Successful Estate Agencies Leave Clues

A quick one this week folks as I’m knackered after being a detective for the past couple of days (hopefully more Columbo than Inspector Clouseau).

Several of my clients have been very successful recently at different industry award competitions.

And success leaves clues as I’ve discovered while researching a future article on what makes some agencies do a lot better than others at awards.

The three clients I’ve featured here are all at different levels in terms of size.

One is a single office agency, another has three offices following a rapid expansion, and the final agency has 15 offices spanning four counties and several property disciplines.

They all have very good market shares in their patches, which let’s face it is a lot more important than awards.

And they all do quite a lot of things better, or at least differently from their rivals.

Small examples include:

Single office agency – The first agency I saw using personalised email signatures with a smiling, approachable looking photo of the staff member. And great social media use.

Three office agency – Have a mantra of ‘How will this benefit our clients? The owner is obsessed by learning about anything which can propel his agency forward. And that’s rubbed off on his well-motivated team.

15 office agency – Invest thousands in staff training, getting involved in local community events and never missing a trick to get their brand out there.

And although the above examples are different, and the agencies individual, they are all united by three things.

  1. They all have some sort of newsletter or regular method of staying in touch with precious (not a typo, work it out) clients who they have served in the past.
  2. They pay their bills on time. (I can usually gauge an agency’s attitude to clients by how they treat suppliers).
  3. The heads of all three companies are very decent, hardworking and honest people. Making a mockery of misconceptions about ‘dodgy agents’ which in my experience is a load of old bollocks anyway.

There are loads more things they do that make them great agencies but I’ve got to go now and solve the case of the missing bagel from my office (I really fancied it for lunch and some Herbert has nicked it).

Thanks for reading and here’s to your next instruction.

Jerry

PS: The Earlybird offer on my new Letting Agent Articles (31 great articles to win some landlord love) ends tomorrow at 5pm. To find out more simply ping me your postcode so I can see if your area is still available and I’ll reply with the deal and more info.

Jerry Lyons

You May Also Enjoy

Overseas Property

Algarve tops the list of overseas destinations by Brits this summer

New analysis from Rightmove reveals the most popular overseas destinations that potential British buyers are searching for this summer The Algarve in Portugal is the most popular destination, followed by Paphos in Cyprus and Mallorca in Spain Spain is the overall most searched for country, followed by France and Italy New analysis by Rightmove, the…
Read More
Breaking News

UK Construction Sector Activity Remains Stagnant

Glenigan’s data shows construction sector performance is depressed in a tough socio-economic landscape The value of underlying (under £100 million) work starting on-site during the three months to the end of July declined 11% and fell 29% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell sharply, declining 25% against the preceding three months and dropping…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Seven fire safety myths every business should avoid

Fire safety is one of those responsibilities that often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves – until something goes wrong, that is. For many businesses, compliance has fallen into the trap of being a tick-box exercise that’s centred around annual inspections, manual training exercises, and having the right paperwork in place. And although these are…
Read More
Breaking News

Suzy Lamplugh’s legacy underlines the need to always make lone-worker safety a priority

More than 40 years after estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared while attending a work appointment, her legacy remains a powerful reminder that personal safety must be central to workplace practices. On 28 July 1986, 25-year-old Suzy Lamplugh left her London office for an appointment and never returned. Her disappearance led her parents, Diana and Paul…
Read More
Breaking News

Prime London sellers return to market

The latest analysis from Beham and Reeves has found that the number of homes listed for sale at £2m or above across Prime Central London increased during the second quarter of 2026, although performance continues to vary considerably between the capital’s most prestigious neighbourhoods.   Benham and Reeves analysed current Prime Central London property listings…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

What to know when buying land

The closure of UK Land & Farms (UKLAF) has left a significant gap in the UK’s specialist land market with buyers and sellers now forced to adapt after 18 years of relying on UKLAF as the cornerstone of the industry. As interest in land continues to grow, the company says the closure also serves as…
Read More