1. The request lands in a shared inbox
info@ collects portal alerts, supplier invoices and newsletters. A valuation request sits in the middle of it until someone has a quiet hour, and by then the seller has spoken to someone else.
The fix: Send lead alerts to a named person, not a shared address. On ValuQ, add each negotiator as a team member so every alert reaches them at their own address.
2. The alert never reaches a person at all
Company mail filters quarantine messages from senders they do not recognise. The email counts as delivered and nobody sees it.
The fix: Ask whoever runs your email to allow mail from your lead sources, and check the quarantine folder once. For ValuQ, allow the valuq.co.uk domain.
3. Everyone is out on appointments
The busiest days are the ones with the most viewings and valuations in the diary, so the office is empty exactly when requests arrive.
The fix: Get alerts on the phone you carry. In the ValuQ agent portal, add your mobile under Settings, then Notifications, and a new lead arrives as a text with a link straight to the brief.
4. Nobody owns it
When a request is everyone's job, each person assumes someone else has picked it up.
The fix: Give one person the lead inbox each day, the same way you give someone the phones. Their only job with it is to open every request the day it lands.
5. The brief looks like too much work
A full valuation takes longer than a phone call, so it drifts to the bottom of the list.
The fix: Save your standard fees, services and marketing approach as a template. On ValuQ, templates fill those sections in one click and you spend your time on the price and your reasoning.
6. The deadline passes quietly
A request without a clear deadline is always tomorrow's job.
The fix: ValuQ gives every request 48 working hours, with reminders by email as the window runs down and a text when it is about to close. If you do miss it and the homeowner has not chosen yet, you can still send your valuation, marked as late.
Questions agents ask
Why do estate agents miss valuation requests?
Usually because nobody saw the request in time: it went to a shared inbox, a spam filter or a phone that was out on a viewing. Declining a request on purpose is much rarer than missing it.
How fast should an estate agent respond to a valuation request?
The same working day where you can. Sellers comparing agents make up their minds quickly, and the first well-reasoned valuation sets the bar the others are judged against.
What happens if I miss the window on a ValuQ lead?
You have 48 working hours to respond. If the window closes and the homeowner has not chosen an agent yet, you can still send your valuation. The homeowner sees it marked as late, next to the others.
Related: How to get more valuations 路 How to win more instructions