"The strongest agents out there aren’t just competing on fees, stock numbers, or sales volume. They’re competing on how well they serve their chosen market"
- Chris Webb - The Estate Agent Consultancy
One of the biggest turning points in any estate agent’s career is realising that not every instruction is worth taking. In a (very) competitive industry where winning business is often seen as the ultimate goal, the idea of turning away potential clients can feel counterintuitive. But in reality, the most successful agents aren’t the ones who say yes to every seller. They’re the ones who are selective about who they work with.
Many agents spend far too long trying to be everything to everyone, taking on any instruction that comes their way. But the agents who build truly successful, scalable businesses take a different approach. They define who their ideal clients are, what type of properties they specialise in, and, crucially, who they are not the right fit for. And once they make that decision, they have the discipline to stick to it.
There’s a reason the best businesses in the world don’t try to serve everyone. Apple doesn’t make budget phones. Ferrari doesn’t build everyday cars. These brands know exactly who their ideal customers are, and they’ve built their entire business around delivering the best possible experience for them. Estate agents should take the same approach.
Saying “no” isn’t about turning down business for the sake of it. It’s about ensuring that every client you work with is a great fit for the service you provide. It’s about creating a business model that allows you to deliver outstanding results rather than spreading yourself too thin and delivering an average experience to everyone.
Estate agents often underestimate the impact of working with the wrong clients. Sellers who aren’t aligned with your way of working, who don’t value your service, or who expect miracles despite an unrealistic asking price can drain time, energy, and resources. Worse still, they often end up unhappy, which can lead to difficult sales processes, price reductions, withdrawals, and negative word-of-mouth.
On the flip side, when you focus on working with sellers who truly align with your business, everything becomes easier. The marketing resonates more because it’s tailored to the right audience. The conversations on valuations flow naturally because you’re talking to sellers who already see the value in what you do. The sales process is smoother because you’re working with motivated clients who trust your expertise.
I recently worked with an agent who was taking on everything over a wide area; town centre apartments, family homes, and even commercial units. They were stretched across multiple price points and property types, constantly switching their marketing messages and struggling to stand out. The result? Lower than average fees, price reductions on unrealistic listings, and a huge amount of stress to go with it.
We refined their approach, narrowing their focus to mid-range family homes in a core local area. The agent stopped chasing every instruction and instead concentrated on becoming the go-to expert for their specific type of seller and home. Within six months, their fee levels had risen, their pipeline was more stable, and their listings were selling faster—not because they were taking on more homes, but because they were taking on better ones.
This approach isn’t just about who you choose to work with. It also impacts how you develop your service. The best estate agents don’t just sell houses; they solve problems. The only way to consistently deliver outstanding service is to deeply understand the specific challenges and frustrations of your ideal clients.
This is why the strongest agents out there aren’t just competing on fees, stock numbers, or sales volume. They’re competing on how well they serve their chosen market. They become the go-to expert, not because they list the most properties, but because they understand their clients better than anyone else.
The estate agents who grasp this early on are the ones who scale the fastest. They aren’t bogged down with difficult clients or overvalued listings that sit on the market for months. Instead, they build a reputation for delivering exceptional results for a specific type of seller in a specific type of market, and they become the agent that those clients actively seek out.
In an industry where many agents compete on quantity, the real wins come from focusing on quality. Not just in service, but in the clients you choose to work with. Because when you say no to the wrong business, you create space for the right business to thrive.
