Estate Agents Are Overvaluing On Your Street...and You Deserve to Know Why

Originally published as an advertorial in the December 2025 issue of Ealing Living Magazine.

We’ve all seen those letters:

“We’re valuing on your street!”

Or the even more tired:

“Mr and Mrs Smith have just missed out on a home like yours.”

Apparently, Mr and Mrs Smith don’t have access to Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket. It’s lazy, it’s boring, and it insults people’s intelligence.

Normally this is the bit where I’d say “rant over”, but I’ve only just begun.

Estate agents are deliberately overvaluing properties to win instructions, tying homeowners into long contracts and slowly manipulating them into reducing the price later. It has to stop.

At first glance it might not seem a big deal, but it is. It gives homeowners false expectations at the most important moment of their move, leading to weeks or months of disappointment. And when the inevitable price drop comes, that “reduced” sticker tells every buyer online that nobody else wanted it.

That’s not just embarrassing, it’s expensive.

Five years of data from Rightmove, TwentyEA and leading analysts say it all:

• Homes launched at the right price are 35% more likely to fall through.
• Once a home needs a price reduction, it takes three times longer to find a buyer.
• Homes that go under offer within 25 days have a 94% chance of completing, compared with just 56% after 100 days.

“When a home wears the ‘reduced’ sticker, it isn’t just a price drop – it’s a message to every buyer that nobody else wanted it.”

When agents overvalue, it doesn’t just distort the market. It damages real people’s plans – the family relying on a school-catchment move, the seller funding their next purchase, the family selling to cover care costs for a loved one, the couple separating who just need a clean, fair result.

If I could change one thing overnight, it would be to adopt the Scottish system, where homes are valued by an independent surveyor rather than the estate agent competing for your signature. It sets a level playing field and lets sellers choose their representative based on trust, strategy and skill, not inflated promises and cheap fees.

And while I’ll happily challenge the industry’s bad habits, I’ll also say this: it is worth keeping track of your home’s value.

Whether you’re planning to move, re-mortgage, or just curious about your equity, understanding where you stand helps you plan with confidence.

Our QR-code tool gives you a quick, data-led estimate based on Land Registry and market trends. No contact details. No catches. No fuss. But like all automated systems, it can’t see your new kitchen with Miele appliances, or the fact you’ve finally replaced the carpet in the bathroom (please tell me you have).

If you’d like a more detailed equity check, please reach out and I’ll happily carry out a complimentary, bespoke valuation in person – one that truly reflects your home’s condition, personality and current buyer demand.