Closing the gap on client relationships and recommendations
New research from iamproperty has highlighted the growing disconnect between what buyers and sellers want from their agent and what they experience, which could be killing recommendations from happy clients.
iamproperty’s quarterly consumer survey revealed that only a third of respondents (32%)¹ would recommend their agent following their experience. With many agents relying on recommendations for a steady pipeline, what’s going wrong, and what do clients really value?
What matters most to buyers and sellers?
The survey of 353 respondents across the UK revealed that, above all else, commitment from the other party is seen as the most important factor in a successful property transaction, with 93% valuing this higher than any other element.
When asked what else mattered most, respondents also pointed to:
Sale certainty (90%)
Better communication (89%)
A faster process (87%)
Minimal stress (84%)
Control (79%)
A simple, easy-to-understand process (88%)
Additional data from the proptech solutions provider also highlighted a mismatch of expectations. While 75% of consumers said they found the moving process slower than expected, client onboarding data shows that over half (53%) of buyers and sellers still enter the process hoping to move within three months ³. This is a challenging expectation to meet given the 200+ day average time to complete⁴. This gap can damage the client–agent relationship, even in cases where the agent has little control over the circumstances.
Jamie Cooke, Co-Founder at iamproperty, said the findings demonstrate a clear opportunity for agents to strengthen client relationships, build trust and win recommendations by tackling the issues that matter most with the solutions and methods of sales agents have access to.
Jamie said: “Certainty, speed and security are what buyers and sellers want, but too often they’re let down. For agents, that gap is a chance to stand out “We believe it’s why we’re seeing auction continue its upward trajectory, with our Partner Agents’ auction sales making up over 1.2% of all UK property transactions in 2024, and demand growing into 2025. So far this year, sales are up 13%, with nearly £500m worth of property sold between January and July³. Consumers are clearly recognising that the Modern Method of Auction (MMoA) offers a faster, more transparent and secure route, with its 56-day completion timescale⁴, upfront material information and Reservation Fee giving both buyers and sellers the confidence they’re looking for.
“But auction isn’t the only solution. For Private Treaty transactions, onboarding and conveyancing solutions like movebutler and Premium Conveyancing are helping agents tackle the biggest causes of fall-throughs and delays. By getting properties ‘exchange-ready’ earlier – through pre-sale title checks, legal searches and addressing enquiries upfront – unnecessary hold-ups are avoided. That’s how Premium Conveyancing is achieving an average completion time of 79 days with just a 7% fall-through rate⁵, a stark difference to the current 200+ day average⁶. Solutions already exist to give clients the experience they expect and help agents build stronger relationships, reduce fall-throughs, and create the trust that encourages recommendations.”
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