An estate agent has shared how a trial of an online-only service unexpectedly increased instructions for the traditional offering, highlighting the importance of making the invisible work of agency visible to homeowners.
Writing in a trade publication, the agent recalled that people often said, "I could do your job," based on seeing only the visible parts: listing a property on Rightmove, conducting viewings, and putting up a Sold board.
The online trial that changed the conversation
Years ago, while working for a large corporate estate agency, the agent's firm decided to trial an online-only proposition alongside the traditional service. The idea was to give homeowners a choice between a lower-cost online package and a full-service agent, explaining what each included and letting them decide.
Most staff expected the cheaper option to be popular, but it was not. Instead, the instruction rate for the traditional service increased as a result of the trial.
Explaining what the service really involves
The agent could not initially understand why, noting that the service had not changed and the online product was not poor. The only difference was the conversation at the valuation. Previously, agents would tell homeowners they would market the property, arrange viewings, negotiate offers, and manage the sale, assuming clients knew everything else involved.
The online proposition forced the team to explain exactly what the traditional service included and what the online-only model did not. They discussed what happens when a survey reveals unexpected issues, when a buyer pulls out three weeks before exchange, how chains are held together when one phone call can prevent collapse, and the time spent chasing solicitors, mortgage brokers, and other agents to keep a sale moving.
Making the invisible side visible
The more the team explained, the more people realised they were not paying for a Rightmove listing but for everything required to get from "For Sale" to "Moved." The service itself had not changed; the agents had simply become better at explaining it.
The agent argues that the industry still makes the mistake of assuming homeowners understand the value of the work. Most people move only a handful of times in their lives and never see the conversations that happen before they are told, "Everything's still on track." The dozens of phone calls, negotiations, awkward conversations, and problems quietly solved behind the scenes remain hidden.
The agent concludes that the real problem is not that homeowners fail to appreciate the work, but that agents have stopped explaining it. The online trial worked because it forced the team to stop assuming understanding and start showing value, making the invisible side of estate agency visible.
