7 Ways to keep your Vendors Happy
October 8, 2015
We all want to keep our vendors from wandering off to another agent down the street, but sometimes we forget how. Here are some quick tips to help you keep your vendor loyal, and very happy!
- Keep your promises – do what you say you will, when you say you will, and that’s all most vendors will ever ask of you. Don’t promise to call them back that day then ring them in the morning with an apology; instead, call them that day without fail and ask if it would be ok to speak in the morning.
- Keep in touch – I see many unhappy vendors every year who bemoan the fact that their agent never contacts them. It doesn’t take much; make a note of three things you can talk to them about – the interest (or even lack of it) in their property, any local property sales, and the current market conditions. Even if you really feel you have nothing to say to them, call them and ask how they are – they will appreciate the gesture.
- Feed back positively – Don’t make your vendors feel that their house isn’t good enough or they have been greedy with their hoped-for asking price. Give them a ‘feedback sandwich’ (sometimes called something slightly less polite!) – start with telling them something positive, then deliver any bad news you have with sensitivity, then end with an upbeat comment. As Maya Angelou once said “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”
- Tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – if you lie about anything at all, it will come back to haunt you. Little lies (sorry I’m late, I was stuck in traffic) have a habit of turning into big lies (there was an accident on the main road) and you will get found out. Just tell the truth (really sorry – I left the office later than I intended to) and your vendor will trust you more in the long term.
- Be visible – often a vendor will say to me “My agent isn’t doing anything to sell my house – I never hear from him”. These two facts may not be linked at all, but in the client’s mind they are, and that’s all that matters. Make sure they know exactly what you’re doing as often as possible. Copy them in on emails, drop them a note every time they are in the paper or you have called your applicants. Just be visible.
- Stay real – above all else, you are a real person, and so are they. Don’t be ‘agent-versus-vendor’, think instead of ‘Joe helping Anne’. Be kind and don’t be afraid to be yourself.
- Keep their goals in mind – find out why they are moving and keep this goal in your mind, always. Refer to it in every conversation and email you have with them. It will not only help you to stay on track and motivated, your vendor will love you for it, and stay loyal to you.
Have I missed any out? Do you have a fab vendor-pleasing tip you could share with my readers? Please leave a comment, or if you’re shy, email me at sam@home-truths.co.uk
What to read next: How do you get those WOW images?
What to do next: Do you get my Supertips? They’re jam-packed full of great tips and marketing strategies, and best still – they’re free! Get yours here -> www.samashdown.co.uk/supertips
Speak to Sam: If you’d like to know how I think you could improve your marketing, just answer a few short questions here and I’ll tell you if and how you could be more effective.
You May Also Enjoy
Fewer than 3% of London rental homes available
The latest research from Benham and Reeves has found that fewer than 3% of London’s private rental homes are currently available to tenants, highlighting the severe lack of supply across the capital at a time when further legislative changes could place additional strain on supply within the sector. Benham and Reeves analysed current rental market…
Read More 
Cottagecore Design
The term “cottagecore design” has risen by 100% since November 2025, with the term “cottagecore” itself now getting nearly 10,000 searches (9,900), according to Traditional Beams. Cottagecore refers to an aesthetic that romanticises simple, rural and sustainable living, popularised on platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, and embraces a cosy and pastoral lifestyle. However, while…
Read More 
Property specialist predicts spike in traditional interiors after Bridgerton hit
With Bridgerton Season 4 debuting with an impressive 39.7 million views in its first week on Netflix, property specialist predicts that traditional interiors will be the biggest renovation trend of 2026. Mitchell Martyn, Property Finance Specialist at Pure Property Finance, predicts that the appetite for traditional, heritage-inspired interiors is set to surge once again. As…
Read More 
Reduced supply of homes to landlords selling up
2025 saw Westminster enact one of the biggest changes to England’s private rental sector in decades via the Renters’ Rights Act, and it has already triggered a mixed response from those working in the property industry alongside landlords. One of the biggest changes includes the retirement of section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. This is a move…
Read More 
The Art of the Add-On: 5 Simple Ways Letting Agents Can Upsell in 2026
Letting agents are brilliant at delivering value, but not always brilliant at charging for it, according to Sally Lawson… Here are her five simple steps for charging for what you’re worth (and more) this year. “Far too many agents bundle services together, do the extra work, solve problems, take calls, fix issues. And they never…
Read More 
Rightmove reaction to the Bank of England Base Rate decision
Matt Smith, Mortgage Expert at Rightmove, said: “Today’s decision to hold the Bank Rate was widely expected, and for most homeowners and home‑buyers, there’s no immediate change to worry about. For those looking to secure a new mortgage rate or coming up to remortgage, even small rises in rates can have a real impact on…
Read More