What are you worth?

What are you worth image

Picasso was once enjoying a double espresso in his favourite café in Paris, when he was accosted by a lady at a nearby table.

“Excusez-moi, aren’t you Picasso??” she asked excitedly. When he confirmed that he was indeed he, she then begged him to draw her portrait.

With a sigh, he took a clean napkin off the table and a pencil out of his pocket, and very fast, drew the woman’s likeness.

As he passed the napkin to the woman, he asked her for 500 francs.

“But”, she spluttered, “it only took you a minute!”

“Non madame,” Picasso explained. “It took me forty years.”

It’s a nice little story that illustrates something really important.

When a vendor complains that you’ve sold their property in two days for the full asking price, and therefore shouldn’t be entitled to your full fee because all you did was put it on Rightmove, they are missing the point. (Several points, in fact.)

You sold it quickly because you’re really, really good at what you do.   You could have messed up the online advert, taken a load of unflattering photographs, made a hash of the description, and managed to put any potential buyers off, if not on the phone, then on the viewing itself.

You did none of these things.  Firstly, you chose to pay a hefty subscription to Rightmove in the first place.  Not a small undertaking by any means.  Then you worked hard to make sure your client’s home looked as appealing as possible online, attracting interest from the right kind of buyers, generated and negotiated a great offer, and did everything in your power to make sure it sticks.

You were able to do all these things because you have experience, and your experience has allowed you to build up and refine your skills, so that your clients can be sure their property sale is in safe hands.

Not only that, but you, or your boss or partner, pay thousands of pounds every month to make sure your office is professional and inviting, your staff are carefully-chosen and well-trained, and you have even invested in clever software that allows you to spend less time on the stuff that doesn’t count, and more time actually helping your clients.

I’m guessing too, that you don’t work a 39 hour week, but much, much more.  That if you’re the boss, your hourly rate is less than your top sales people, and that you check and answer emails from home, at weekends, and probably on holiday too.

So before you allow your fee to be questioned, whether on a market appraisal or after an accepted offer, remember this: you did not become a great agent overnight.  You work hard, and you deserve to be paid what you’re worth.

Right?

IMPORTANT! I’m offering just three spots this week for a free strategy call. If you have a specific challenge you’d like my input on, just send an email to sam@home-truths.co.uk and we’ll get you booked in.  Completely free.

What to read nextWhat gets you out of bed in the morning?

What to do next: Do you get my Supertips? They’re jam-packed full of great tips and marketing strategies just like this one, and best still – they’re free! Get yours here -> www.samashdown.co.uk/samsupertips

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.

Sam Ashdown

Sam is an industry-renowned marketing strategist to estate agents. She helps agents grow and flourish, using her unique smart marketing techniques and strategies. Sam works with agents throughout the UK to help them gain more valuations, win more instructions and sell more properties.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Housing Ombudsman’s report demonstrates necessity of vibrant and growing private rental sector

Following a recent report from the Housing Ombudsman titled ‘Spotlight Report: Repairing Trust’, which revealed that 2024/25 witnessed a 474 per cent surge in complaints about poor living conditions compared to 2019/20, Propertymark has stated that this demonstrates the necessity for a vibrant and growing private rental sector. Referencing the UK Government’s ambition to construct…
Read More
Breaking News

Inheritance Tax Receipts raise £1.5 billion in two months

Inheritance tax receipts hit £1.5 billion in the first two months of the current tax year, according to data released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) this morning. This is £98 million higher than the previous tax year, and continues an upward trend over the last two decades. Nicholas Hyett, Investment Manager at Wealth Club…
Read More
Breaking News

Propertymark Responds to Boiler Scheme Consultation

Responding to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Certification requirements for clean heat schemes consultation (England, Wales and Scotland), Propertymark has stressed the concerns of property agents that landlords are struggling to afford energy efficiency improving measures and warn that the scheme must evolve to protect the availability of…
Read More
bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Industry Reaction to Bank of England’s decision to hold interest rates at 4.25%

Following a previous cut in May, the rate has today been held at 4.25%. This comes as a result of inflation easing slightly to 3.4% (May 2025), but remaining higher than the Bank of England target rate of 2.0%. The decision to hold the base rate by the Monetary Policy Committee was the result of…
Read More
Breaking News

Rents Climb as High as 17.4%

The latest market analysis by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has found that rents across Britain have surged by as much as 17.4% in some areas since the Labour Government adopted the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill which is likely to become law later this Summer after the Bill enters the House of Lords…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 19/06/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Cloud-based practice management platform launches at Taylor Rose Taylor Rose parent AIIC Group rolls out cloud-based practice management platform AIIC Group (“AIIC”), the legal group behind law firms Taylor Rose, FDR Law and Kingsley Wood, is rolling out a new fully cloud-based practice management…
Read More