We can see how home sellers can be tempted by the “proceedable viewers only” approach, however it is best avoided to reduce the chances of a collapsed sale.

Over the past two years, estate agency adapted to meet an abnormally high demand thanks to #furlough and stamp duty holidays. During this time, there was so much demand that many homes were sold within 24 – 48 hours of being marketed!

In response to such a buoyant and easy housing market, many estate agents across Gloucestershire quickly took the stance of: “It’s easy to find a buyer now, so if you’re a buyer who is not proceedable, you cannot view”.

Although such an approach of just taking offers, rather than providing a home selling service, might save tie for the estate agents, Robinson David Estate Agents have never implemented such a requirement, finding it not only to be a distasteful and borderline insulting approach to home buyers, but such an approach doesn’t necessarily provide the best outcome for the home seller, and estate agents are employed to provide the best possible outcome for the home seller.

To reduce viewer numbers we added free virtual tours to our service, which naturally reduces the amount of casual home viewers, but also increases viewer quality.

Whilst the property market remains strong in the South West, according to Zoopla Research, in some areas of the UK the property market is is now edging towards resembling the 2019 property market, which wasn’t the abnormal 2020 and 2021 property rush, but was still a very strong property market. 

This means that good service is going to quickly become key to selling homes once again, rather than sitting back and just relying on offers flying in, which we fully understand the temptation of.

Selling a home isn’t simply just taking an offer from someone who is proceedable. Selling a home involves actively listening to, understanding, and connecting with home sellers and home buyers needs, wants, and intentions, then finding and matching the right home buyer. Selling a home is an enormous responsibility and a privilege, and respecting this will lead to less chances of a sale collapsing.

I’ll give a real life example:

Home Buyer 1:

• They are a proceedable buyer.
• They have just lost a property that they really wanted.
• Whilst viewing your property, they have constantly compared and referred back to the property they have just lost.
• They’ve now offered on your property, saying how they feel that it’s not quite the previous that they wanted, but they like it and are happy to offer as they need to move.

Home Buyer 2:

• they are not a proceedable buyer.
• they have a property to sell but (many buyers still do this) they want to find before they market.
• They have had a valuation from an estate agent, who have said that their property is very desirable for multiple reasons (which your agent checks and is true).
• But, these buyers have absolutely fallen in love with your property on an emotional level, it’s everything they want in a property, and agree to immediately market theirs.

Who is the most secure buyer here, 1 or 2?

Frustratingly, the “proceedable viewers only” requirement still being prioritised by most estate agents, even as the property market begins to change, only leaves room for buyer number 1.

However, from our experience the emotionally invested buyer number 2 here would be the most secure buyer, being less likely to pullout for any reason, and may even offer extra to secure the property considering that they’re not yet proceedable.