A bespoke online property service, www.beat-the-agent.com  has been launched, announcing that it ditches the agents and cuts out commissions, to benefit overseas property owners looking to release much needed funds from their boltholes in the sun.

Beat-the-agent.com has been developed in response to the huge increase in the number of overseas property owners wanting to sell their second homes quickly and with maximum profit, and allows them to sell direct to buyers, with no agent or middleman, the company said in a media statement.

FSBO (For Sale By Owner), a relatively new concept to hit Europe, is a cost effective way to sell unwanted holiday homes and investment property, the statement said.

"This innovative site makes it possible for property owners to take full control of their personal sales by walking them through the process and allowing them to instantly showcase their homes to thousands of potential global buyers and in turn, reap the financial reward of erasing agent commissions."

For those wishing to release their finances and sell their second homes abroad, to date this has been a very difficult task.

"There are thousands of real estate agents wanting to sell off-plan property and taking their commission but very few companies offering those investors an exit strategy when the time comes for them to move on," Nick Tottman, Director, Beat-the-agent.com, said.

"...Buyers assume that re-sale is a simplistic process. However, with no dedicated re-sale agents on the highstreet and competing single handedly with competitive new build offers, it has proved a very difficult, and for some expensive, task. There is currently a huge demand for people wanting to off-load property in order to release funds. As prices fall to meet the lower demand, this presents a fantastic opportunity for people wanting to invest in property. We provide a platform for motivated sellers to deal directly with motivated investors. There is no middle-man, no additional fees and buyers can get quick and honest answers direct from an owner. It's a win-win initiative for both buyers and sellers...

"There will always be a market for agents who can add value in various ways, however with a desire for individuals to maximise their budgets, beat-the-agent.com is a tempting alternative."

Register a property for just 149 pounds sterling, and a minimal retainer fee of 9.99 pounds a month thereafter and see the benefits first hand. An apartment in Spain priced 300 000 pounds can save the seller as much as 21 000 pounds in fees, the statement said.