Why Results Matter More Than Instructions When Selling Your Home
When it comes to selling your home, numbers matter — but not the ones you might expect. Instruction levels can be misleading. What really counts is how many homes reach sale agreed, and how consistently an agent delivers results.
Why Selling Your Home Isn’t About Who Lists the Most — It’s About Who Actually Sells
When choosing an estate agent, it’s easy to focus on the headline figure — the valuation, the marketing, or how busy an office looks.
But there’s a more important question sellers are rarely encouraged to ask:
How many of that agent’s instructions actually sell — and how many homes do they really get agreed?
Instructions vs results — what the local numbers show
Looking at local sales data this year, the difference between agents becomes very clear.
We’ve agreed more sales than any other local agent
With 129 sales agreed, we’ve helped more local sellers secure buyers than anyone else.
We also have the highest success rate
Over 82% of our instructions go on to achieve a sale agreed — meaning more than 8 out of 10 sellers who instruct us reach this crucial milestone.
Other local agents typically convert between 48% and 76%
Some see fewer than half of their listings reach sale agreed.
Strong instruction numbers are one thing — but strong outcomes are what matter to sellers.
Why both figures matter
High sales-agreed volumes show experience, buyer demand, and strong market presence.
High conversion rates show accurate pricing, honest advice, and effective follow-up.
When the two are combined, it usually means:
Homes are priced correctly from the outset
Buyers are properly qualified
Offers are negotiated and secured efficiently
That’s what gives your move the best chance of success.
The risk of focusing on the wrong metric
Some agents focus heavily on winning instructions, sometimes by stretching pricing or making optimistic promises.
If a property doesn’t reach sale agreed, the impact is real — lost time, reduced momentum, and often price adjustments later on.
From our experience, overpricing doesn’t protect value; it usually weakens it.
Our approach at Holden
We’ve always believed our role isn’t just to get your home online — it’s to get you to sale agreed, and beyond.
That means:
Clear, evidence-based pricing advice
Straightforward, honest conversations
Proper buyer qualification
Proactive communication throughout the process
It’s a measured, professional approach — and it consistently delivers results.
The question every seller should ask
Before choosing an agent, don’t just ask:
“How much could you get for my house?”
Also ask:
“How many sales do you agree — and what percentage of your instructions reach sale agreed?”
Because outcomes matter more than promises.
Data source:
All figures and comparisons referenced above are based on Rightmove Intel data, year-to-date, for the local market.