How Estate Agents Can Win And Protect More Instructions

Winning a new property instruction should be one of the best moments in estate agency.

You've spent time prospecting, carrying out the market appraisal, following up with the homeowner and convincing them that you're the right estate agent to sell their property.

They've finally said yes.

But what happens next can be just as important as everything you did to win the instruction in the first place.

One of the biggest mistakes an estate agent can make is walking out of the property and leaving the rest of the process until another day.

You might have another appointment tomorrow.

Perhaps the homeowner wants to finish some decorating first.

Maybe you'll come back next week to take the photographs, complete the paperwork and get everything ready for the property listing.

On the surface, this seems perfectly reasonable.

But every day you leave the instruction unfinished is another opportunity for somebody else to get involved.

Imagine leaving a market appraisal knowing the homeowner has agreed to sell with you, only to discover a few days later that another estate agent has convinced them to change their mind.

That would be frustrating.

The better approach is to get as much done as possible while you're already there.

If the homeowner has agreed to instruct you, why not complete the terms and conditions?

Why not start preparing the floorplan?

Why not gather the information you need for the property description?

Why not get the process moving before you leave the house?

The more you complete during that initial appointment, the more difficult it becomes for another estate agent to step into the process.

Think about it from the homeowner's perspective.

If you've already taken the measurements, completed the paperwork, gathered the property information and started preparing the marketing, do you think they're going to be excited about another estate agent coming into their home and asking them to do everything again?

Probably not.

This becomes even more important when the property isn't quite ready to launch.

Perhaps the homeowner wants to decorate a few rooms before the photographs are taken.

A traditional estate agent might simply call them every week to ask how things are progressing.

There's nothing particularly wrong with that.

But there is a much better way to use that time.

Get as much of the work completed as you possibly can before the decorating is finished.

Complete the compliance paperwork.

Prepare the property description.

Arrange the floorplan.

Gather the information you need.

Then, when the decorating is finished, all that may be left is to take the photographs and launch the property.

You've saved time.

You've created momentum.

But most importantly, you've strengthened your relationship with the homeowner.

The instruction becomes much harder for another estate agent to interfere with because you've already done the work.

Of course, there is another important part of taking a property onto the market that estate agents cannot afford to overlook.

Compliance.

It might not be the most exciting part of estate agency, but it is essential.

When taking a property onto the market, you need to establish two fundamental things.

Is the person you're dealing with actually who they say they are?

And do they have the legal right to sell the property?

This means checking suitable identification for the legal owners and establishing that the person giving you the instruction actually owns the property.

Documents such as passports, driving licences, Land Registry information, property deeds and mortgage statements can all form part of this process, depending on the circumstances and the requirements of your compliance procedures.

Once you've collected the relevant information, it should be stored securely within your CRM rather than left sitting on someone's phone or in a drawer somewhere in the office.

Good estate agency isn't simply about winning instructions.

It's about protecting the business after you've won them.

The same applies to your agency agreement.

Once the homeowner has agreed to instruct you, the terms and conditions should be signed as soon as possible.

This document sets out what you will do for the homeowner, what they can expect from you, what they will pay and the terms of your relationship.

Importantly, all legal owners should sign the agreement.

It sounds obvious, but failing to establish that every legal owner has agreed to the sale can create an extremely uncomfortable situation further down the line.

Modern estate agents can make this process much easier through online signing platforms.

Agreements can be sent to multiple owners, wherever they happen to be, and completed quickly without relying on paper documents being passed around.

The final piece of the take-on process is something that can make a huge difference to both the buyer experience and the protection of your estate agency.

The property information form.

This is where you gather important information about the property directly from the homeowner before the property goes live.

And it has a very simple benefit.

It helps you look like you know what you're talking about.

When a buyer asks how old the boiler is, you should know.

When they ask whether the loft is boarded, you should know.

When they ask questions about the property during a viewing, having the answers available creates a much more professional experience.

But there is another reason the property information form matters.

It creates a record of what the homeowner has told you.

Imagine a problem is discovered during a survey several weeks after you've agreed a sale.

Perhaps the buyer discovers Japanese knotweed near the property.

The buyer contacts you and asks what you knew about it.

The homeowner then tells you that they mentioned it when you first visited the property.

What happens if you have no record of that conversation?

You are suddenly in an incredibly difficult position.

It's your word against theirs.

A properly completed property information form gives you a much clearer record of what the homeowner has disclosed about their property.

It doesn't mean the form magically removes every risk from a property sale.

It does, however, give your business a much stronger foundation and helps establish what information was provided by the seller.

This is why the take-on process should never be treated as simply another piece of administration.

It is one of the most important stages in the entire estate agency process.

Win the instruction.

Then secure it.

Get as much completed as possible while you have the homeowner's attention.

Complete your compliance checks.

Get the agency agreement signed.

Gather the property information.

Prepare the marketing.

And make sure the property is ready to launch as professionally as possible.

Because winning the instruction is only half the job.

The best estate agents know how to protect the instruction they've worked so hard to win.

And when your take-on process is this thorough, you're not simply improving your administration.

You're creating a better experience for the homeowner, protecting your business and putting yourself in the strongest possible position to sell the property successfully.

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