Estate agents with review scores of 4.5 stars or higher complete more than twice as many property sales as lower-rated competitors, according to new research examining the relationship between online reputation and business performance.

The study, published by Trusted Agent which is operated by Kerfuffle ahead of its conference in July, found that highly rated agents completed 2.3 times more sales on average than agents with ratings below 4.5 stars. The analysis also found that top-rated firms secured 77% more new instructions and retained 29% more listings through to completion.

The findings are based on an assessment of estate agency reviews collected between May 2024 and May 2026. Trusted Agent used aggregated review data from multiple platforms, including Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, Feefo and Yell, to build performance profiles for estate agency offices across the UK.

The research has also been used to identify the highest-performing agencies nationally and regionally, with shortlisted firms set to be recognised at an awards event during the Kerfuffle Conference. In addition, participating agents will receive benchmarking reports comparing their performance against local and national competitors.

Simon Whale, founder of Kerfuffle, said: “These awards let the data do the talking on behalf of buyers, sellers and landlords to recognise the agents consistently delivering the best client experience.

“Our algorithm is proprietary and looks at the full picture, including quality, consistency, engagement and how an agent’s reputation is trending over time. Recent reviews carry more weight because trust has a shelf life.

“We also assess how agents respond to reviews and their presence across multiple platforms, rewarding those genuinely going above and beyond for clients right now.

“To ensure agents receive the recognition their service levels deserve in future, we encourage all agents to claim their ViewAgents profile to ensure they’re fully represented on the platform.

“Only those who consistently deliver exceptional service and rank in the top 10% nationally are recognised. On the day we’ll be revealing the best of the best, those who are Gold in the top 5%, and then the most elite category Platinum, the top 2% who will in turn find out if they rate in the top spots across the nation.

“The thing I love about these awards is we’re not asking agents to do anything extra for the chance to win a prize. We’re just shining a spotlight on those who show a commitment to customer service. All we’re saying is: ‘this is how agents are increasingly viewed by the public online and across AI tools’. We’re giving agents the toolkit to win the business their service levels deserve.”