Estate agent
es-TAYT AY-jent
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
A company that mainly sells houses, though many also do lettings. In the UK you rarely say "realtor" — that is American. Estate agents are famous for very positive language in adverts, so read descriptions carefully.
Chinese explanation
主要负责房屋买卖的中介，许多也做租赁。在英国很少说"realtor"（那是美式说法）。房产中介以广告用语过分美化著称，看描述时要多留心。
Example conversation
A: The estate agent said the flat is “charming and full of character”.
B: That usually means old and a bit small — go and see it first.
A：中介说这套公寓“迷人且很有特色”。
B：那通常意味着又旧又小——先去看看再说。
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All Renting & Housing
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake