UK
SSTC
SSTC means sold subject to contract. In England and Wales it marks a property where a buyer’s offer has been accepted, but contracts have not been exchanged, so either side can still withdraw.
Also called Sold subject to contract, Sold STC.
What it tells a buyer
Portals and particulars often show SSTC once the vendor has accepted an offer. The property is usually taken off the open market, or marked so that new buyers know an offer is already in hand. It is not a sale. No binding contract exists until exchange, and the buyer has not yet paid a deposit on exchange.
What the negotiator still does
The work after SSTC is sales progression: memorandum of sale, draft contract, survey, mortgage offer and enquiries. Keep the vendor updated when a step slips, and do not tell either side the sale is certain. A fall-through returns the property to the market. Scotland uses a different process, and this label is not the US status “pending”.
Questions
What does SSTC mean?
SSTC means sold subject to contract. In England and Wales it marks a property where a buyer’s offer has been accepted, but contracts have not been exchanged, so either side can still withdraw.
General information for agency staff, not legal advice. Rules and local practice change. Check the official source before you rely on a definition in a client letter.