Two agents. Same town. Same market conditions. Similar fees.
One’s booking valuations every day.
The other’s still just hoping the phone will ring.
So what’s the difference?
It’s not luck. It’s not some secret portal lead.
It’s how they think about their sales funnel.
Too many agents are stuck only chasing the “ready now” clients. You know the ones. Sellers who already want to move, have a rough price in mind, and are booking valuations this week.
But here’s the problem. Those sellers only make up a tiny percentage of the market at any one time (around 5 percent). And they’re the same people being chased by every other agent in your patch.
If all your marketing and lead generation is aimed at that group, you’ll constantly be in feast-or-famine mode. One month you’re rushed off your feet. The next you’re wondering where everyone went.
The agents who never seem to run out of leads? They think differently to this.
They understand that the best instructions don’t just come from people ready to sell right now. They come from homeowners who’ve been nurtured over time.
They’re building a proper funnel. Not just reacting to whoever happens to call.
Here’s what that looks like.
At the top of the funnel, you’ve got awareness. People who aren’t ready to sell yet but are starting to think about it. This is where many agencies fall down. Do the public even know you exist? If they don’t, this is a problem.
These people don’t need a valuation today. But they are watching. They’re forming impressions of local agents. They’re working out who actually knows their stuff and who just makes the most noise.
And the truth is, a lot of agents ignore this group completely.
The smarter ones create value. Free guides. Local market reports. Advice videos. Facebook content that educates instead of just promotes. And crucially, a way for homeowners to engage without pressure.
Next, you’ve got your warm leads. The “I’m going to sell, just not yet” crowd. They’ve opted into your newsletter. They’ve downloaded your guide. They might’ve even booked an early chat. But they’re still weighing things up.
If you don’t have a proper follow-up system here, you’re leaking potential instructions every week.
Finally, you’ve got the hot leads. The ones who are ready to go. These are the clients every agent wants. But if they only hear from you once they’re already at this stage, there’s a good chance they’re already talking to someone else. Maybe two or three someone else’s.
The point is, you can’t just build relationships when someone is ready to instruct. By then, it’s often too late. The agents who are always busy? They’ve been top of mind for months before the call comes in.
So if your pipeline’s feeling a bit thin, don’t just ask “How can I get more valuations this week?”
Ask, “What am I doing to fill the top of my funnel long-term?”
Because the agents who dominate long term aren’t the ones with the flashiest one-off campaign.
They’re the ones with a consistent strategy that builds awareness, warms up leads, and keeps them front of mind until the seller is ready.
And once you’ve built that kind of system in your business, your pipeline doesn’t dry up. It compounds.
Chris Webb is the founder of The Estate Agent Consultancy
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