5 things you shouldn’t expect from your estate agent

People sometimes expect estate agents to be able to fix things that might be entirely outside of their control. That doesn’t mean agents don’t try to help out, often they’re working hard behind the scenes, but it’s useful to understand where their influence ends.

Here we reveal five things that people often mistakenly believe about estate agents. We also hear from agents themselves about what they can, and can’t, do during the buying and selling process.

1. They can’t speed up the solicitor or conveyancer

Estate agents spend a huge amount of time chasing solicitors, passing on messages and keeping pressure on if things slow down. But they can’t make searches come back faster or jump your case to the front of the queue.

Delays could be caused by many things, such as local authority backlogs and legal check delays. What agents can do is keep lines of communication open and flag issues early.

“We can push, chase and keep things moving, but we don’t control the legal process. The best agents get clients prepared early, with conveyancing documentation completed before a property even comes to market. From there, it’s about maintaining momentum and communication, but ultimately solicitors work to their own timelines.”
– Matt Giggs, Giggs & Co

2. They can’t guarantee a completion date

It can be easy to assume that once an offer is accepted, dates can be locked in. But until contracts are exchanged, nothing is legally binding.

Estate agents can suggest timelines and help coordinate between parties, but they can’t guarantee completion dates, especially when multiple buyers and sellers are linked together in a chain.

When dates change (as they often do), agents are usually managing that fallout rather than causing it.

“A good agent doesn’t control the process, they manage it. That means coordinating multiple parties across a chain, but also managing expectations and emotions at every stage. Many buyers and sellers don’t realise that solicitors are only instructed to act for their own client and aren’t able to be in direct contact with others further up or down the chain, so the agent becomes the central point of communication, keeping everyone informed, aligned and moving forward.”
– Katie Griffin, Sawdye & Harris

3. They can’t make an unrealistic price work

Estate agents use their local expertise and experience to advise on pricing, but ultimately they don’t have the final say.

Buyers decide what a home is worth. If there is a big group of interested buyers, it can absolutely work in a seller’s favour, especially if the market is a busy one.

But if a property is priced too high, it can sit on the market, lose momentum and end up selling for less in the long run. Rightmove data shows that sellers who price their properties correctly are twice as likely to sell, and that overpricing can cost sellers an extra 26 days when finding a buyer.

A good agent will explain this upfront, even when it’s a difficult conversation. However, they can’t force buyers to pay more than they believe a home is worth.

“We often see misconceptions around pricing and decision-making. Some sellers believe we can ‘make’ an ambitious price work, but ultimately the market dictates value. I have seen properties generate strong interest but no offers simply because pricing was slightly ahead of where buyers were prepared to go.”
– Craig Webster, Tiger Estates & Management

4. They can’t stop buyers or sellers changing their minds

Home moving is emotional. People get cold feet, circumstances change. Surveys might worry buyers. Sellers might have second thoughts.

Agents do a lot of behind the scenes work to keep deals together, reassuring, explaining and refocusing both sides. But they can’t legally prevent someone from withdrawing before exchange.

When a deal falls through, it won’t be because the agent didn’t do enough.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that once a sale is agreed, it’s a done deal. Buyers and sellers can change their minds at any point before exchange. Our role is to manage that risk through communication, problem-solving and keeping all parties committed as the transaction progresses.”
– Katie Griffin, Sawdye & Harris

Craig Webster of Tiger Estates & Management agrees: “Our role is to provide honest, evidence-based advice and guide people through the process as smoothly as possible, but we can’t control personal decisions or external lending and legal timelines. We don’t control the process, we hold it together.”

5. They do a lot more than just listing and selling

Listing properties and trying to sell them to buyers are two very visible aspects of the estate agent’s role. However, much of the work maintaining a transaction through to completion goes on behind the scenes. Matt Giggs of Giggs & Co explains:

“Anyone can put a property online. The real work starts once a buyer is found, that’s where deals are won or lost.

“It’s in the conversations no one sees, the problems that need solving quickly, and the ability to keep multiple people aligned when things start to drift. Confidence and understanding are critical. 

“The best agents operate more like deal managers than salespeople. They’re constantly reading situations, managing emotions, and making decisions that protect the outcome for their client. Getting a sale all the way through to completion requires consistency, communication, and a level of ownership that goes far beyond simply taking instructions.”

If you’re selling, or thinking of selling, your home, you can find more useful information and tips in our selling guides. Understand the advantages of using an estate agent and how to choose the right one.