"The problem is most agents only market when things go quiet. So by the time you realise you need more instructions, you’re already weeks behind"
- Jason Bull - The Estate Agent Consultancy
There’s something most agents won’t admit. Not publicly, anyway. It’s that feeling of riding the estate agency rollercoaster. One month, you’re flying. The next, you’re refreshing your emails, hoping a lead comes in. It’s not just frustrating. It’s exhausting. But more often than not, it’s not the market that’s the problem. It’s your sales funnel.
Right now, with the stamp duty holiday now behind us, a lot of agents are feeling that lull. Sellers are hesitant, the market’s cooled a touch, and there’s a lot of waiting around happening. Which is exactly when this problem shows up. The boom and bust pattern. Too many instructions followed by none. A packed diary one week, then silence the next.
The truth is, inconsistent income isn’t just about having a quiet month. It affects your mindset. It leads to panic decisions. Scrambling for quick wins. Relying on the next hot lead rather than building a steady flow of sellers into your business.
The problem is most agents only market when things go quiet. So by the time you realise you need more instructions, you’re already weeks behind. You post a few bits on social media, maybe chuck out a few leaflets, then cross your fingers. And whatever leads come in, you chase them hard. Even if they’re cold, fee-sensitive, or not a great fit.
Then, when things finally pick up, what happens? The marketing stops. You’re back on the tools. Chasing completions. Trying to keep everyone happy. But you’ve stopped putting people into the top of your funnel. So when the pipeline clears again, you’re back to square one.
This cycle isn’t just tiring. It’s avoidable.
The agents who build real momentum in their businesses don’t wait for the phone to ring. They’re always building their pipeline. They treat marketing as something you do consistently, not occasionally. They focus just as much on warming up future sellers as they do on winning instructions today.
It’s the same message I share with my clients again and again. Picture yourself in a room full of 100 homeowners. Five of them are ready to sell today. Most agents focus all their efforts on those five. But what about the other 95? They’re the ones who’ll be ready in a month, or three, or six. And if you’re not on their radar, they won’t even think to call you.
That’s why now, during this quieter post stamp duty holiday period, is exactly the right time to act. While other agents are easing off, you can be showing up. Not just online, but everywhere. Letters, leaflets, videos, emails, boards, local events. Making sure that when someone does decide to move, they already feel like they know you.
It’s not about chasing every lead that pops up. It’s about having a system that consistently fills the top of your funnel. So that you’re not relying on luck, or timing, or hoping someone just happens to think of you.
Because consistency beats chaos every time. It’s not the agents who work the longest hours who grow the fastest. It’s the ones who build the best systems. Who shows up day in, day out, even when the market feels flat. And who knows that the instructions you win tomorrow are usually the result of the work you did weeks ago.
If you’re stuck in that cycle right now, there’s a way out. Don’t wait for the next boom. Build a business that doesn’t need one.
