Every agent has been there. You’re sitting in a valuation, building rapport with the seller, and everything seems to be going well, until they hit you with: “We’re also getting a valuation from [Insert Big Name Agent Here] because they seem to have lots of boards up around here.”

It’s a common hurdle. When a competitor dominates the market in terms of stock levels, many sellers assume they must be the best choice for them. After all, if they’re selling more properties than anyone else, they must be doing something right, mustn’t they?

Not necessarily.

The mistake many agents make when faced with the local “market leader” is trying to beat them at their own game, focusing on numbers, volume, and how many properties they’ve sold. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be the biggest to be the best choice for the homeowner sitting in front of you.

The first step in competing with a high-stock agent is to reframe this mindset. Instead of letting the seller assume that more instructions automatically mean better results, guide them to think differently. Having the most listings doesn’t mean an agent is the best at communication, achieving the highest sale prices, or selling homes the quickest. In fact, a high-stock agent is often juggling dozens of sellers at once, meaning their ability to provide a truly personalised service is stretched thin.

Rather than playing a numbers game, focus on what actually matters to the seller: their home, their timeline, their price, and their experience throughout the process.
A seller wants the best possible outcome for themselves, not just an agent with the most listings. So, highlight what truly makes an agent effective.

High-stock agents often have too many properties to provide tailored, proactive service to every client. Will their home just become another listing on a long list?

A quick look at market data will often show that the agent with the most properties isn’t always the fastest at securing offers. Are their sellers actually getting results, or are they just building a stockpile of overpriced listings?

While a high-stock agent may take on anything and everything, a more specialised agent can provide hyper-local expertise and a more strategic approach tailored to the seller’s specific property.

When you make it clear that you focus on quality over quantity, suddenly the market leader’s biggest selling point, their volume, becomes a potential weakness in the seller’s eyes.

Sellers don’t just want the agent with the most listings. They want an agent who will treat their home as a priority, not just another instruction. The strongest agents understand this and position themselves accordingly. Instead of chasing stock levels, they focus on service, expertise, and tailored marketing that delivers real results.

The agents who truly stand out aren’t the ones trying to compete on volume. They’re the ones who carve out a reputation for exceptional service, real local expertise, and a track record of getting sellers the best outcome. While others fight to be the biggest, they focus on being the best. And that’s what not only wins instructions, but also recommendations time and time again.

Chris Webb is the founder of The Estate Agent Consultancy