How an Experienced Estate Agent Can Help Build — and Hold Together — a Property Chain

When people think about selling a property, they often picture one house, one buyer and one seller.

In reality, it is often much more complicated than that.

A buyer may also need to sell. Their buyer may be selling too. Before long, what started as one sale becomes a chain of several connected transactions — and every single one needs to progress successfully for everyone to move.

That is where the experience of an estate agent can make a real difference.

Recently, we had a great example of this at SA Property.

Three properties being sold through us formed part of the same chain — and all three successfully completed together.

Three homes. One connected chain.

At the top of the chain was a four-bedroom detached home on Ffordd Y Meillion in Penllergaer, which had been marketed at £325,000.

In the middle was a four-bedroom home on Tegfan in Tircoed Forest Village, marketed at offers over £275,000.

At the bottom was a three-bedroom semi-detached home on Golwg Y Garn in Penllergaer, marketed at £210,000.

Three different properties.

Three different sellers.

Three different sets of circumstances.

But one connected chain.

And because all three properties were being handled by SA Property, we were able to see what was happening throughout that chain rather than only being responsible for one small part of it.

Selling a house is only the beginning

Getting an offer accepted is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line.

Once a sale is agreed, there can still be weeks or months of work ahead.

Solicitors need information.

Mortgage offers need to be issued.

Surveys need to be completed.

Queries need answering.

Dates need coordinating.

Sometimes problems arise that nobody expected when the offer was originally accepted.

And when several sales are linked together, a delay at one property can potentially affect everyone else.

That is why an experienced estate agent should not disappear once the SOLD board goes up.

Good estate agents help create chains

One of the biggest benefits of having an active local estate agent is that we are constantly talking to buyers and sellers at different stages of their move.

A buyer viewing one property may have another home to sell.

Someone selling with us may be looking for their next property.

A buyer who misses out on one home may be ideal for another.

That means an estate agent should not simply upload a property to the portals and wait for an enquiry.

A good agent is actively looking for connections.

Who is registered?

Who needs to sell?

Who is ready to proceed?

Who is looking in that area?

Who has missed out elsewhere?

Who might be suitable for a property that has just come to market?

Those conversations can help turn an individual sale into a workable chain.

Experience becomes even more important after the sale is agreed

Building the chain is one challenge.

Holding it together is another.

Sales progression is one of the less visible parts of estate agency, but it can be one of the most important.

Once several transactions are linked, communication becomes vital.

An experienced agent will regularly speak with sellers, buyers, solicitors, mortgage advisers and other agents to understand where each transaction stands.

The aim is to identify problems early rather than discovering them when everyone is expecting to exchange contracts.

If a survey has caused concern, it needs addressing.

If paperwork is outstanding, someone needs to know.

If a mortgage offer is delayed, the rest of the chain needs realistic information.

If one party's circumstances change, that may affect several other people.

There is a considerable difference between simply asking, “Has this exchanged yet?” and genuinely understanding what needs to happen next.

One agent across several links can make communication easier

No chain is completely straightforward, and there will always be elements outside an estate agent's control.

However, when one agent is involved in several of the linked properties, there can be a real advantage.

Rather than trying to obtain information through several different estate agencies, we can often see the position much more clearly.

In this particular chain, all three properties were being sold by SA Property.

That meant we were not simply progressing one sale and hoping everything else was moving at the same speed.

We had visibility across all three.

That does not remove every possible delay, but it can make communication considerably more joined-up.

Why your agent's buyer database matters

Sellers quite rightly ask estate agents how their property will be advertised.

Professional photography, property portals, social media and digital advertising all matter.

But there is another question worth asking:

What are you going to do with the buyers you already know?

A database is only valuable if it is actively used.

An experienced local agent should understand what registered buyers are looking for, what they have to sell, what their position is and how they might fit into other transactions.

That local knowledge can sometimes create opportunities that would never come from simply waiting for somebody to click “enquire” on a property portal.

The cheapest estate agency fee is not the whole calculation

When comparing estate agents, it can be tempting to look primarily at the percentage fee being charged.

Cost is obviously important.

But it is also worth considering what you are actually receiving for that fee.

Can the agent generate buyers?

Can they qualify those buyers properly?

Can they negotiate?

Can they identify opportunities to create a chain?

Do they have the experience to progress the sale when things become complicated?

And will they still be actively involved several weeks after the offer has been accepted?

The difference between agents is not always most obvious on the day the property goes onto the market.

Sometimes it becomes much clearer once the transaction is underway.

Three completions — but one bigger story

For us, the recent completion of these three properties was not simply three separate SOLD boards.

It was a good example of what estate agency can look like behind the scenes.

Three homes.

Three moves.

One connected chain.

And a lot of communication and progression required to help get everyone to completion.

That is why we believe an estate agent's role should go well beyond advertising a property.

Our job is to help find the buyer, understand their position, connect the right people where possible and then help manage the transaction all the way through to moving day.

Because sometimes selling one property helps create the opportunity to sell another.

And another.

Thinking of selling?

If you are considering moving in Swansea, Gorseinon, Penllergaer, Loughor or the surrounding areas, we would be happy to talk through your plans and explain how we would approach your sale.

SA Property is an independent local estate agent based in Gorseinon, combining local knowledge, experienced sales progression and modern property marketing.

Call us on 01792 893000 or contact SA Property to arrange a valuation.