Estate agencies could increase fee income by 46.4% from the same number of valuations by improving four key performance metrics by 10% each, according to analysis from property brokerage Moveli.
The firm has launched an online calculator that allows agencies to input figures including average property value, fee percentage and conversion rates to model potential earnings and the number of valuations, instructions and completions required to reach specific income targets.
The calculation is based on an agency with an average property value of £1 million, a fee of 1.5%, a valuation-to-instruction conversion rate of 30% and a listing-to-sale conversion rate of 50%.
Increasing each metric by 10% – to an average property value of £1.1 million, a fee of 1.65%, conversion to instruction of 33% and listing-to-sale conversion of 55% – produces a 46.4% increase in expected fee income per valuation. This would allow an agency to generate the same fee income from approximately 32% fewer valuations, according to the company’s calculations.
Conversion rates over volume
Ben Littlewood, co-founder of Moveli, said agents often prioritise generating more valuations rather than maximising returns from existing opportunities. “Winning a slightly higher-value instruction, defending your fee and improving conversion rates can have a powerful combined effect,” he said.
The calculator applies to percentage-fee estate agency businesses generally, rather than only self-employed models. Moveli operates an upper-market brokerage with more than 100 agents across the UK, where brokers retain 70-90% of their fees.
The tool is available free to use online. The launch comes as estate agents increasingly adopt technology to improve operational efficiency, though adoption varies across different business functions.
The analysis highlights how marginal improvements across multiple performance areas can compound to produce substantial revenue increases, potentially offering agencies an alternative to volume-based growth strategies in a market where independent firms continue to compete with larger networks.
The calculator requires agencies to input their current performance metrics to generate projections specific to their business model and market positioning.
