Seller guide
Whether you are selling a shop with flats above, letting an industrial unit or passing on a business you have built, a clear and honest listing attracts serious buyers and saves time on both sides. This guide walks through each step of listing on Pavilion and what to expect once enquiries start arriving.
Updated 3rd Oct 2026
Who you are listing as
The first question the listing flow asks is who you are listing as, because each answer changes what comes next. Individuals list a property or business they own, pay per listing and get an account when they publish. Agents, brokers and agencies set up a branded profile, invite their team and choose a plan before any listing fields. Franchisors and brand owners set up a brand profile and pay per opportunity listing. You can go back to this choice at any point, and "Change" on the publish step takes you there too.
Before you start
Gather the facts you will need before you open the listing form. It takes around ten minutes to publish once you have them to hand, and a draft is saved automatically for 30 days from your last change so you can come back to it.
- The full address and postcode, so the listing appears in the right area searches and on the map.
- Whether you are selling or letting, and the price, rent or premium you are asking.
- Tenure (freehold or leasehold) and, for leasehold, the years remaining on the lease.
- Floor area in square feet, and the planning use class if you know it.
- For businesses, annual turnover and net profit from your latest accounts.
- Up to eight good photographs.
- The days and times you are generally available for viewings.
Writing the headline
The headline is the first thing buyers see in search results, so lead with what the property or business is and where it is. "Corner retail unit with two flats above, Streatham High Road" tells a buyer more than "Fantastic opportunity". Keep it under about 70 characters so it is not cut short on phones, and avoid capital letters and exclamation marks.
Photographs
Listings with photographs receive far more enquiries than those without, and a listing with no photographs is flagged for review before it goes live. You can upload up to eight images in JPEG, PNG or WebP format, up to 10 MB each; we resize them for the web automatically.
- Make the first photograph the exterior or shopfront, taken in daylight with the frontage clear of bins and vehicles where possible.
- Include the main trading area or open-plan space, any separate offices or storage, welfare facilities and outside space or parking.
- For businesses, photograph the business as it trades: a fitted kitchen, the bar, the workshop. Buyers want to see what they are getting.
- For residential, show the kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathroom, and any garden.
- Label each photograph so buyers know what they are looking at.
- Use only images you own or have permission to use, and avoid photographs that show people.
An honest description
Describe the property or business as it is. Say what the accommodation consists of, how it is arranged, what condition it is in and what is included. Mention anything a buyer would want to know before travelling to view, such as restricted hours, a short remaining lease or a pending rent review. Buyers respect candour and are more likely to proceed when there are no surprises.
The law requires listings to be accurate and not misleading, including by leaving things out. If you are unsure whether to mention something, mention it.
Planning use class
For commercial property and businesses, enter the planning use class that applies to the premises, for example Class E for shops, offices, cafés and clinics, B2 for general industrial, B8 for storage and distribution, or Sui Generis for uses such as pubs, takeaways and petrol stations. Buyers filter searches by use class, so an accurate entry brings the right people to your listing.
If you are not certain of the lawful use, check your lease, the planning history on the local authority's website or any certificate of lawful use before entering it. Pavilion does not verify use class; buyers are told to confirm it themselves, but an incorrect entry will still cost you time with unsuitable enquiries.
Tenure and lease years
Tell buyers whether the property is freehold or leasehold. For leasehold sales, enter the number of years remaining; a lease with fewer than around 80 years left, or a business lease with fewer than five, affects value and lending, and buyers will ask. For lettings, describe the lease being offered: its length, whether it is inside or outside the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, break clauses and who is responsible for repairs and insurance.
Turnover and net profit for businesses
Buyers of businesses look at two numbers first: annual turnover and net profit. Take them from your latest filed or management accounts and be prepared to back them up. Net profit should be after reasonable costs of running the business, including a market rent if you own the premises and a wage for the owner's work. Presenting projections as historic figures, or leaving out costs, undermines trust and usually surfaces during due diligence.
Our automatic checks flag turnover figures that look unusual for the sector, or profit that is out of proportion to turnover, for a second look before the listing goes live.
Flats above
Mixed-use property is common on Pavilion. If the premises include residential flats, add each one with its number of bedrooms, whether it is tenanted and the rent it produces. Say how the flats are held: on the same title as the shop, on separate long leases, or sublet on assured shorthold tenancies. Income from flats often makes the difference to a buyer's sums, so set it out clearly.
Selling a franchised business
If the business you are selling trades under a franchise, list it as a business and give the brand name. It is shown as a franchise resale on the Franchises tab as well as under Commercial → Businesses, and it is priced as a normal business listing. Say what the franchisor requires of an incoming franchisee, whether their consent to the transfer has been sought, and the remaining term of the franchise agreement alongside the lease.
Pricing tips
Search for comparable listings in your area and sector before you set a figure, and look at what has actually let or sold, not only what is being asked. A realistic price attracts more viewings and stronger offers than an optimistic one that is reduced later. For businesses, buyers commonly value on a multiple of adjusted net profit, with the stock and any freehold valued separately.
If you would consider offers, or would sell the freehold and business together or separately, say so in the description. You can change the price at any time from your dashboard; a price change on a live listing is reviewed before it is shown.
Responding to enquiries and viewings
Enquiries and viewing requests arrive by email and in your dashboard. Speed matters: buyers usually contact several listings at once, and the seller who replies first is often the one who gets the viewing. Aim to respond the same day.
You set the days and time windows when you are available, and buyers choose a slot and add an optional message; they do not need an account. You can choose instant confirmation, where a request inside one of your windows is confirmed automatically, or confirm each request yourself from the Viewings tab. A request is either confirmed, declined or given a new proposed time, and afterwards you can mark it completed or a no-show; the buyer is emailed at every step and receives a reference and a calendar invitation when a viewing is confirmed.
Reply to enquiries from the Enquiries tab so the conversation is recorded and the buyer receives your response by email.
Confidentiality and NDAs for business sales
Many business owners do not want staff, customers or suppliers to know a sale is being considered. You can list a business without naming it or showing the exact frontage: use a general location, describe the trade rather than the trading name, and choose photographs that do not identify the premises. Full details can be released once an enquirer has confirmed who they are and, if you wish, signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Keep detailed accounts, leases and staff information for buyers who have shown they are serious, and share them directly rather than in the listing. A solicitor or accountant can provide a standard non-disclosure agreement.
What happens after an offer
Pavilion introduces buyers; the transaction itself happens between you, the buyer and your professional advisers. Once you accept an offer, both sides normally instruct solicitors, the buyer carries out due diligence and, where relevant, arranges finance and a survey. For leasehold premises the landlord's consent to assign the lease is usually needed, and for licensed businesses the transfer of the premises licence must be arranged. Heads of terms agreed early keep things moving.
Update your listing as soon as an offer is accepted so that buyers know it is under offer, and remove it when the sale or letting completes.
Moderation
Every new listing, and any material change to a live one, is reviewed by our team before it is shown publicly, usually within a few hours. We check that it meets our listing rules, that photographs are appropriate and that figures look plausible. If something needs attention we email you with the reason, and you can amend the listing and resubmit it. Listings that breach the rules, or that we cannot verify when we ask, may be removed.