An agent valued my house lower than I expected. Who is right?

Why might an agent value my house lower than I expected?

An estate agent's valuation is the price they believe a buyer will pay for your home in the current market. Most agents build it from recent sold prices of similar homes nearby, then adjust for size, condition, garden, parking and the street itself.

Your own expectation is usually built differently. It often starts from what you paid, what you need for your next move, an online estimate, or a neighbour's sale in a stronger market. A gap between the two is common and does not mean anyone has made a mistake.

• The comparable sales the agent used are more recent than the ones you have in mind, and prices nearby have moved since.
• Your home has a feature buyers price down, such as a short lease, no off-street parking, a busy road, or a dated kitchen and bathroom.
• The agent expects more competition from other homes for sale on your street or in your area.
• The agent is pricing to find a buyer within weeks, rather than to sit on the market and be reduced later.
• The agent has simply read the same evidence more cautiously than you, or another agent, would.

Is the market lower than it was earlier this year?

In many areas, slightly. HM Land Registry's UK House Price Index, published on 21 October 2026, put the average UK price at £273,000 in August, up 0.9% on a year earlier and down from 1.2% growth in July. London prices fell 2.2% over the year, and flats across the UK fell 1.6%.

Asking prices tell the same story. Rightmove's October 2026 index, published on 19 October, put the average new asking price at £371,015, 0.1% below a year earlier. New sellers in four of the five lowest-priced regions cut their asking prices, which Rightmove linked to the average two-year fixed mortgage rate reaching 5.55%.

None of this means your home has lost value overnight. It means a valuation given this autumn is measured against a market where buyers have more choice and there are fewer of them, which is exactly what a careful agent should reflect.

How far apart do different agents' valuations usually sit?

Further apart than most sellers expect. When two or more local agents valued the same home on ValuQ, they were typically about 10% apart. In six of the 14 homes, the gap was more than £100,000 (ValuQ platform data, May to October 2026, read on 17 October 2026).

That spread is why a single valuation, high or low, cannot settle the question. A seller who invites one agent sees one number. A seller who compares several sees the range, and can tell whether the low figure sits inside it or stands apart from it.

Should I trust the higher valuation instead?

Not on the number alone. The price that matters is the one a buyer pays. Jackson-Stops chairman Nick Leeming told Property Industry Eye on 22 October 2026 that homes priced in line with recent comparable sales still attract interest, while sellers with unrealistic expectations face a longer wait.

A home listed too high tends to collect online views without viewings, then needs a reduction weeks later, by which time the buyers who were watching may have moved on. Ask the same question of every valuation: what evidence is this figure based on?

The valuation to trust is the one with the clearest evidence behind it, whether it is the highest figure on the table or the lowest.

How do I check whether a valuation is too low?

1. Ask the agent for the three to five recent sales they compared your home with, including the addresses, dates and sold prices.
2. Check those sales yourself on HM Land Registry's free price paid search on GOV.UK, and look for homes on your street that sold in the last 12 months.
3. Ask what the agent would list at, what they expect you to achieve, and how long they think it would take to find a buyer at that price.
4. Ask what, specifically, held the figure down: a feature of the home, the street, or the wider market.
5. Get at least two more valuations from local agents active in your postcode, and compare all of them on the same evidence.

If one agent's figure is well below the others and they cannot show you sales to support it, give it less weight. If every agent lands close to the low figure, the market is telling you something useful before you list, while you still have time to plan around it.

Can I ask an agent to increase their valuation?

You can ask an agent to explain or revisit their figure, and you should share anything they may have missed, such as a new boiler, an extension with building regulations sign-off, or a nearby sale they did not use. A good agent will change their figure if the evidence supports it.

Be wary of pressing an agent until they give you the number you want. A figure raised to win your instruction, with no new evidence behind it, is the one most likely to be reduced once your home is on the market.

What is normal, and what is worth questioning?

Common questions about a low house valuation

ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents. If one figure has left you unsure, seeing several local agents' valuations and their reasoning on one screen shows you where your home really sits. Agents never get your details until you choose.