Could this be the key to more instructions and higher fees for estate agents?

Estate agency is a complicated business, and as I am sure you already know, agents are not particularly well-liked by the general public. After a long history of horror stories about bad apples, corruption and lies, the industry is taking a long time to recover and rebuild the respect and trust it deserves.

Being an estate agent is a privilege. Moving home is a significant milestone in anyone's life and something that many of us only do a handful of times. To be invited to help a homeowner with the sale of their home is a big deal. It's a position of trust, and you, as the agent, are fully immersed in that person's life whilst they move.

With your involvement in such a monumental process, homeowners must trust that you will do everything possible to help them. They're handing over control of the sale of their home to you, who is essentially a total stranger.

How often has someone told you that they'd love to be an estate agent because looking at properties all day must be so nice?

And how do you react to that comment?

Your job is so much more than just looking at houses all day. This misconception is potentially why the general public doesn't trust estate agents - they don't know what you do.

What do you really do?

You know there is so much more to the job than looking at properties. It's why you have that knowing smile whenever someone tells you they'd love to do your job. It's also why you'll overhear so many times at conferences when estate agents get together that they could write a book about the things they've seen or had to deal with in their careers.

There is marketing, client management, lead generation, viewing arrangements, accompanying those viewings, feedback, offer negotiation, sales progression, regular reviews, contact calls, chain chasing, completion dates, weekly visits to empty properties, and on top of all of this, the telephone never stops ringing with endless questions.

But does the homeowner see any of this? No, not really. They see the photo shoot and the for-sale board and then wait for you to tell them about some viewings. They're unaware of the applicant who called about a 3-bedroom property but was informed about their 4-bedroom property and was encouraged to view it.

They don't know that they received an offer from someone who would never have looked twice at the property if you hadn't been a good estate agent. They don't understand that most properties are sold through human involvement, connection, and conversations.

As the estate agent, your secret superpower is the conversation with that applicant to establish what they really need and why. You're trying to decipher what they think they want and match it to something you have for sale. It is this ability to match a buyer to a property that an algorithm cannot replicate, and it shouldn't be left to a buyer. They'd still be searching for 3 beds with a garage, and the owner of the 4-bed property, and you, as the agent, wouldn't have a sale.

I know I don't need to tell you all this. This is the secret superpower you already know you have. It's why we were all so surprised that Purple Bricks lasted as long as they did (at the time of press, they are very much on their knees but hanging on by a thread).

The concept of Purple Bricks' model was so far away from the true business of estate agency none of us thought it would have any take up by property sellers. It turns out that the appetite for a bargain price in the UK was stronger than anyone had realised, but still, when it came down to it, the service was simply not as good. There is no substitute for the secret sauce of good, old-fashioned estate agency.

So, shouldn't you let your clients know that? Shouldn't they know how you do what you do rather than keep it all under wraps? Why should they pay your fee when they can get cheaper elsewhere?

Click here to read: Discover these top 5 tips for estate agents to increase their fees in a difficult market

If you can demonstrate to your client exactly how much work you do to sell their home, you can easily justify your fees.

Lifting the lid on what really happens in estate agencies will reduce the reliance on property portal websites and their exorbitant costs for doing, let's face it, very little.

It makes you necessary, increasing the dependence on you, not another agent when selling a property rather than sellers thinking they can do it themselves.

Proper estate agency is about people and communication - so communicate your worth to the people and get fees that reflect your skills and experience.

You need to find a way to communicate the intricate ways that a property is sold, a buyer is found, and a sale is progressed with a homeowner. They need to understand what's involved, and if you can show how you do what you do, they will know that you are worth your fee.

Homeowners will also look at your competitors, and if they're still holding their cards close to their chest, they'll simply look distrustful and an expensive version of Purple Bricks. If the only way they tell the client that they sell a property is to put it on Rightmove, why wouldn't the seller just find the cheapest way to get their property onto Rightmove?

Show your differences, whether this is a detailed sales process timeline or using content marketing to lift the lid on what is really involved in being an estate agent.

This clarity will build trust and rapport with the homeowners and improve the chances that they will a) know who your agency is, b) understand what you do to help your clients, and c) justify your fee.

Most homeowners have already decided which agent to choose to sell their home before you've even got through the front door - this is because they feel most aligned with a particular agency. Use this method to ensure that you are the agent of choice, and your conversion rates and instructions will increase.

Click here to read: The best thing you can do for your estate agency business in a slower market.

Click here to get in touch to find out how to improve the clarity between you and your potential homeowners. I help estate agents all over the country to increase their sales using my almost 20 years of experience creating, building and ultimately selling an award-winning independent agency.