by Marc Cottrell 
Why Choosing a Personal Estate Agent Beats the High Street Model – Every Time
According to Zoopla, the average UK home seller waits 50 days to find a buyer. After that, it can take another 2–3 months for the legal, financial and logistical steps of moving to complete. All told, the process takes three to six months, longer than many celebrity marriages!
So, here’s a simple question: If you’re about to commit to a working relationship that might last half a year or more, why would you settle for anything less than personal, consistent, one-to-one support?
That’s where the difference between a personal self-employed estate agent and a traditional, employee-based high street agency really shows. Let’s break it down.
1. Access & Availability – Beyond 9 to 5
Most high street agents operate within strict business hours. Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. But when are you free to talk about viewings, negotiations or paperwork? Often not during those times.
A personal agent, on the other hand, doesn’t clock off at five. They understand that life, and property deals, often happen outside standard hours. Whether it’s an 8am call on your commute or a 7pm WhatsApp about an offer, self-employed agents are simply more available when you need them.
OnTheMarket reports that nearly 40% of buyer enquiries happen outside traditional office hours. So ask yourself: do you want an agent who closes their laptop at 5pm, or one who answers when your deal depends on it?
2. Continuity of Service
With high street agencies, your property is often handled by a team of employees – negotiators, managers, administrators – and staff turnover can be high. One week it’s Steve managing your sale. The next, he’s left the company and now it’s Sarah. Or maybe your call gets passed around between departments. Either way, continuity suffers.
With a personal estate agent, there is one consistent point of contact from start to finish. No mixed messages. No repeating yourself. Just a focused professional who knows your property, your goals, and your story – and is personally invested in delivering a result.
3. Incentive to Perform
Self-employed agents only succeed when you do. Their reputation, referrals, and income depend on achieving the best outcome for each and every client. Unlike salaried high street employees, they aren’t just working for a monthly salary – they’re working for your success.
In fact, Rightmove data shows that the top-performing agents tend to be smaller, independent or self-employed operators who rely on word-of-mouth and local results, not big brand logos.
This is reflected in higher customer satisfaction ratings, faster sale times in many areas, and better asking price-to-achieved price ratios, because self-employed agents have skin in the game.
4. Tailored, Boutique Service
High street agencies often operate on volume, more listings, more foot traffic, more leads. But that can mean less time per client. By contrast, a personal estate agent limits their portfolio intentionally. This allows for deeper attention, bespoke marketing, and more strategic sales management.
If your home is in a premium or niche market like country homes, waterfronts, period properties, or architect-designed builds, that individual focus can make all the difference.
5. Local Expertise with a Personal Touch
Many self-employed agents live and work in the very areas they cover. They know the schools, the shortcuts, the hidden gems. And they’re embedded in the community, meaning they often know when someone is looking for a home before they even start searching online.
This kind of granular, grassroots knowledge is often lost in the churn of a big branch-based system.
Final Thought
When you think about moving home, you probably imagine finding the right buyer, negotiating a great deal, and sailing smoothly through to completion. That’s hard enough with the best support and nearly impossible when you’re just another number on someone’s sales board.
So instead of walking into the nearest high street agency, ask yourself: Would I rather deal with a team of employees, or work one-on-one with a motivated, experienced professional who’s available when I am, invested in my result, and focused entirely on me?
Because in this market and in this moment – personal is powerful.
