How to choose a motorhome broker: 8 questions to ask before you sign

A good broker can get you close to a private-sale price for your motorhome or caravan without you dealing with adverts, phone calls and buyers. A poor fit can tie you into an agreement you didn't fully read.

Most of the differences between brokers aren't on their homepage. They're in the agreement. I've spent years buying and selling motorhomes and caravans, and I've seen how much the small print matters. This guide gives you the questions to ask any broker, me included, before you sign anything.

What a motorhome broker does

A broker sells your motorhome or caravan on your behalf, much like an estate agent sells a house. Typically they'll:

• value it and agree an asking price with you
• write the advert and put it in front of buyers
• deal with enquiries and speak to buyers
• help arrange viewings and negotiate offers
• guide the sale through to payment and handover

You stay the owner until it's sold, and you pay a fee when it sells. That's the general idea. The details vary a lot, which is why the questions below matter.

If you're still deciding whether to use a broker at all, the guide to the best way to sell a motorhome or caravan in the UK compares every route, including selling privately and part-exchange.

Brokerage, sale or return and consignment: what's the difference?

These terms get used loosely, and sometimes they mean the same thing. Always read what the agreement says rather than relying on the label.

Brokerage

Your motorhome or caravan usually stays with you, at home or in storage. The broker markets it and handles buyers, and you pay a fee when it sells. You can often keep using it while it's for sale, subject to any ground rules in the agreement. You keep it insured and looked after.

Sale or return

You leave it at a dealer's site, and the dealer displays it and sells it for you. You agree a “return price”, the amount you'll get, and the dealer keeps anything above that, or takes an agreed commission. If it doesn't sell, you collect it.

Things to check: whether you can use it while it's at the dealer's (usually not), who insures it there, what happens to it if the dealer has money problems, how soon you're paid after a sale, and whether you're charged for preparation, valeting or storage.

Consignment

Consignment works much like sale or return: the business holds your motorhome or caravan and sells it as your agent for a fee or commission. The word is more common outside the UK, and some UK businesses use it for an arrangement where the motorhome or caravan stays with you. Ask exactly where it will be kept and what you'll pay.

In short: with brokerage, it usually stays with you. With sale or return and consignment, it usually goes to someone else's site. Whichever you choose, the questions below apply.

The 8 questions to ask any broker

1. How is your fee worked out, and when is it due?

Fees come in different shapes:

• A fixed fee in pounds, sometimes in bands by sale price.
• A percentage of the sale price.
• A “return price” model, where you agree what you'll receive and the broker keeps whatever the buyer pays above it. This can work, but it means you may not know exactly what the broker earns.

Ask to see the fee in pounds, for your motorhome or caravan, before you sign. Then ask whether there's anything else: some agreements add a transaction or payment-handling fee at completion, or charge for advertising, photos or preparation. “No sale, no fee” is common, but check what it covers, and whether any charge applies if you withdraw.

2. How long is the agreement, and what does it cost to leave early?

Many broker agreements give the broker the sole right to sell it for a set period, and some then roll on until you give notice.

Ask: how long is the minimum term? What happens when it ends? Can I end it early, and what does that cost, in pounds? Is there a cooling-off period, and when does it start? An honest broker will tell you what ending early costs, up front, rather than calling it “small”.

3. Do I owe you a fee if I find a buyer myself?

This one catches people out. Your neighbour, a friend or someone from your caravan club wants to buy it. Do you still owe the broker?

Some agreements say yes, during the agreement and sometimes for a period afterwards, and some charge a percentage of the advertised price if you sell it yourself. Ask directly, and get the answer in writing.

4. Who arranges and hosts viewings?

Some brokers accompany viewings in person. Others speak to buyers first and then the owner shows them round at home or at the storage site. Either can work, but you should know which you're getting.

Ask: does anyone speak to buyers before they get my address? Can a buyer see it on a video call first? Who chooses the times? Will anyone from the broker be there? Who handles test drives, and whose insurance covers them?

5. How does the buyer's money reach me?

There are two common set-ups:

• A client account. The buyer pays the broker, who holds the money and passes it on to you, less the fee. Ask whose name the account is in, whether it's kept separate from the business's own money, and how quickly the funds reach you.
• Direct payment. The buyer pays you directly, and you pay the broker's fee after the sale. Ask how the broker confirms the funds have cleared before keys and documents change hands.

Either can be safe. What matters is that you know exactly how it works before you sign, and that the keys don't go until the money has cleared.

6. How often will I hear from you, and in what form?

Hearing nothing once you've signed is a common worry with any agent. Ask how often you'll get an update, whether it's in writing, and what it includes: views, enquiries, viewings and offers. Ask how quickly they reply to your messages, and during which hours.

7. How do you price it, and who sets the asking price?

A good motorhome valuation shows its working. Ask what the broker compared yours with, and whether you can see those adverts. Ask who has the final say on the asking price, and on whether to accept an offer. If you're quoted a number well above everything similar for sale, ask why. A high price can win the agreement, and then stop it selling.

8. Who is my contact, and who takes the photos?

Will you deal with one named person, or a different person each time? Who takes the photos and writes the advert? Some brokers visit and photograph it; others guide you to take the photos yourself. Ask where it will be advertised, and whether you approve the advert before it goes live.

Warning signs in a broker agreement

• The fee isn't shown in pounds before you sign.
• The cost of ending early is described as “small” or “reasonable” but not given in pounds.
• You'd owe a fee if you sold it to someone you found yourself, and nobody mentioned it.
• The agreement rolls on with a long notice period.
• Nobody can tell you how the money moves.
• The valuation comes with no comparable adverts and no explanation.

None of these automatically means a bad broker. They're the points to clear up before you sign.

How I answer them

I'd rather you asked me these questions than not. Here are my answers. The full terms are in your agreement before you sign.

Your motorhome or caravan stays at home, and you remain the owner until it sells. See how it works, or the details for motorhomes and caravans.

I'm not right for everyone. If you'd rather have a cash offer, a managed sale isn't the answer. Ask about my direct offer, which comes with free UK nationwide collection, a hassle-free sale and any outstanding finance settled for you. And if you're happy handling buyers yourself, a private sale saves you a broker's fee.