Estate agents lose over £4,000 for every property sale that falls through

Every time a sale falls through it is estimated that the average cost to an estate agency business is more than £4,000, new research suggests.

Based on the average house price of £284,100, combined with a typical agent fee of 1.42%, Moverly estimates that the average estate agent earned £4,034 per transaction last year.

Given that an estimated 31% of transactions are thought to fall through before finally making it to the finish line last year, Moverly says this equates to 315,652 sales to have fallen through during 2022.

Consequently, fall throughs are estimated to have cost UK estate agents collectively in the region of £1.27bn in 2022.

It is not just the agents that miss out on earnings from the transaction.

Conveyancers typically make £2,239 per transaction when representing the buyer, or £1,069 for the seller. As a result, Moverly estimates that conveyancers working on behalf of the nation’s homebuyers could have lost out to the tune of £706.7m due to fall throughs in 2022, while those acting for sellers are thought to have lost £533m.

Of course, in some cases agents and conveyancers still end up earning money from the client after a transaction fails – it’s just an offer that needs to be resubmitted and more work needs to be done to get it over the line.

Moverly co-founder, Ed Molyneux, commented: “When a home purchase falls through it isn’t just stressful for all involved, it’s a costly process that takes billions out of the pockets of agents and conveyancers.

“Even when property purchases go smoothly it still tends to be a long drawn out process, as the home needs to be listed, surveys need to be conducted and in many cases mortgage finance needs to be secured before buyers and sellers sign on the dotted line. This provides ample time in which circumstances can change, or both buyer or seller can have a change of heart, allowing frustrations to build across the chain.

“While estate agents can lower the chances of fall-throughs by being professional and efficient throughout, a proactive approach in securing the information required for a transaction upfront can also help minimise the chances of a fall through.”

 

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10 Comments

  1. Chris Arnold

    Given that loss, I’d be straight on the phone to Silas J Lees.

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    1. Ever

       

       

       

      Surely you need to

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      1. Ever

        This article confuses cost and revenue. If the properties end up selling anyway the agency gets the £4k. The only cost of the fall through is in additional effort to sell the property. No where near £4k.

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  2. skipdale

    Typical agent fee of 1.42%. Where on earth do they get these ‘facts’ from!

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  3. Rob Hailstone

    “Those figures just do not appear to be real (for both professions) but if estate agents lose out when a sale falls through they should:

    1 charge an upfront fee;

    2 stop marketing properties that have title or structural issues;

    3 move their Sales Progression staff to Sales Preparation duties;

    4 understand that putting pressure on the conveyancer doesn’t pay;

    5 work towards having sellers have the title checked and property surveyed before marketing it and thereby, as much as possible, get the property sale ready before marketing it.” Conveyancing Solicitor, via Linkdin

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    1. agent orange

      Let me guess, you are a conveyancer?

      And when a buyer decides to withdraw as they have had a change of mind? or when the seller loses out on their onward because they have been outbid? or how about when a conveyancer takes 6 weeks to send over contract pack?.Or when the mortgage company suddenly pulls their rates? Or any other of the thousand reasons a sale can go t$ts up.

       

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      1. jan-byers

        Mate is is no problem Rob Hailstone  will pay for all the abortive costs

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        1. Rob Hailstone

          Why me Jan, wasn’t my 5 points, even though I agree with some.

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    2. jan-byers

      1 very few people will pay an agent up front – no sale no fee is a selling point

      2 agents are very unlikely to know of structural issues

      3 the biggest part of an agents job is sales progression due to the lackadaisical attitude of most conveyancers many of who are still working from home

      4 understand that yes it does – many conveyancers are utterly homeless and need to be chased

      5 fine if the conveyancer does it for free

       

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  4. Woodentop

    Garbage. The property is resold! It would be more accurate to evaluate the time and resources used up. Any sound agent knows there is a fall through rate and has to be costed in the fee structure over the financial year which covers these eventualities.

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