How to Get More Property Listings as an Estate Agent by Understanding Local Marketing and Human Behaviour

If you’re serious about growing your estate agency business, there’s one golden rule you need to live by: marketing is a numbers game. The more potential sellers in your area who see your marketing, the more leads you’ll generate. More leads mean more instructions, and more instructions mean more sales. It really is that simple. So if you ever find yourself wondering, “What should I be doing right now to grow my estate agency?”, the answer is almost always lead generation.

But here’s the catch: your marketing needs to be smart, strategic, and targeted. That means ditching the scattergun approach and instead focusing on area-by-area marketing domination. Too many estate agents fall into the trap of jumping between targets—chasing 16-week-old listings across the entire town, wasting hours in the car, battling the local one-way system, and barely delivering any material. You don’t get paid to drive. You get paid to win instructions. So, pick one local area, set up base, and saturate it with your best-performing marketing message. Only move on when you’ve hit every letterbox, every door, every target address. Then repeat the process in the next patch.

This hyperlocal strategy isn’t just more efficient—it’s essential. Because now you’re not just building brand awareness; you’re building trust. And when that trust starts converting into leads, you need to be ready. But be warned: once the phone rings, you’re dealing with the Great British public. And that, as you’ll know, can be a rollercoaster.

Every property owner is different, and if you want to win more listings and increase your estate agency fees without losing clients, you need to get good at understanding people—fast. The key to improving your conversion rate isn’t always about saying the right things; it’s about saying them in the right way, to the right personality type.

Think back to your last holiday. Did you try speaking a bit of the local language? Even just a “hello” or “thank you”? It might have been a small effort, but it showed the locals that you were trying. The same principle applies in your market. Sellers don’t all communicate the same way, and if you can’t adapt to their communication style, you’re going to struggle. In fact, many estate agents unknowingly lose instructions simply because they misread the personality of the seller.

Broadly speaking, people fall into four core personality types—Q1 to Q4. These aren’t rigid boxes, but they’re incredibly helpful for tailoring your approach.

Let’s start with Q1: the Drivers. These are the no-nonsense types. They want facts, fast. They don’t do small talk and have no time for fluff. If you walk into a valuation and start with a long backstory about your company’s history, you’ve already lost them. What they want is a confident, assertive pitch and clear, data-driven evidence that you can get the job done.

Next is Q2: the Steadiness type. These people are risk-averse and cautious. They value harmony, structure, and detail. If you try to rush them or push them too hard, you’ll come off as aggressive or careless. For Q2 sellers, your pitch needs to be thorough, reassuring, and backed by process. Show them you’ve thought about every detail and that you won’t drop the ball.

Then we have Q3: the Extroverts. These are your classic social butterflies. They love a chat and will often share more than you need to know. But don’t cut them off—they value rapport and personal connection. Win their trust, and they’ll become your biggest advocates. Just be ready to listen.

Finally, Q4: the Performers. These are the ‘one-uppers’. They’ve always got a story that beats yours and love to impress. They’re high-achievers, image-conscious, and respond best to status, exclusivity, and success. When pitching to a Q4, make them feel like they’re getting the best of the best—and that your agency is the premium choice for someone of their calibre.

Now imagine pairing a Q1 Driver with a Q3 Extrovert. Sparks will fly. The driver will think the extrovert talks too much; the extrovert will think the driver is cold and rude. Neither is right or wrong—it’s just a clash of communication styles. As an estate agent, your job is to prevent that clash by adjusting your tone, pace, and pitch to match theirs. And that starts with knowing your own personality type.

Once you understand where you sit on the Q1 to Q4 spectrum, you’ll start recognising which sellers you naturally click with and which ones you might need to adapt for. You can even take a quick online personality test to find out. I’m personally a mix of Q1 and Q3—I’m sociable but I also value directness. I don’t need the full life story, just the answer. That doesn’t always land well with certain personality types, but knowing this helps me tailor my approach better when I meet someone new.

Later in your estate agency journey, you’ll learn a powerful question to ask during a market appraisal booking that can help you identify a seller’s personality type before you even meet them. But even without that tool, just being aware that people think and act differently is a huge first step in becoming more persuasive and ultimately winning more listings.

Now let’s talk about the real tipping point in your business—the shift from chasing to being chased. In the early days, you’ll feel like you’re constantly chasing potential sellers. You’ll launch your website, post on social media, and wait… but nothing happens. Why? Because visibility takes time. You have to go out and get your first few listings by sheer effort.

From experience, the magic number is 10. That could be five active listings and five under offer. Once you hit this level, everything changes. You start to build social proof. Sellers start recognising your name. Suddenly, you’re the one being called for valuations, not the one cold-calling. Your conversion rates go up, and your marketing starts compounding.

But getting to 10 listings quickly is vital. Don’t trickle your marketing efforts. Don’t be the agent who yo-yos between two listings one week and five the next. Hit your patch hard. Go all in. Think of it like a diet. Hit it aggressively and get results fast—or dabble and never really get in shape.

Sadly, many agents stay stuck in that cycle. Always chasing, never quite breaking through. Don’t be that agent. Get focused, get consistent, and get to 10 listings as quickly as possible. From there, you’ll be amazed at how much easier things become.

Remember, everything we’ve covered here—localised marketing, understanding personality types, adapting your communication, and building initial momentum—is what separates struggling agents from top performers. And if you really want to become the go-to estate agent in your area, these are the strategies that will get you there.

If this approach resonates with you and you’re ready to get serious about scaling your estate agency, make sure you explore more resources at The Estate Agent Consultancy. You’ll find expert insights, actionable guides, and personalised advice from Chris Webb to help you win more listings, increase your fees, and dominate your market.

Start your journey to becoming the most in-demand estate agent in your area—because growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design.