As many as 88% of the nation’s estate agents will be working right through until Christmas Eve, according to research by GetAgent.

Some 77% of those surveyed will also be putting in a shift during the week between Christmas and New Year to ensure that final sales complete before 2023.

The vast majority (75%) will be clocking longer working hours than usual, with over a quarter (26%) also stating they will be working weekends in order to get the job done.

Mal McCallion, COO of GetAgent, commented: “It’s been an incredibly busy few years for the nation’s estate agents, who have worked incredibly hard to service the millions of homebuyers and sellers transacting during the pandemic market boom. But despite this, it seems that they remain unrelenting in their endeavours to get as many sales over the line as possible before Christmas comes and the year is out.

“Most will be clocking longer hours and working right up until Christmas Eve – when presumably local shops will feel the benefit of some panicked last-minute present buying!”

According to the GetAgent survey, 83% of agents will take some time to completely switch off on Christmas Day itself. Astonishingly, though, 8% said they may check their emails, 5% stated they might do a little bit of work, and 4% are planning to work as usual on Christmas Day.

“Whether they celebrate Christmas or not, that 17% intending to work on Christmas Day itself might just want to put the laptop away and join the rest of the country in binge-watching disposable festive nonsense,” McCallion commented. “We’re all susceptible to burn out and it’s the one time of year when we can all pause, take stock and spend some quality time with our loved ones.”