What Your Estate Agent Should Be Doing For You Every Week Your Home Is On The Market
Most sellers have a clear picture of what they want from the moment their home goes on the market: good photos, on Rightmove, viewings booked. What is less clear is what should be happening in the weeks that follow, and what a genuinely good agent looks like once the initial excitement of launch has settled down.
This matters because the gap between a good agent and an average one is not always visible at the valuation stage. It tends to show up in the weeks and months that follow, in the communication, the feedback, the proactive thinking, and the honest conversations.
Here is what you should reasonably expect.
Week One: A Strong Launch
The first week on the market is the most important. Properties generate the most interest in their first seven to fourteen days, when they appear as new listings and attract the attention of buyers who have been searching for a while and are waiting for the right property to come up.
Your agent should be making the most of this window. That means professional photography and a well-written listing live on Rightmove and OnTheMarket from day one, viewings booked promptly, and proactive outreach to buyers on their database who match your property's profile. A good agent does not wait for enquiries to come in passively. They go looking for the right buyer.
By the end of the first week you should have a clear picture of the level of interest your property is generating and some initial feedback from viewings.
Ongoing: Regular, Honest Communication
Once the property is on the market, communication should be consistent and proactive. You should not have to chase your agent for updates. They should be coming to you.
This means hearing from them at least weekly, even if there is nothing dramatically new to report. A quick call or message to confirm what viewings have taken place, what the feedback has been, and what they are doing to maintain momentum is not a lot to ask. It is the basic standard of a well-run sale.
If the phone goes quiet, that is not a good sign. It usually means either that nothing is happening and your agent is hoping you will not notice, or that they have moved on to the next instruction and your sale is no longer a priority. Neither is acceptable.
Viewing Feedback: Honest, Not Edited
After every viewing, you should receive genuine feedback from the buyer. Not a vague "they said it was nice" but a real account of what they thought, what they liked, and crucially, what gave them pause.
Negative feedback is not comfortable to hear, but it is enormously valuable. If three buyers in a row are mentioning the same thing, that is information you can act on. An agent who softens or filters feedback to avoid an awkward conversation is doing you a disservice.
The best agents use viewing feedback to continuously refine the approach, whether that means adjusting the price, tweaking the presentation, or rethinking how the property is being described and positioned.
Honest Conversations About Price
If your property has been on the market for several weeks without generating offers, the most important thing your agent can do is have an honest conversation with you about why.
Sometimes it is presentation. Sometimes it is the marketing. But often, the honest answer involves price, and a good agent will tell you that directly rather than dancing around it. An overpriced property does not just sit on the market: it accumulates days, loses momentum, and starts to raise questions in buyers' minds that are hard to answer.
An agent who avoids the price conversation to keep you happy in the short term is not serving your interests. The right conversation, even when it is not easy, is what moves a sale forward.
Proactive Thinking, Not Just Reactive
A great agent does not just respond to what is happening. They think ahead.
That means keeping an eye on what comparable properties are doing in your area and letting you know if the market shifts. It means following up with buyers who viewed but did not offer, to understand why and whether their thinking has changed. It means thinking creatively about how to reach buyers who have not yet found your property, whether through social media, direct outreach, or relaunching with refreshed marketing if needed.
You should feel throughout the process that your agent is actively working to sell your home, not just waiting for the right buyer to stumble across it.
Sale Progression: Staying on Top of Things After an Offer
Once an offer is accepted, the work does not stop. The period between acceptance and exchange is where sales fall through, and it is where a hands-on agent earns their fee.
Your agent should be regularly chasing solicitors, keeping the chain informed, flagging potential delays before they become problems, and keeping you updated throughout. You should never have to wonder what is happening with your sale. A good agent is the person who keeps all of the moving parts in motion and steps in when something threatens to slow things down.
What This Means in Practice
None of the above is asking for the extraordinary. It is the standard that any seller deserves from any agent they instruct.
The reason it is worth spelling out is that not everyone delivers it. And knowing what good looks like before you go on the market means you are in a much stronger position to hold your agent accountable if things fall short.
Whoever you choose to sell your home, make sure they can tell you clearly how they will deliver against each of these things.
The best agents will not hesitate to answer.