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
Conservatories fall out of fashion
Conservatories fall out of fashion as fewer than one in 10 homes boast the former must-have feature The latest market analysis from eXp UK has revealed that conservatories appear to have fallen out of favour with England’s homeowners, with fewer than one in 10 properties currently listed for sale offering the once-popular home improvement.…
Read More 
95% of estate agents say homebuying reforms could speed up property transactions
The latest survey by GetAgent.co.uk has found overwhelming support from estate agents for the Government’s proposed homebuying reforms, with the vast majority believing the changes will create a faster, more stable and more efficient property market. The proposed reforms are designed to modernise the homebuying process by introducing greater upfront information, earlier legal certainty and measures…
Read More 
Private rent and house prices, UK: July 2026
1. Main points Average UK monthly private rent increased by 3.3%, to £1,388, in the 12 months to June 2026 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate remained unchanged from the 12 months to May 2026. Average rents increased to £1,446 (3.4%) in England, £843 (4.9%) in Wales, and £1,012 (1.3%) in Scotland, in the 12 months…
Read More 
Tenant demand continues to strengthen in Q2
The latest research by The Letting Partnership has found that tenant demand across England continued to strengthen during the second quarter of 2026, with 29.7% of all rental listings already securing a tenant. Demand has increased by 2.3% over the quarter and now sits 0.3% higher than the same time last year, demonstrating the continued…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 22/7/26
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. More kite flying on capping rents creates new uncertainty for investors Official data undermines rent cap folly as Burnham yo-yoing creates damaging market uncertainty More kite flying on capping rents has created new uncertainty for investors at the worst possible time. Analysis of…
Read More 
Conveyancing keeps providing stability in uncertain market
New research from Lyons Bowe solicitors has found that conveyancing costs have remained remarkably steady as a proportion of house prices across the UK, providing essential reliability for homebuyers during another year of market and economic uncertainty. Lyons Bowe’s analysis found that the average cost of purchasing a freehold property increased from £1,383 in April 2025…
Read More