Zoopla identifies what’s really driving how sellers choose agents in 2025 - and it’s all about local agent presence, not price
New research from Zoopla, one of the UK’s leading property websites, has shone a light on what’s really driving how sellers select an agent in 2025. The key takeaway for agents? The importance of the valuation pitch - with the average consumer choosing three agents to value their property.
The YouGov research of 1,000 homeowners in the UK who have sold a residential property in the past five years and an Opinium survey of 100 agents highlights some important disparities between what agents believe are the most important factors for homeowners when choosing an agent, as well as the views of homeowners who recently sold homes.
Three is the magic number for valuations
When it comes to how many agents to get round for a valuation, the results show alignment between consumers and agents that sellers get a valuation from three agents before choosing one.
Around half (49%) of consumers say they would get round three different agents to see their home before deciding which one to choose, while 54% of agents believed potential buyers should also get three valuations. Despite this, 15% of homeowners just choose one agent to value their property.
This highlights the importance of agents ensuring they’re well researched when attending a valuation.
To support this, Zoopla’s new flagship vendor product Prospect Plus has been designed to give agents an advantage when winning new business. It delivers high quality seller leads and provides important additional seller insights like saved property searches and valuation goals designed to help agents develop a greater rapport with sellers. This can help them improve their chances of effectively winning the instruction.
The most important factor for consumers when choosing an agent
The YouGov research also found that the most important factor when choosing an agent is that the agent has a good local presence and is selling other properties nearby (chosen by 20% of respondents). The agent being ‘Well known locally for their property expertise and experience’ i.e. word of mouth came second (13% of respondents) highlighting a clear opportunity for agents to focus on selling their brand and local expertise to potential vendors.
Zoopla’s MyHome tool for homeowners highlights local agents by showcasing similar properties for sale and the distance from their property to their nearest estate agency branch. This helps consumers to find the right agent for them, and boosts the visibility of the agent’s brand.
It’s not all about negotiating the best price
Agents had a different view to homeowners and believed the most important factor for consumers was confidence that the agent would negotiate for the best price (11%) and that the agent offers help and support with mortgages and financial services (11%). This indicates that agents believe price matters more to sellers than it does in reality, although the importance of price will vary from seller to seller.
Support with mortgages and financial services ranked in last place for consumers, indicating that it’s not a key factor for them when choosing an agent.
However, when homeowners were asked how they found the agent that sold their property, a significant 30% said they had used them before and 14% said they were recommended by family or friends, a clear indication that excellent service and a trusted track record ultimately trumps rock-bottom fees in the long term.
It also emphasises the importance of setting the right asking price to build trust with a seller, as well as understanding if the seller is prioritising a specific sale price or more focused on setting a realistic price and agreeing a sale in a timely manner.
Rich Hayes, Chief Operating Officer at Zoopla, said: "Our latest research powerfully highlights what’s driving vendor decision-making in today’s market and underscores the pivotal role of a valuation. It highlights that local presence, expertise, and reputation are far more crucial to consumers, and it really is about building trust with vendors from the outset, not just promoting low fees. Agents that are growing the fastest are shifting their mindset, and leading with marketing, data, and service to justify a higher fee.
“That's why Prospect Plus is so powerful. It equips agents with additional insights into seller valuation goals and saved searches, giving them an advantage when it comes to developing rapport, securing instructions, and winning new business."
-ENDS-
Table 1: Survey results for top three homeowner priorities when choosing an agent
Homeowners who have sold a residential property in the past 5 years Question: Which was the most important factor for you when choosing an estate agent to sell your property? | Agents Question: What do you think is the most important factor for consumers when choosing an estate agent to sell their property? |
1. The agent has a good local presence and were selling other properties in the local area (20%) | 1. Confidence that the agent would negotiate for the best price (11%) |
2. The agent is well known locally for their property expertise and experience (word of mouth) (13%) | 2. The agent offers help and support with mortgages / financial services (11%) |
3. The agent's overall reputation locally (9%) | 3. The agent being well known for customer service (personal service, proactive and always available) (8%) The agent has a good local presence and are selling other properties in the local area (8%) The agent offers value for money (level of fees for level of service) (8%) |
Notes to Editors
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1006 homeowners who have sold a residential property in the past 5 years. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th - 24th June 2025. The survey was carried out online.
Agent survey carried out with 100 agents via Opinium between 13th – 19th June 2025.