Agents warn sellers against chasing highest valuation as 95% see rivals overvaluing to win instructions 

The research shows that 95% of agents are currently seeing competing agents provide what they believe to be unrealistic valuations in order to secure an instruction.

What's more, two-thirds (67%) believe that overvaluing to win instructions has become more common compared with 12 months ago, while 28% believe its prevalence has remained broadly unchanged. 

This approach appears to be having a direct impact on agents who provide what they believe to be more realistic valuations. Almost nine in 10 (89%) agents surveyed said they have lost a potential instruction within the last year because a competing agent gave the seller a higher valuation than they believed the property could realistically achieve.

However, agents believe sellers themselves are also contributing to this competitive dynamic. A third (33%) identified sellers favouring the agent providing the highest valuation as the biggest factor encouraging overvaluing, making it the most commonly cited reason.

Greater competition between agents for instructions ranked second at 28%, followed by pressure to grow market share at 22% and pressure to hit internal listing targets at 11%. 

This view is further reinforced by the fact that 89% of agents believe sellers generally place too much importance on the highest valuation when deciding which estate agent to instruct. 

While an ambitious valuation may therefore help an agent secure an instruction, agents overwhelmingly warn that it may not be in the seller's best interests over the longer term. Some 95% believe initially overvaluing a property can ultimately damage a seller's chances of achieving the best possible outcome.

Instead, agents believe sellers should look beyond the headline valuation and consider an agent's actual performance. A third (33%) said the percentage of asking price typically achieved should be the most important consideration when choosing an agent, while 28% pointed to their track record of selling similar properties locally and 22% highlighted the average time taken to sell.

Together, 83% of agents pointed to one of these three measurable indicators of an agent’s previous sales performance as something sellers should prioritise when deciding who to instruct. 

Colby Short, Co-founder and CEO of GetAgent, commented: 

“There's a difficult dynamic at play here. Sellers understandably want to achieve the highest possible price for their home and, when they're presented with several valuations, it's naturally tempting to choose the agent promising the biggest number. 

The problem for agents is that this creates an increasingly competitive environment where those providing realistic, evidence-led advice can lose the instruction. When almost nine in 10 agents tell us this has happened to them in the last year, it's clearly a frustration being felt right across the industry.

But winning an instruction on an inflated valuation isn't the same as delivering a successful sale. Good agents know that their reputation is built on what they actually achieve for their clients, not the number they put forward at the valuation stage.
That's why it's becoming increasingly important for agents to demonstrate their value with hard evidence. Their track record locally, the percentage of asking price they achieve and how efficiently they progress properties through to a sale all give them a far stronger argument when competing for an instruction than simply getting dragged into a race to provide the highest valuation.” 

Data tables and sources

• Survey of 162 UK estate agents carried out by ProperPR on behalf of GetAgent via consumer research platform, FindOutNow, 11/08/2026.

• View full data tables and sources online here.