to take time to speak with buying agents during your search for the most suitable AIBA member agent for you; you need to ensure you find one whose professional manner, communication style and approach instil confidence in you that they are the right “fit” for you and your property search and acquisition needs.

AIBA aims, through the growth of its peer-respected buying agent network, to achieve comprehensive membership coverage across the United Kingdom over time. From prime metropolitan London properties to rural estates, coastal escapes, country houses and village idylls, AIBA members are ready to help you find and buy them. Offering specialist knowledge of their areas, combined with highly developed buying agent skills and professional experience, they can make all the difference to your property search and acquisition journey across a wide range of locations.

Communication between a buyer and a chosen AIBA member buying agent is direct, with each member’s contact details provided in the Members Directory. AIBA plays no further role in communication between buyers/users of the AIBA Members Directory and buying agent members.

Buyers need to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of the communication style of their chosen buying agent. However, all AIBA members are committed to providing the highest standards of client care and to transparent, timely and professional communication.

All AIBA members are committed to providing a high standard of service and client care, and are required to maintain current, verifiable registration with either The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme – both recognised professional bodies that provide independent and impartial dispute resolution services for consumers and property businesses in the event of a problem arising. AIBA members are required to confirm that they abide by the codes of conduct of whichever one they are registered with, and to be registered with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision and with the ICO for data protection compliance.

AIBA members must also hold professional indemnity insurance. All of these requirements help protect buyer clients and ensure that, if anything does go wrong, solutions can be found through both informal and formal channels.

Membership of AIBA is granted on an individual basis, not to company entities. This means that AIBA members are accepted on their own merit rather than that of the buying agency they work for, run or own. This approach ensures that it is the experience, skillset, integrity and reputation of each individual buying agent member that is the reason they are invited to become a member of AIBA – and it is the peer recognition of those qualities by other AIBA members that is the reason they become part of the Alliance.

Some AIBA members may therefore work for larger buying agencies, whilst others will be sole practitioners working alone. However, every member will have been through the same process as an individual, being invited into the Alliance by two existing members, with their membership application thoroughly checked and Peer Reviewed prior to being accepted. This ensures that the strength and quality of AIBA membership are in the hands of its buying agent members.