More than eight in ten estate agents believe they waste too much time preparing valuation reports, raising questions about efficiency and consistency when competing for new instructions.
Research from estate agency CRM provider Street.co.uk found that 82% of agents believe creating, customising or rebranding valuation reports takes longer than necessary. Despite their role in securing instructions, fewer than a third of agencies (31%) say their valuation reports fully reflect their company branding. Meanwhile, 35% only partially brand their reports, while 21% do not brand them at all. A further 13% of agencies say they do not routinely provide valuation reports to prospective sellers.
Customisation and branding create headaches for agents
Tailoring valuation reports to individual sellers emerged as the biggest challenge, cited by 28% of respondents. Maintaining consistent branding followed at 23%, while 20% identified inconsistencies between branches and individual valuers. Another 18% said producing and sending reports quickly was their biggest difficulty.
The research also suggests agents see a link between presentation and winning business. Four in five respondents (80%) believe greater control over report branding, content and layout would improve their chances of securing instructions. However, the survey measures agents’ perceptions rather than independently establishing whether more personalised reports lead to higher instruction conversion rates.
Valuation reports remain a drain on staff time
Heather Staff, co-founder and co-CEO of Street Group, which recently launched a rebuilt valuation reporting tool, said agencies continue to spend time adapting valuation documents rather than concentrating on clients.
She commented: “Our research shows that agents understand just how important valuation reports have become, but too many are still spending valuable time trying to adapt documents that weren’t designed to reflect their own brand or way of working.
“Today’s sellers increasingly expect a professional, personalised experience, but agencies also need tools that are efficient and scalable behind the scenes.”
