Introducing a site to us: a guide for agents, land finders and consultants

Who can introduce a site to us?

We welcome sites introduced by estate agents, land agents, land finders, planning consultants and architects. We buy development land directly from landowners in England and Wales, from single plots to strategic sites for 50 or more homes, with or without planning permission. We are a buyer, not an estate agent.

We buy in four ways: outright purchase, subject-to-planning contracts, option agreements and joint ventures, so a site that does not suit a straightforward sale may still work; see how we buy. Typical introductions include infill and garden plots, brownfield and commercial sites, farmland on the edge of settlements, sites with lapsed or refused permissions, and allocated or promoted land. Our requirements page sets out what we look for, and our introducers page explains how to get in touch.

Do I need the landowner's authority first?

Yes. Before you send us anything that identifies a site, the owner should know you are doing it and have agreed. If you are the owner's agent, that authority comes from your instruction. If you are a land finder without an instruction, you need the owner's express permission to share the details and to receive a fee from us.

Where land has several owners, such as joint owners, trustees or executors, everyone who would need to sign should be aware of the introduction. If the owner has already instructed another agent, check the terms first so the owner is not exposed to two fees.

Because we confirm any introducer fee to the landowner in writing, the owner will always know about the arrangement. It is far better for everyone if they hear about it from you first.

How should I handle the owner's personal data?

An owner's name, address, phone number and email are personal data under UK data protection law, the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. You need a lawful basis to share them, and the Information Commissioner's Office guidance explains the options, including consent and legitimate interests. The owner should be told who you are sharing their details with and why.

Send only what is needed to assess the site, use a secure channel, and do not pass on details of other people, such as tenants or neighbours, unless it is necessary. Keep a record of the owner's agreement and of what you told them, and tell us straight away if the owner asks for their details not to be used.

What information should I send?

Once the introducer agreement is signed, a complete introduction includes:

• the site address and a red-line plan
• approximate area and current use
• ownership, including title numbers and everyone who would need to sign
• planning status: allocations, applications, permissions, refusals or appeals
• access arrangements and known constraints, such as flooding, trees or listed buildings
• tenancies, licences or other occupiers
• the owner's preferred route: sale, subject-to-planning contract, option or joint venture
• your role, and confirmation of the owner's authority

Photos, existing surveys and copies of planning decisions all help us respond faster. If the owner would consider more than one route, say so: a site that does not suit an outright purchase may suit an option or a joint venture. Before the agreement is signed, a general description without identifying details is enough for us to say whether a site is likely to fit our requirements.

How does the first-introduction rule work?

We recognise one introducer per site: the first person to introduce it to us under a signed introducer agreement. If we already know about the site, have already been approached by the owner or another party, or are already in discussions about it, a later introduction does not create a fee.

The date we receive a complete introduction decides who was first, so a clear introduction once the agreement is in place is worth more than a vague early mention. Being first does not, on its own, earn a fee: a fee is only payable if the introducer agreement is in place and our purchase completes. If you are unsure whether we already know a site, ask before you send identifying details.

How are introducer fees agreed and paid?

• Any fee is set out in a written introducer agreement, signed before site details are shared.
• The fee is paid only on completion of our purchase, not when heads of terms are agreed or contracts are exchanged.
• If our purchase does not complete, no fee is payable.
• We do not publish a standard percentage; each fee is agreed for the individual site.
• We confirm any fee to the landowner in writing.

The agreement identifies the site, the parties, the fee and when it becomes payable. A written agreement protects you as well as us, because it removes any argument later about who introduced the site or what was agreed. Keep a copy with your file for the site, alongside your client's written acknowledgement of the fee.

What must an agent acting for the landowner disclose?

If you act for the landowner and could also receive a fee from us, you must tell your client about it in writing before terms are agreed. The legal background:

• Estate Agents Act 1979: introducing a client to a buyer in the course of business is estate agency work, and section 21 requires agents to disclose the nature and extent of any personal interest before negotiating. A breach of section 21 is not a criminal offence in itself, but it can be considered by the lead enforcement authority under the Act.
• NTSELAT guidance: the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team says referral arrangements must be made clear to clients, in writing, including who they are with and the amount of any transaction-specific fee.
• Unfair commercial practices law: undisclosed arrangements risk enforcement under Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which replaced the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 from 6 April 2025, as well as action under the Estate Agents Act.

Planning consultants and architects acting for the owner should be equally open with their client about any fee. Take your own legal advice if you are unsure how the rules apply to you.

What will we never do?

• pay a fee that has not been agreed in writing and confirmed to the landowner
• pay an agent behind their client's back
• pay or offer anything to anyone who can influence a planning decision, such as councillors, council officers or their associates
• offer any inducement intended to influence someone's decision improperly

The Bribery Act 2010 makes it an offence to offer or accept a bribe, and makes commercial organisations liable if they fail to prevent bribery. We take that seriously, and we expect everyone who introduces sites to us to do the same. If anyone suggests an arrangement that would break these rules, we will decline it. We will also never ask an introducer to keep information from their client or to pressure an owner into a deal.

Questions

Sources

• Estate Agents Act 1979, section 21 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Keeping clients informed (NTSELAT)
• The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Bribery Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Legitimate interests (Information Commissioner's Office)

This guide is general information, not legal, planning or tax advice. Always take independent professional advice on your own circumstances.