Your home goes live on Rightmove on a Friday. By Monday there are two letters on the mat, one of them in what looks suspiciously like handwriting, and by Wednesday an agent has knocked on the door claiming they were “just in the area valuing a property”. If nobody warned you this might happen, it can feel a bit unsettling.
We hear about this regularly from sellers in Formby, Freshfield and across the Southport postcodes. The honest explanation is straightforward: the moment your property appears online, every competing agent in the L37, L38 and PR8 areas can see that you are a genuine, motivated seller at a known address. Finding people who actually want to move is the hardest part of estate agency, and a live listing removes all that guesswork. Some agents will move quickly to try to win your business before anyone can reasonably judge how your marketing is performing.
The two claims you will see most often are “we have a buyer for your road” and “your home is worth more than your asking price”. Both are worth taking calmly rather than acting on immediately.
On the buyer claim: if someone genuinely wants a home like yours in Formby Village or near Freshfield station, there is absolutely nothing stopping that agent from contacting us and arranging a viewing. A real, motivated buyer will not miss out because two agents had to speak to each other. Pass the letter to us and we will follow it up — a genuine opportunity will survive a few straightforward questions. More often than not, “we have a buyer” means someone on a general mailing list once said they liked the area.
On the valuation claim: an opinion from an agent who has not been inside your home, does not know its condition and has not properly looked at what has actually sold recently in Ainsdale or Birkdale is not a valuation in any meaningful sense. It is a number designed to start a conversation. The market decides value through real buyer interest and the offers that follow. An inflated asking price tends to mean fewer viewings, a longer time on the market and reductions later — none of which helps you.
That said, if you do have genuine concerns — perhaps feedback has been thin, communication has felt slow, or viewings have dried up without a clear explanation — please talk to us directly. We would always rather have that honest conversation than lose your confidence to a leaflet. There are times when a fresh approach is the right call, and we will tell you plainly if we think that is the case.
If letters are piling up and you are not sure what to make of them, give us a call on 01704 516 626 or pop into the office in the village. We will talk you through where things stand and what, if anything, needs to change.
Service without Compromise.
