Britain’s estate agents have collectively earned tens of millions of pounds in commission over the past month alone, according to new research from GetAgent Exchange.
But while completion-driven revenue remains strong, many agents could be leaving hundreds of pounds per transaction on the table by overlooking a growing source of additional income: referrals from buyers who are also selling outside the agent’s area.
The analysis looked at sales subject to contract (SSTC) across 15 major UK cities, adjusting for an average 15% fall-through rate to reflect realistic completion volumes.
Based on local average estate agency fees, the study calculated potential monthly commission earnings from those likely-to-complete transactions.
KEY REFERRAL MARKETS
London came out far ahead, with an estimated £14.95 million in earned commission from 1,552 completions at an average fee of 1.7%. Manchester followed with £1.87 million, and Glasgow with £959,000.
Other key markets included Edinburgh (£763,000), Bristol (£726,000), Birmingham (£639,000), Leeds (£577,000), and Liverpool (£454,000).
Even in smaller or lower-priced markets such as Bradford, Nottingham and Leicester, estate agents generated between £180,000 and £355,000 in commission last month, underscoring the sector’s resilience in a challenging housing landscape.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Yet, according to GetAgent Exchange, many agents are failing to capture further revenue from buyers who are also sellers in another region.
The platform enables agents to refer these out-of-area vendors and earn a share of the resulting commission.
In London, agents could be missing out on an additional £708 per sale by not referring these leads. T
he figure is £517 in Brighton, £450 in Bristol, and between £300 and £360 in cities such as Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, and Leeds.
Even in lower-value markets like Glasgow, Bradford and Liverpool, lost referral income can still exceed £200 per transaction.
LEAD MONETISATION
Colby Short, Co-founder and Chief Executive of GetAgent Exchange, says: “Estate agents are rightly focused on securing completions and earning well-deserved commission from those deals, but there’s an increasingly important secondary opportunity being overlooked.
“When a buyer is also a seller, especially in another part of the country, that’s a lead that could be monetised.
“With GetAgent Exchange, turning that lead into revenue is simple and effective. And with hundreds of pounds per sale at stake, this is income the industry can’t afford to keep ignoring.”
