What should an estate agent's marketing plan include?

An estate agent's marketing plan is the agent's written account of how they will price, present and sell your home, and how often they will tell you what is happening. It is the part of a valuation appointment that most sellers forget to ask for.

It matters more this autumn than usual. Rightmove reported on 19 October 2026 that there are more homes for sale than at any time of year since 2014, buyer enquiries are down 9% on a year ago, and 34% of listed homes have already had a price cut.

What should be in the plan?

How do I get a marketing plan from an estate agent?

1. 1. Ask for it before the valuation

   When you book each valuation, say you would like the agent's marketing plan in writing afterwards, so every agent knows it will be compared.

2. 2. Ask for the evidence behind the price

   Ask which recent sales nearby support the asking price, and how the agent adjusted for differences such as condition, size or a garden.

3. 3. Ask how the home will be presented

   Ask who takes the photos, whether there will be a floorplan, and whether you will see the listing before it goes live.

4. 4. Check the material information is ready

   Material information is the detail a buyer needs to make a decision, such as tenure, council tax band and any charges, and it should be in the listing from day one.

5. 5. Ask what happens in the first two weeks

   Ask whether buyers already registered with the agent will hear first, how viewings will be booked, and whether there will be open days or block viewings.

6. 6. Agree how feedback will reach you

   Agree how often you will get viewing feedback and enquiry numbers, so you are never left wondering what is happening.

7. 7. Set the price review point in advance

   Agree a date and the evidence that would prompt a price review, so any change is planned rather than a reaction to weeks of silence.

8. 8. Compare the plans side by side

   Lay the plans next to each other with each agent's valuation and fee, and choose the agent whose plan is clearest and best supported, not only the one with the highest number.

Every agent will give you a number. The plan shows how they intend to achieve it, so ask for both and judge the plan.

What does a weak marketing plan look like?

• A price with no sold evidence behind it, or evidence taken only from asking prices.
• No date for photos, or photos you will not see before launch.
• No mention of the material information buyers must be given.
• Vague feedback promises with no agreed frequency.
• No plan for what happens if the first month is quiet, which often leads to a long contract and an unplanned price cut.

Why does the launch matter so much this autumn?

More homes are chasing fewer buyers. Sprift counted 213,048 new listings against 89,192 agreed sales in September 2026, and 39.3% of homes for sale had at least one price cut by the end of the month.

Higher borrowing costs are squeezing budgets too. Moneyfacts put the average two-year fixed rate at 5.93% in October 2026, up from 5.59% in September, so buyers are comparing homes more carefully before they book a viewing.

Where does ValuQ fit?

ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents. Each agent's valuation, fee and approach arrive on one screen, so you can compare plans before you speak to anyone, and agents never get your details until you choose.

Before you sign with anyone, read the contract as carefully as the plan, especially the tie-in period and the notice period.