7 Questions to ask a UK estate agent content creator

What to take away

Ask seven questions before any briefidentity, permission to work, disclosure history and exit terms.
Paperwork comes first, so check the company record and keep dated right to work evidence on file.
Ask for paid posts you can see, and treat an unlabelled advert as a stop sign.
Agree a short paid test with a written scorecard before you discuss a campaign.

Why the questions come before the brief

A brief written before vetting assumes the creator can do the work. That assumption is where most disputes begin. Ask the questions first, then build the brief around the answers. If you have not shortlisted anyone, the guide on how to find UK property influencers explains where to look and what to record.

Two failures keep appearing. One is a creator who cannot show permission to work in the UK. The other is a creator whose paid posts were never labelled. Both are avoidable at the question stage, without any creative judgement.

Keep the answers in one file with dates. A creator who passes this month may change company, lose a document or take on regulated finance work, so give the file a review date.

The seven questions, in order

Who is the contracting party? Ask for the registered company name and number, then check the record yourself. The Companies Act 2006 sets the filing framework behind that check.
Can you show your right to work in the UK? Ask for the document or share code and keep a dated copy. Diarise a recheck before any long engagement ends.
Which posts were paid, and how were they labelled? Ask for examples where the label is obvious before the caption is expanded. The advice on recognising ads in social media covers that test.
What do you know about English property compliance? Ask how they handle EPC ratings, leasehold terms, ground rent and off-plan claims. A creator who has never met a material particular is a risk.
Where does lead data land, and under what basis? Ask who processes enquiries, where consent is recorded and how deletion works. The ICO's UK GDPR guidance is the baseline.
Who owns the footage, and for how long? Ask for licence scope, territory, duration and the position on raw files after the campaign.
What does exit look like? Ask about notice, takedown times and what happens to a live post if the sale falls through.

Where UK rules change the answer

The ASA applies the advertising codes to ads wherever they appear, so a paid stay in a show home is still an ad when payment or control is involved. A creator who cannot explain that line is answering a different question.

Estate agency work is regulated, and the paperwork differs across the UK. A creator filming in Scotland or Northern Ireland needs the local vocabulary for home reports and listings, not a translated English version.

Data is the quieter problem. Enquiry forms, message threads and spreadsheet exports all hold personal data, and the lawful basis sits with your business, not with the creator's personal account.

Score the answers before you brief

Give every answer a pass, a query or a stop, and write the reason beside it. Keep the table with the dated evidence so a later question has a trail.

Score answers: pass or stop

Pass

Identity: Record matches invoice
Right to work: Dated evidence on file
Disclosure: Labelled paid posts shown
Property compliance: Worked English rules example
Data: Named processor and consent
Rights: Written licence with dates
Exit: Notice and takedown agreed

Stop

Identity: No traceable entity
Right to work: Refusal to provide
Disclosure: Hidden payment adverts
Property compliance: Vague reassurance
Data: Leads in personal inbox
Rights: Verbal permission only
Exit: No exit terms

A paid test costs far less than a campaign you cannot unwind. Set a fixed fee in the brief, for example £300 as an illustrative figure rather than a market rate, and pay it as a normal invoice.

Common questions

Do I need a written contract before the first post?

Yes if money or property access is involved. Start from a property influencer contract template and adapt the scope, licence and exit clauses to the campaign.

Can I ask for audience data?

Ask for the account handle and platform tools rather than screenshots. You want reach, saves and profile visits tied to the property, not a follower total.

What if the creator refuses a right to work check?

Treat it as a stop. You cannot run the campaign without the evidence, and the refusal tells you how the relationship will run.

How should we label a paid post?

Put a clear label such as #ad before the caption is cut off, and repeat it if a comment thread expands it. Keep the payment record with the screenshots.