New research from iamproperty has uncovered a widening disconnect between what buyers and sellers expect from their estate agent and what they actually experience – a gap that could be damaging the flow of client recommendations.
The quarterly consumer survey found that just 32% of respondents would recommend their agent after their move, despite recommendations being one of the industry’s most relied-upon pipelines.
For consumers, the top priority in a property transaction is clear: commitment from the other party, with 93% rating it as the most important factor. Other key elements included sale certainty (90%), better communication (89%), faster transactions (87%), a simple and transparent process (88%) and minimal stress (84%).
Yet the research shows that expectations are rarely met. While more than half of buyers and sellers enter the process hoping to move within three months, 75% say the transaction ends up slower than expected – in line with today’s 200+ day average completion time. This misalignment can leave clients frustrated with their agent, even when the causes are largely outside the agent’s control.
TIME TO STAND OUT
Jamie Cooke (main picture), Co-founder at iamproperty, reckons that the findings highlight the opportunity for agents to improve client relationships and win back trust by addressing the issues that matter most.
He says: “Certainty, speed and security are what buyers and sellers want, but too often they’re let down. For agents, that gap is a chance to stand out. We believe it’s why we’re seeing auction continue its upward trajectory, with our Partner Agents’ auction sales making up over 1.2% of all UK property transactions in 2024, and demand growing into 2025.
“So far this year, sales are up 13%, with nearly £500m worth of property sold between January and July. Consumers are clearly recognising that the Modern Method of Auction (MMoA) offers a faster, more transparent and secure route, with its 56-day completion timescale, upfront material information and Reservation Fee giving both buyers and sellers the confidence they’re looking for.”
REDUCE FALL-THROUGHS
And he adds: “But auction isn’t the only solution. For Private Treaty transactions, onboarding and conveyancing solutions like movebutler and Premium Conveyancing are helping agents tackle the biggest causes of fall-throughs and delays.
“By getting properties ‘exchange-ready’ earlier – through pre-sale title checks, legal searches and addressing enquiries upfront – unnecessary hold-ups are avoided.
“That’s how Premium Conveyancing is achieving an average completion time of 79 days with just a 7% fall-through rate, a stark difference to the current 200+ day average.
“Solutions already exist to give clients the experience they expect and help agents build stronger relationships, reduce fall-throughs, and create the trust that encourages recommendations.”
