For many buyers and sellers, this can be one of the most uncertain parts of the process. You may know that your sale is progressing, but depending on your estate agent, you may not necessarily know what is happening behind the scenes, what is still outstanding or when you can expect the next update.
Recent research reported by industry publication The Negotiator highlights just how important communication can be during this stage. A survey of more than 1,000 people who had purchased a property in the past two years found that 42% considered conveyancing to be the biggest factor hindering a smooth transaction, compared with 19% who identified property chains. Slow communication between buyers’ and sellers’ conveyancers was also identified as the most common cause of delays.
At Mackenzie Smith, this is where our Sales Progressors play an important role.
Keeping Clients Updated
Our Sales Progressors, Adam Partridge and Bernadette Martin, are dedicated to helping our clients navigate the period between an offer being accepted and completion.
They keep in regular contact with vendors, buyers, solicitors, conveyancers, mortgage brokers and mortgage advisers, helping to maintain a clear flow of communication throughout the transaction.
This includes following up on mortgage applications, checking that mortgage surveys have been booked and chasing mortgage offers through to issue. These are important milestones in the buying process and keeping track of them helps all the parties involved to understand where a buyer is in their journey and whether anything needs attention.
For our clients, this means having someone actively monitoring their sale and providing regular updates, rather than being left wondering what is happening.
We believe that good communication should make the process more visible and transparent. This does not mean that every stage of conveyancing will be straightforward, but it does mean that our clients can understand where their transaction stands, what is outstanding and what needs to happen next.
Keeping the Solicitors Connected
A property transaction can involve a number of different people, with the buyer’s and vendor’s solicitors each dealing with their own side of the legal process.
When communication between them is slow, or information is not passed on promptly, this can add unnecessary uncertainty to the transaction. The latest research from The Negotiator found that 23% of respondents identified slow communication between buyers’ and sellers’ conveyancers as the leading cause of delays during the legal stages of a transaction.
Adam and Bernadette help to maintain communication between the different parties, following up on outstanding matters and helping ensure that the buyer’s and vendor’s solicitors are aware of the current position.
By keeping information moving between those involved, they help to make sure that everyone is working with the same information and that outstanding matters are followed up with the appropriate person.
This enhanced flow of communication can be particularly valuable when there is a chain, where progress on one transaction can depend on what is happening elsewhere.
Dedicated Sales Progressors Make a Difference
Sales progression is a significant part of estate agency. As the survey indicated, more than half of an estate agent’s time taken up with sales progression, alongside the many other responsibilities involved in running a busy estate agency, from conducting viewings and valuations to negotiating offers and dealing with enquiries. This is one of the reasons we have dedicated Sales Progressors at Mackenzie Smith.
Because Adam and Bernadette focus specifically on progressing agreed sales, they are available to deal with calls, respond to emails and follow up with the people involved in each transaction.
In a traditional branch environment, the person progressing a sale may also be out conducting a viewing, carrying out a valuation, negotiating an offer or dealing with another client. These are all essential parts of an estate agent’s role, but they can make it difficult to give sales progression the consistent attention it requires.
Our dedicated Sales Progression team means that there is always someone focused on the transactions that are already agreed.
Helping to Keep Your Sale Moving
Of course, there are some aspects of conveyancing that are outside an estate agent’s control. Solicitors and conveyancers need time to carry out their legal work, searches need to be completed and information may need to be obtained from several different parties.
What we can do is remain involved, keep communication flowing and help our clients understand what is happening.
For us, sales progression is about more than simply asking whether an exchange date has been set. It is about actively monitoring the transaction, communicating with the people involved and keeping our vendors informed throughout.
The latest research found that 24% of respondents felt faster responses from and between conveyancers would have made the biggest difference to the efficiency and speed of their most recent purchase, while a further 20% said better communication between all parties would have improved the process. At Mackenzie Smith, we see first hand the difference our Sales Progressors make and are rewarded with positive feedback from our clients, as seen here on Trustpilot.
Our Service Continues After an Offer Is Accepted
At Mackenzie Smith, we see agreeing a sale as the beginning of another important stage of our service. Our Sales Progressors provide a dedicated point of contact for our clients, helping to make the process clearer and keeping them updated as their sale progresses towards exchange and completion.
Moving home will always involve a number of different stages and, at times, unexpected challenges. Clear, consistent communication cannot remove every potential delay, but it can make a significant difference.
If you are considering selling your property, speak to your local Mackenzie Smith team to find out more about our approach and how we can support you home sale all the way through to completion, or book a valuation here.
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