Expectations vs reality: What sellers really want from estate agents

Why the valuation pitch matters more than ever

Our latest research confirms what many agents already know - the valuation is a critical part of the seller journey. We commissioned a YouGov survey of 1,000 homeowners in the UK who have sold a residential property in the past five years, alongside an Opinium survey of 100 agents to understand the differences between what agents believe are the most important factors for homeowners when choosing an agent, as well as the views of homeowners who recently sold homes. Here's what we found.

Nearly half of sellers (49%) said they invited three agents to value their property before making a decision, and 54% of agents agreed.

Despite this, 15% of sellers said they only got one agent round to look at their home. While this number is lower, it’s still a significant part of the market. With only 3% of agents thinking sellers only got one agent to visit their property, many could be missing a trick.

First impressions matter, especially for that 15%. That means you need to make sure you're turning up to valuations equipped with the right local knowledge and insight, so they’ll choose you to be the one to list their home.

That’s where Prospect Plus comes in. Our latest vendor tool delivers high-quality seller leads, giving you a competitive edge when it comes to winning new business. You’ll also get extra seller insight, like saved property searches and valuation goals. This is designed to help you build stronger relationships with sellers, so you can win that instruction.

Local presence beats pricing

When choosing an agent, we found that sellers prioritise local presence and reputation more than agents may expect.

In fact, 20% of sellers said they picked their agent because they had a good local presence and were selling other properties in the area, and 13% said they went with their agent as they were known locally for their property expertise and experience. Another 9% said it was their agent's overall reputation locally.

With our MyHome experience, we highlight your local presence by showcasing similar properties for sale in the area, and displaying the distance from a seller's home to your nearby branch. This helps boost your brand visibility at a key stage in the seller journey.

Agents, on the other hand, believe sellers care most about having confidence that the agent would negotiate the best price (11%) and the agent offering mortgage or financial services support (11%). Only 8% of agents thought local presence was a major factor.

The gap? Agents may be underestimating the power of their local brand and visibility, and overestimating the importance of pricing and cost.

It’s clear that maintaining a prominent presence in your local market is key to winning instructions. In-search ads put your agency front and centre on the search results page, Zoopla’s most visited page, making sure you show up in the right place, at the right time.

Or, if you want something a bit closer to home, you can showcase your brand on the listings page with Area Sponsorship, or display your brand right next to your own listings with Property Sponsorship.

Together, these tools can help you stay visible at every step of the seller journey, building recognition and trust where it matters. Get in touch with your account manager to find out more.

Win trust, win instructions

With visibility and reputation playing a key part in choosing an agent, it doesn’t come as a surprise that 30% of sellers said they used an agent they’d worked with before, with another 14% said they chose an agent recommended by family and friends. 

This acts as a clear reminder that building trust and maintaining relationships with sellers, and staying visible in the local market shouldn’t be underestimated. Products like Premium Listing and Featured Property are a great way to stay visible in your area, and make sure you stay top of mind for when they’re ready to sell. 

Check out all our tools for estate agents.

The bottom line for agents

There’s a lot for agents to feel good about in our research. Most sellers are happy, and many agents already have a strong sense of what matters to their clients. But the small differences in perception, especially around what builds trust and drives decisions, can have a big impact on how sellers feel.

What agents think matters most isn’t always in line with what sellers want. For example, sellers place greater importance on local presence, brand visibility and personal recommendations, while many agents still focus heavily on their pricing strategy and support services.

In today’s competitive market, success comes down to being visible, building trust and making sure you’re seen before the valuation even happens.

And, products like Prospect Plus, Featured Property and In-search ads are designed to help you do exactly that.