There is a persistent misunderstanding at the heart of estate agency: pricing and valuation are not the same thing.
They are often spoken about as if they are interchangeable, but they serve entirely different purposes. Valuation is a measure of what a home is worth. Pricing, on the other hand, is a strategy. It is the mechanism by which interest is generated, competition is created, and ultimately, outcomes are shaped.
Get that wrong, and everything that follows becomes harder than it needs to be.
by
Gordon McGuire
by
Gordon McGuire
We have seen a growing tendency in parts of the market for agents to blur that distinction. To push values beyond what is supportable, not as part of a considered strategy, but as a means of winning instruction. It is easy to understand the appeal. If someone tells you they can achieve tens of thousands more, it is a compelling proposition.
The difficulty comes later.
Because an inflated figure may secure the instruction, but it rarely secures the result. What follows is often a slow start, limited engagement, and a gradual adjustment back towards where the property should have been positioned from the outset. By that stage, momentum has been lost, and with it, a significant part of the opportunity.
This is not a marginal issue. It is beginning to have a wider impact.
Across markets such as Newlands, Giffnock, Bearsden and Ayr, buyer demand remains exceptionally strong. Well-positioned homes are attracting significant interest, often leading to multiple offers and closing dates. That is the reality of a market that is still heavily oversubscribed, and yet, alongside that, we are seeing properties sit. Not because the demand is not there, but because the pricing is misaligned.
“Because an inflated figure may secure the instruction, but it rarely secures the result.”
“Because an inflated figure may secure the instruction, but it rarely secures the result.”
The contrast is clear. This year, we have helped deliver record sale after record sale, while others have experienced stagnation and a steady trickle of interest. Just this week, one of our closing dates saw a spread of offers exceeding £700,000. An exceptional home, certainly, but more importantly, one that was brought to market with a clear strategy. Pricing that encouraged engagement, supported by proactive management and an honest appraisal from the outset.
That is not luck. It is experience applied properly.
Our role is not to tell clients what they want to hear. It is to help them achieve what they want to achieve. Those are not the same thing. A good estate agent does not mollycoddle. They advise, they challenge where necessary, and they set a strategy that gives the best possible chance of delivering a strong outcome.
That approach is not infallible. No one in this industry gets it right every time. There are too many variables, and no guarantees. But over 23 years, we have built a track record that is consistent and repeatable, not occasional.
“Our role is not to tell clients what they want to hear. It is to help them achieve what they want to achieve.”
“Our role is not to tell clients what they want to hear. It is to help them achieve what they want to achieve.”
Which brings us back to the starting point.
If you are currently on the market, and everything around you appears to be moving while your home is not, it is worth asking a simple question.
Is the pricing right?