139 Properties Listed. Just 37% Completed. Is Your Estate Agent Actually Successful?

Estate agents love talking about how many properties they bring onto the market. But are they actually selling them? There's one statistic every homeowner should ask about before choosing an estate agent.

When choosing an estate agent, it's easy to assume that a company advertising lots of properties must be successful.

More properties means more experience, more buyers and more sales, right?

Not necessarily.

There's a big difference between an estate agent who's good at winning instructions and one who's good at successfully selling homes.

And it's the second one that really matters to you.

139 Properties Instructed. But Only 37% Completed.

Here's a statistic that might surprise you.

According to data obtained from Propalt, one estate agent instructed 139 properties over a 12-month period.

Of those, just 37% were recorded as completed sales at the time of the report.

That's approximately 51 completed transactions from 139 instructions.

Now, some of those properties may still be on the market, under offer or progressing through conveyancing. So it doesn't necessarily mean the remaining properties have failed to sell.

But it raises an uncomfortable question.

What's more impressive: taking 139 properties onto the market or successfully getting homeowners moved?

Because having lots of properties advertised doesn't automatically make you a successful estate agent.

Are Estate Agents More Interested in Listings Than Sales?

In estate agency, new instructions are important.

But what happens when an agent becomes more focused on winning the next instruction than selling the properties they already have?

New listings look great on social media. They make an estate agency appear busy and successful.

But being busy and delivering results aren't the same thing.

If your property has been sitting on the market for months, you probably don't care how many new homes your agent has listed this week.

You want to know what they're doing to sell yours.

Your estate agent's success shouldn't be measured by how many properties they advertise. It should be measured by how many homeowners they successfully help move.

Is Your Property Just Another Number?

When you first instruct an estate agent, they're usually enthusiastic.

They promise great marketing, plenty of interest and regular communication.

But what happens when the initial excitement disappears?

Viewings slow down. Feedback becomes less frequent. You're the one chasing updates.

Meanwhile, your estate agent is celebrating another new instruction.

Has your home become yesterday's news while your agent concentrates on winning tomorrow's business?

A good estate agent should be actively reviewing marketing, following up buyers, negotiating offers and proactively progressing sales.

Not simply adding another property to their portfolio.

The Question Every Seller Should Ask

Before choosing an estate agent, don't just ask how many properties they've got for sale.

Ask:

"Of all the properties you've instructed, what percentage have actually completed?"

And make sure you're comparing figures over a meaningful period, allowing enough time for recent instructions to progress through to completion.

Also ask:

• How many properties have been withdrawn?
• How many sales have fallen through?
• What percentage of the original asking price do their completed sales achieve?

Those figures could tell you far more about an agent's performance than the number of properties advertised on Rightmove.

Our Approach at 360 Properties

At 360 Properties, we believe estate agency is about results, not simply winning instructions.

Our focus is on attracting the right buyers, negotiating the best possible price and proactively progressing transactions through to completion.

That's why we offer:

• No Sale, No Fee
• No tie-in period
• No notice period
• Proactive sales progression through to completion

We don't believe homeowners should be tied to an estate agent who isn't delivering the service they promised.

Don't Be Impressed by the Number of For Sale Boards

An estate agent might have 50, 100 or even 200 properties on the market.

But that doesn't tell you how successful they are.

Winning instructions makes an estate agent look busy. Completing sales makes them successful.

So before choosing who sells your home, ask for the figures that really matter.

Because you're not instructing an estate agent to put your house on the internet.

You're instructing them to get it sold.

Thinking of selling your property in Aylesbury, Verwood, Hartlepool or the surrounding areas?

Speak to 360 Properties about our No Sale, No Fee approach.

We don't just want to list your property. We want to get you moved.

Data reference: Propalt, 139 instructions over a 12-month period, with 37% recorded as completed at the time of reporting. This is a snapshot, not necessarily the final completion rate for that group of properties.