UK estate agents response expectations

In early July, research of 1,830 recent home sellers showed that 85 % of sellers expect estate agents to reply to an initial enquiry within 24 hours, with many considering any delay beyond four hours too slow. To meet this demand, The Partnership introduced an online portal that lets clients, agents, mortgage brokers and conveyancers exchange documents and monitor transaction milestones in real time, aiming to improve transparency and reduce delays.

Later in July, analysis of the UK residential lettings sector highlighted a different problem: there is no independent, nationwide measurement of out‑of‑hours enquiries. Reported figures vary widely—from 26 % to over 90 %—and a frequently cited “40 % of enquiries arrive out of hours” is a misquotation of an older study on response speed, not timing. The gap between seller expectations for rapid replies and agents’ limited capacity to handle after‑hours contacts remains a sector‑wide operational challenge.