What do a crooked IKEA side table and a stubborn landlord have in common?
No, it’s not a punchline — it’s psychology.
Specifically, it’s the IKEA Effect: the well-documented tendency for people to place a higher value on things they’ve helped to create. A term coined by behavioural scientists Michael Norton, Dan Ariely and Daniel Mochon, the IKEA effect proves that labour — even the slightly-sweary, Allen-key-wielding kind — can translate into love.
And it’s not just about furniture. From Build-a-Bear workshops to Betty Crocker cake mixes (which, incidentally, were deliberately made less simple in order to give the baker a greater sense of achievement), industries across the globe have learnt that if customers play a part in making something, they value it more. The emotional investment makes the product or service feel more theirs. More meaningful.
So what if estate and letting agents did the same?
What if we made the property journey less of a handover — and more of a co-creation?
The science bit (bear with me)
Let’s take a quick trip to the lab. In a now-famous study, participants were asked to assemble flat-pack IKEA boxes. Others were given identical pre-built ones. The builders were willing to pay 63% more for their wonky creations than the neat, factory-assembled versions.
Why? Because effort justifies value. Ownership boosts attachment. And completing a task sparks feelings of competence and pride.
Another study asked people to fold origami animals. Despite being objectively rubbish, the creators were willing to pay five times more for their own crumpled creations than outsiders were. Even more interesting? They assumed others would also love them, because we expect others to appreciate our own efforts. (Spoiler: they don’t.)
Bottom line: when people put sweat into something, they become irrationally fond of it. And in a profession full of emotion, effort and ego — like estate agency — that insight is golden.
Applying the IKEA effect to estate agency
You might not be asking your clients to assemble a Billy bookcase, but you can invite them to shape their own journey. Here’s some ways in which you can turn passive customers into proud co-creators:
1. Co-create the marketing
Instead of writing everything for your sellers or landlords, write it with them. Invite them to contribute a short paragraph about what they love about their home. Ask for anecdotes. Let them choose the ‘hero shot’. Bonus points if you can persuade them to be interviewed for the property video.
By giving them a voice in the process, you create emotional buy-in — and often better content. They’re also more likely to share the listing proudly on social media if they feel personally connected to it.
2. Let clients build their service package
Imagine presenting a menu of marketing options — 3D tours, premium staging, social campaigns — and letting the client ‘build their own bundle’. This isn’t about abandoning expertise; it’s about guided autonomy. Think of it like IKEA’s instruction manual: structured choice, not chaos.
When a landlord selects their own combination of services, they’re more likely to feel it suits their needs (and less likely to moan about the fee later). Their package. Their plan. Their pride.
3. Collaborate on strategy and pricing
Pricing is often where conflict brews—but it doesn’t have to. Instead of telling your client what to list at, walk them through the data and make the decision together. When people help set the plan, they’re more likely to trust it, stick to it, and give it time.
Instead of presenting a prospective client with one recommended price, offer two or three pricing strategies, and invite them to discuss how they would like to proceed.
Buy-in beats blind faith every time.
4. Invite them to meet the buyers or tenants
Where appropriate, invite your clients to meet the people on the other side of the deal.
And for sellers? Letting them meet their buyers — even briefly — can help reduce fall-throughs and increase goodwill. Suddenly, this isn’t just “a young couple putting in a cheeky offer.” It’s Jess and Ravi who want to raise their family here. The home feels like it’s being handed over, not just sold off.
When people put a face to the name, the deal becomes more human. More personal. More real.
And that’s the magic of the IKEA effect all over again: emotional investment, turned into real-world commitment.
5. Create interactive educational tools
From first-time buyer checklists to landlord compliance guides, give clients the tools to learn and take part in the process. Don’t hide behind jargon or mystery: demystify; empower; collaborate.
The more your client understands and contributes, the more they value your service—and the less likely they are to second-guess it.
But beware the DIY disaster…
There’s a reason IKEA furniture has picture instructions and smiley hex keys. The IKEA effect only works when the task is achievable and the outcome is completed. Too much choice, not enough support, or a project that flops can backfire.
In our world, that might mean overwhelming a seller with jargon, giving them false control, or letting them list at an inflated price because of their “sweat equity” (yes, the purple feature wall they painted doesn’t add £10k).
So support your clients. Empower them — but don’t abandon them. You’re not a delivery driver. You’re a co-pilot.
Final thought: let them tighten a few screws
Ultimately, people value what they help to create. If your clients feel like they’ve contributed to the journey — shared their story, shaped the strategy, picked the photos — they’ll care more about the result.
Toby Martin is an industry consultant, trainer, and speaker
