The Three Critical Stages of Selling Your Home

It’s a big step to invite an estate agent into your home for the first time. It usually follows several months of discussion, agonising and emotional build-up to reach the decision to sell. You can be fraught with unanswerable questions.

The estate agents come round with their smart presentations, snazzy brochures, impressive market commentary and promises about waiting buyers. It’s exciting stuff and all too easy to be swayed by the gloss and charisma. I have come across many vendors who have been hooked in by style over substance, then regretted it later. They’ve focused wholly on stage one – just getting the house on the market and have overlooked what actually counts.

Stage one should be the simplest step, however I regularly come across examples of where it has not been done correctly. Many agents (especially the ‘new kids on the block’) throw their weight behind this marketing phase, producing highly polished brochures and glamourous photos to woo bidding clients their way. However a smart brochure is nothing without the next two stages, which carry increasing importance.

Stage two is getting your property from ‘For Sale’ to ‘Sold Subject to Contract’ (SSTC or ‘Under Offer’). These should never be confused with having ‘sold’ your home, as nothing is legally binding until you have exchanged contracts. Again, some agent marketing can lead you to believe that they have ‘sold’ most of the properties on their books. However if you delve deeper, you might find they mean SSTC, a big difference!

Those all-important viewings, securing feedback and altering your marketing campaign accordingly, play an important part. However it only comes to the crunch when you start taking offers. In the current market, it is key to weigh up the monetary amount, versus the reliability and security of an offer. In other words, if an offer is all cash, can proceed immediately, but the amount is at a more realistic level, then in today’s climate strong consideration should be given to this. Anyone can offer you ‘cloud nine’ money, but if it doesn’t result in exchange it’s not worth the paper it’s written on. Grab a reliable offer with both hands!

Viewings and offers all sound great, but even with an offer under your belt, it still doesn’t mean you have actually sold your home yet. And this is where stage three, the most important step, comes in – getting your home from ‘under offer’ to ‘exchange of contracts’. This is arguably the most stressful part of the whole process but is often overlooked by vendors and inexperienced agents. This is where a great estate agent comes in to their own and a slightly higher commission fee can prove its worth. Dealing with heightened emotions, from both buyer and seller, small chains, time pressures, handling survey outcomes, a minimum of two solicitors and mortgage lenders, plus a sizeable sum of money, all means that your estate agent needs to work exceptionally hard to get it over the line.

Therefore, when you come to instruct an estate agent, there are two critical factors to be looked at. Firstly is the level of experience of your agent, as they understand the complexity of the whole process, and use their wisdom to confidently deal with any issues that come up. Secondly is the solid support of a battle-hardened front-of-house team who are the first point of contact for potential buyers and their solicitors. If there is a problem, you need people on the ground that you can see or speak to in person, not hiding in a large call centre or behind a website.

In conclusion, glossy brochures, marketing and talk of getting your home to SSTC all sound great, but it means absolutely nothing unless you actually exchange. So when you’re choosing an agent, look at how they perform beyond step one. Step two is crucial, but step three is the one that seals the deal.

Alex Goldstein is an independent bespoke property consultant in Yorkshire and London (www.alexgoldstein.co.uk) 01423 788377

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

From Fixer-Upper to Profitable Asset: Strategic Renovations for Landlords

Did you buy a fixer-upper? Or maybe you inherited one. Either way, you’re standing in a place with peeling linoleum, a questionable smell, and wallpaper that could file for social security. The big question: Do you patch things up, go full HGTV, or just torch it for the insurance (don’t do that)? First, take a…
Read More
Breaking News

Household Costs Indices for UK household groups: January to March 2025

Household Costs Indices, 12-month growth rates, expenditure shares and contributions for UK household groups and all-households. These are official statistics in development. Main points Overall UK household costs, as measured by the Household Costs Index (HCI), rose by 2.6% in the year to March 2025; this is a fall from 2.9% in the year to…
Read More
Surge in country and seaside property values
Breaking News

Why Rural House Prices Are Surging Faster Than Cities

New analysis from Open Property Group reveals that rural England is facing an affordability crunch, as house prices in the countryside outpace urban growth, despite lower average wages and higher living costs in remote areas. These shifting dynamics are challenging the long-standing assumption that rural life offers a more affordable and sustainable alternative to the…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Air Source Heat Pumps vs. Traditional Heating: Why Maintenance Matters

As more UK homeowners shift towards greener living and energy-efficient technologies, air source heat pumps have become an increasingly popular choice. Promising reduced emissions and lower energy bills, these systems present a compelling alternative to traditional gas or oil boilers. However, while the benefits are clear, one area remains crucial regardless of the heating system…
Read More
Breaking News

Liverpool home to the nation’s busiest estate agents

The latest research by eXp UK, the platform for personal estate agents and estate agency businesses, has shown that the average agent is listing 26 properties in the current market, but it’s agents in Liverpool who are the busiest, listing an average of 46 properties per agent. eXp UK analysed current market data on the…
Read More
Commercial Agent Talk

Why Exterior Cleaning Matters for Commercial Buildings

First impressions are formed long before anyone walks through the front door. For commercial buildings—be it a warehouse, office, or retail space—the state of the exterior often speaks louder than signage or branding. Cleanliness, order and upkeep all play into how a business is perceived, and exterior cleaning is a fundamental part of building maintenance…
Read More