At a glance: Shared Ownership Resales

Shared ownership resales explain how to sell a shared ownership home with Aster. The page outlines changes to the resale process following the waiver of nomination rights, meaning owners can now sell their home on the open market through an estate agent of their choice, while Aster remains involved in ensuring lease requirements are met and that buyers are eligible for shared ownership where a share is being sold.

The page explains what has changed, how the resale process works and what sellers need to do before putting their property on the market. It covers RICS valuation requirements, selling a share or 100% of a property (subject to lease terms), Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements and the support available from Aster during the sale process.

Customers can also find information about timescales, costs and administration fees, what Aster's role is during a resale, what information estate agents and solicitors may need, and what to consider if the lease term is below 90 years before starting the sale process.

Selling your shared ownership home FAQs

If you’re thinking about selling your shared ownership home, we’re here to help you understand what to expect and what you need to do next.

The way shared ownership resales are handled has changed. Aster has waived nomination rights, which means you can now sell your home on the open market through an estate agent of your choice. As a result, Aster no longer markets resale shared ownership homes.

We’ll still be involved at key points to make sure the sale meets your lease requirements and, where a share is being sold, that buyers are eligible for shared ownership.

You can read more about our Resales Policy here.

At a glance – what's changed and how does it work?

Nomination rights are waived.
You sell your shared ownership home through an estate agent.
Your share can be advertised at a price you and your estate agent agree on.
A RICS valuation is required prior to advertising with an estate agent as if a buyer is purchasing the 100% or an additional share from Aster, Asters shares are based on the RICS valuation.
You can market your share, 100%, or both (subject to your lease terms).
Aster carries out shared ownership checks only if a share is being sold.
Aster’s completion administration fee is £240.

I want to sell my home

Ready to move onward, upward or buy another home from us? With shared ownership, you can. If you’re thinking about selling your shared ownership home, the first step is to get in touch with us so we can explain how the process works now nomination rights have been waived.

Please get in touch with the team if you have a lease term under 90 years as there is important information you will need before proceeding to place your property on the market with an estate agent.

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I’m ready to sell

If you feel now is the right time to sell your home, please contact our team before instructing an estate agent. We will pass your details over to Keaze who will contact you to:

Confirm what your lease allows you to sell.
Explain how the resale process works.
Let you know what information you and your estate agent will need.

You’ll need to sell your home through either Keaze or an estate agent of your choice. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required.

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How long does it take?

Timescales can vary and depend on a number of factors, including:

How quickly a buyer is found by your estate agent.
Whether a share or 100% of the property is being sold
Solicitors and chain complexity

As sales are now managed through estate agents rather than a nomination period, we’re unable to confirm specific timescales.

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What’s the cost of selling my home?

On completion of the sale, Aster charges an administration fee of £240. This replaces the resale fee stated in your lease, as nomination rights have been waived.

Any estate agent fees, valuation fees or legal costs should be confirmed directly with your chosen providers.

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What service is provided for the sale fee?

Aster no longer markets resale shared ownership homes or finds buyers on your behalf. However, we’ll still:

Confirm what your lease allows to your chosen estate agent.
Provide required landlord and shared ownership documentation.
Carry out buyer eligibility and affordability checks where a share is being sold.
Support solicitors with landlord‑related enquiries.
Issue completion figures once a completion date is agreed.

Your chosen estate agent will manage marketing, buyer communication and sale progression.

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Why do I need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?

This lets the buyer know how efficient your home is energy wise. It’s a legal requirement, but a good thing to note is that if your home is less than 10 years old, then you’ll definitely already have one. If not, just ask.

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Can I sell 100% of my home?

Depending on your lease, yes. Some leases include restrictions set by the local authority, which may limit the maximum share that can be sold (for example, a restriction to 80% ownership). But we’ll confirm what your lease allows before you proceed.

If you are able to market and sell 100% of your home through your estate agent. This type of sale is known as a back‑to‑back sale and staircasing, where you staircase to 100% using the buyer’s funds at the point of completion. Legal fees may be slightly higher due to the staircasing element. Your solicitor can advise you on costs.

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I’ve found a home that I’d like to buy, how do I proceed?

That’s great! Before committing to a new purchase, it’s usually best to have your current home marketed and under offer, to help avoid disappointment. As sales are managed through estate agents, timescales can vary, so we’re unable to confirm how long it will take to find a buyer.

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Will Aster carry out buyer checks?

Only if a share is being sold. Buyers purchasing 100% do not require shared ownership eligibility checks.

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Who manages the sale progression?

Your estate agent will be responsible for coordinating the transaction and keeping all parties updated.

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On hand to help

A guide to selling, step by step.

1. Let us know that you want to sell

Before you market your home, you must tell us you’re planning to sell. We will pass your details over to Keaze who will contact you to:

Confirm what your lease allows you to sell.
Explain how the resale process works now nomination rights are waived.
Tell you what information we’ll need from you and your estate agent.
If your lease has less than 90 years remaining, please contact us first, as additional considerations may apply.

2. Arrange a RICS valuation to be carried out

Although the advertised sale price for your share can be agreed via you and your Estate Agent, a RICS valuation is required prior to marketing the property with the Estate Agent to determine the costs of any additional shares the buyer may wish to purchase from Aster, either via a Back to Back sale or a Sim Staircasing sale.
Please follow the link below to find a suitable RICS accredited surveyor: http://www.ricsfirms.com/ 
You will need to email a copy of the RICS valuation to Aster.

Find a surveyor

3. Instruct an estate agent

You’ll need to appoint either Keaze or an estate agent of your choice.
You and your agent will agree the advertised sale price of your share.
Any valuation or marketing costs are your responsibility.

Depending on your lease, you can:

Market your share
Market the 100% share (in line with the RICS valuation for Asters share)
Or market both at the same time (in line with the RICS valuation for Asters share)

4. Keep us updated.

Once your property is live on the market, you must provide us with:

Your estate agent’s contact details (if you are not proceeding with Keaze)
The advertised sale price of your share

Providing this information promptly helps us issue the correct landlord information and supporting documentation and avoids delays or complications later in the sale.

5. When a buyer is found, what happens next?

If the buyer is purchasing a share.

Your estate agent must guide the buyer through the Initial Application process as per the information they have been provided by Aster. The Initial Application process consists of:

A Shared Ownership application form
An affordability assessment (via our broker, TMP, or the buyer’s own broker)

Buyer eligibility is confirmed once all required documents are received and approved. At this point the Stage 2 sign off process is issued to the buyer, of which your Estate Agent is responsible for ensuring the documentation is provided and chases the buyer to get this completed.

If the buyer successfully completes the sign‑off process:

A £250 reservation fee will be payable to Aster.
We’ll issue the Memorandum of Sale

If the buyer is purchasing the 100% share

We only require the Memorandum of Sale from the estate agent.
No affordability or eligibility checks are needed.
We’ll instruct solicitors for both the sale and staircasing elements.

This type of transaction is known as a back‑to‑back sale and staircasing, where the seller staircases to 100% using the buyer’s funds at the point of completion. Your legal fees may be slightly higher in this scenario – but your solicitor will be able to advise you on costs.

6. Fees, here's the breakdown

On completion of the sale (share or 100% share):

Aster’s administration fee is £240. This applies instead of any resale fee stated in your lease.
Estate agent fees are agreed directly between you and your agent.

7. Legal completion and handing over the keys

Once the sale has been instructed:

The sale progresses in the usual way through solicitors.
Your estate agent is responsible for coordinating the transaction and updates.

On completion, you must:

Vacate the property by the agreed completion date.
Leave it in a suitable condition for handover to the new owner.

Information for Estate Agents

Your guide to marketing an Aster shared ownership property.

Aster’s nomination rights have been waived, meaning sales are managed on the open market via an estate agent.

Both the share and the 100% may be advertised (subject to lease terms - we will be able confirm this for you). Please follow your client’s instruction on how they wish to market their shared ownership home. If you are advertising the 100%, whilst the sellers share price can be determined via you and the seller direct, Asters share price is determined via a RICS valuation of which your client will have already had carried out.

You’ll be provided with shared ownership documentation for buyers interested in purchasing a share, including:

The “How to Apply” initial application process

Rent and service charge details

Lease term information.

Key Information Documents (KID 1, 2 and 3)

Information on Aster’s resale policy can be found here.

If your buyer is purchasing a share

Before the sale can be agreed or proceed, you must guide the buyer through the Initial Application process as per the information you will have been provided by Aster. The Initial Application process consists of:

A Shared Ownership application form. This can be completed by the buyer online here.
A financial assessment (which can be done via TMP, The Mortgage People here or the buyer’s own broker)

If the buyer is using their own broker, you will have already been issued the relevant “Initial Affordability Check” for their broker to complete and return to Aster.

Please note:

Aster will copy you into all correspondence but will not chase applicants - this is your responsibility.
Incomplete or inaccurate submissions may delay the process.

Local connection and eligibility

Where applicable, local connection (Section 106) requirements must be met before progressing. Before requesting an application, you must:

Confirm the buyer meets any local connection criteria.
Provide evidence where required.
If eligibility is not met, the application process cannot proceed. You will need to advise the applicant if they do not meet the eligibility criteria.

The following policies also apply during the buyer’s financial assessment and will be detailed within the forms needing completion by the broker.

Adverse Credit Policy

Surplus Income Policy

Only one applicant at a time can complete the Stage 2 sign‑off process, in line with Aster’s first come, first served policy. 
As Aster are waiving their nomination period, if more than one applicant is deemed eligible and affordable after the initial application process has been completed, you will need to advise Aster of the applicant the seller wishes to proceed with.

If an allocated applicant does not complete the sign‑off process within a reasonable timeframe and this places the seller’s onward purchase at risk, the seller may choose to proceed with the next eligible applicant.

Additional interested buyers may be held as reserves but cannot progress simultaneously. As the estate agent, you are responsible for managing buyer expectations throughout.

If your buyer is purchasing 100%

Only the Memorandum of Sale is required from you.
No shared ownership eligibility or affordability checks apply.
Aster will issue the Memorandum of Sale and instruct solicitors for the staircasing element.
The sale will complete as a back‑to‑back sale and staircasing transaction.

Please note:

Legal fees may be slightly higher due to the staircasing element.
Rent and service charges must be cleared and apportioned in line with the lease.
Buildings insurance falls away on completion

How Aster will support you

Once the Memorandum of Sale has been issued, Aster will assist with:

Issuing the LPE1 pack to the sellers solicitor within 15 working days of instruction
Responding to landlord enquiries
Approving mortgage offers (where applicable)
Issuing completion figures once a date is agreed.

As the estate agent marketing the property, you’re responsible for managing the progression of the sale, including:

Chasing buyers for application and financial information.
Keeping the seller fully informed of progress.
Coordinating updates between buyers, sellers, solicitors and any chains

Aster will not chase applicants or manage sale progression once the Memorandum of Sale has been issued.

On completion day

Aster will issue final completion figures to solicitors.
As the estate agent, you will be responsible for arranging the handover of keys. Aster does not hold keys or manage access on completion day.