"Mike Mitchell" wrote
| But now the sale must have fallen through, as it is now on the
| market again. Maybe the reason is totally beyond anyone's
| control, like the buyer dropping dead or something pretty
| terminal.

The buyer dropping dead /is/ terminal - for the buyer :-)

| If agents were not allowed to erect the "Sold" board until
| contracts had been exchanged, the meaning of "Sold" would
| carry a lot more weight.

If you had the Scottish system where offers are binding and missives are
concluded typically 10 days after closing date, Sold would mean sold. (Then
again, only a small percentage of property gets near an estate agent in the
first place :-)

Owain