What Does an Estate Agent Actually Do to Sell Your Home?

When you decide to sell your home, you’re not just putting a “For Sale” sign up and hoping for the best (or at least, you shouldn’t be!) A good estate agent plays a vital role in ensuring your home sells quickly, smoothly, and at the best possible price but many sellers aren’t quite sure what goes on behind the scenes.

So, what does an estate agent actually do to sell your home?

1.  Provide an Accurate Market Valuation

Your estate agent starts by visiting your home and providing a realistic, evidence-based valuation. This is based on:

• Current local market trends
• Recently sold properties in the area
• Your home’s unique features and condition

The goal is to price your property competitively, not so low that you lose out on value, but not so high that it lingers unsold.

Most estate agents have access to Rightmove Plus, a professional section of the popular property portal exclusively for agents. This platform provides a wealth of data, including Best Price Guides. These guides allow us to compare similar properties nearby, showing:

• Listed and sold prices
• Time spent on the market
• Whether the property achieved its asking price

During your market appraisal, we’ll create and share a tailored Best Price Guide for your home—so you can see exactly how your property stacks up and how your price has been determined.

2.  Prepare and Market Your Property Professionally

A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make sure your home stands out from the crowd and attracts the right buyers from the very start.

Here’s what we do:

• Professional photography – High-quality, well-lit images are key to making a great first impression online. We make sure your home looks its absolute best.
• Compelling property descriptions – We take the time to highlight your home’s standout features and tailor the wording to appeal to your ideal buyer.
• Accurate floorplans – Most buyers like to visualise the space before they even book a viewing, so clear, professionally measured floorplans are essential.

We also create a comprehensive property brochure, featuring detailed room-by-room descriptions, measurements, and useful extras such as mobile coverage, broadband speeds, and the location of TV aerial sockets and other key utilities. Our goal is to answer buyers’ questions before they even need to ask them, giving them confidence and making your home even more appealing.

3.  Qualify and Arrange Viewings

• Screen potential buyers – During our initial conversation, we carefully assess each buyer’s position. Are they chain-free? Do they have a mortgage in principle? Are they a serious, motivated buyer or just browsing? This helps us prioritise viewings and manage your time effectively.

• Arrange and host viewings – We handle all the logistics of booking viewings at times that work for you and your potential buyers. When hosting, we make sure to highlight your property’s key selling points from the layout and natural light to recent upgrades or location benefits. We’re also there to answer any questions on the spot, helping buyers feel informed and confident as they consider their offer.

• Gather honest feedback from buyers to keep you informed – During viewings, we actively engage with potential buyers, asking key questions to understand whether the property meets their needs. After the viewing, we send a follow-up email requesting formal feedback, which is fed directly into our system so we can quickly update you. While we always aim to collect thorough feedback, it’s worth noting that occasionally, some buyers choose not to respond despite our best efforts to follow up.  If you’re living in the property, they’ll also work around your schedule to make the process as smooth as possible.

4.  Negotiate Offers on Your Behalf

Once offers start coming in, your estate agent’s job is far from over. In fact, this is where it really begins!

Here’s what we do:

• Present all offers clearly – As soon as an offer is received, we take the time to contact the buyer’s agent directly. We find out whether their own property is under offer, what their chain looks like, and how serious and committed they are.
• Advise you on the strengths and weaknesses of each buyer – Not all offers are equal. A slightly lower offer from a chain-free buyer with a mortgage in place might be a more reliable option than a higher offer from someone with multiple sales involved. We’ll explain your choices clearly, so you can make an informed decision.
• Negotiate the best possible price and terms – We act as the go-between to get you the best outcome, not just the fastest sale, but the right sale. This includes negotiating timelines, inclusions (like fixtures and fittings), and even managing counter-offers.

At every stage, we act in your best interest, using our experience and market knowledge to secure a deal that works for you.

5. Progress the Sale to Completion

Accepting an offer is a big milestone, but it is far from the finish line. A lot still needs to happen before contracts are exchanged and the sale is complete. That’s where your estate agent plays a vital role in keeping everything on track.

Here’s what we manage behind the scenes:

• Liaising with solicitors and conveyancers – We stay in regular contact with both parties to ensure the legal process is moving forward.
• Communicating with buyers’ agents and mortgage brokers – We help coordinate between all sides of the transaction, chasing updates and clarifying timelines.
• Following up on paperwork, surveys, and outstanding issues – Whether it’s chasing down a missing document or checking in on a survey report, we stay on top of every detail.
• Keeping you informed at every stage – We’ll provide regular updates so you’re never left in the dark about what’s happening or what comes next.

Our job is to keep the chain moving smoothly, resolve issues before they cause delays, and do everything we can to help avoid fall-throughs so you can reach completion with minimal stress.

6.  Offer Expert Advice and Local Knowledge

Throughout the process, a good estate agent is more than just a salesperson, they are your trusted advisor from start to finish!

Here’s how we support you:

• Helping you make informed decisions – From pricing and marketing strategy to offer negotiations, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
• Answering questions about the legal process and timelines – We translate the jargon, set expectations, and help you understand what’s happening and why.
• Providing insight into the local property market – Because we live and work in the area, we know what’s selling, what buyers are looking for, and how to position your home for success.

Our goal is to make what can often be a stressful and uncertain process feel manageable and clear—so you can move forward with confidence.

Final Thoughts

Selling your home is a major life event and a lot goes on behind the scenes to get it right. A professional estate agent doesn’t just “list and leave”. They guide, support, negotiate, and drive the entire process to a successful conclusion.

If you’re thinking of selling and want to know more about how we do it differently, feel free to get in touch for a free valuation and no-obligation chat.