Fees: sellers pay nothing.

Published 13 November 2026.

If you own the records, you pay nothing to use McKays. There is no charge to enquire, no upfront fee, and no fee to you if a licence or sale goes ahead. Our introduction fee is paid by the buyer, and the buyer confirms it in writing before we introduce them to you.

How we’re paid, in plain steps

1. You describe the records. A short outline is enough. Please don’t send files, logins or passwords. The first look is free, and an enquiry doesn’t commit you to anything.
2. We tell you if it looks like a fit. You’ll hear back within a week. If it isn’t a fit, we’ll say so, and it won’t have cost you anything.
3. The buyer confirms our introduction fee in writing. We don’t publish a figure. We don’t introduce the buyer and the owner until that confirmation is in place.
4. We make the introduction. We introduce the buyer and the record owner directly.
5. You and the buyer agree the rest between yourselves. Terms, NDAs, samples and file transfer are handled between you and the buyer. McKays does not take the archive, and we don’t host your files.
6. If you both sign, that’s your agreement. Whether anything is a sale or a licence, and what you keep, is written into that agreement. You still pay McKays nothing.

What you pay

Nothing. That is the whole of it on your side. We don’t charge sellers a success fee, a retainer, or a fee for the first look.

What the buyer pays

The buyer pays our introduction fee. They confirm that fee in writing before we introduce them to you. We don’t publish the amount, and we don’t invent a percentage here. If you want to know how a first look works in practice, see how licensing works.

What we don’t do

• We don’t take a fee from the seller.
• We don’t take your files, run a clean-up on your systems, or host a data room.
• We don’t promise a buyer, a price, or a completed deal.
• We don’t set the terms of your licence. Those are agreed between you and the buyer, and you should have your own adviser review any agreement before you sign.

Questions

Do I pay any fees to McKays?

No. Sellers pay nothing. There is no charge to enquire, no upfront fee, and no fee to you if a deal goes ahead. Our introduction fee is paid by the buyer.

Is the first look free?

Yes. You can describe your records, and we’ll reply within a week. Sending an enquiry doesn’t commit you to anything.

Who pays McKays?

The buyer. Before we introduce a buyer to you, they confirm our introduction fee in writing.

How much is the introduction fee?

We don’t publish a figure. The amount is confirmed by the buyer in writing, and that confirmation happens before we make the introduction.

When is the fee agreed?

Before we introduce the buyer and the record owner. We don’t make that introduction until the buyer has confirmed the fee in writing.

What if no deal goes ahead?

You still pay nothing. Sellers pay no fees to McKays at any stage.

Who handles NDAs, samples and files?

You and the buyer, directly. Once we have introduced you, terms, confidentiality, samples and file transfer are agreed between you. McKays does not take the archive or host your files.

Is this a price list for my records?

No. There is no price list for business records. What a buyer might pay you, if anything, depends on the records, the rights behind them and what you both agree in writing. See what affects the value of a business archive, and our market evidence page for published third-party figures — those are not McKays deals.

More answers are on the FAQ, and in our guides for UK owners. If you’d like a first look, you can describe your records or email [email protected].

Get a free first look

Sellers pay nothing. The first look is free. How we’re paid.