Even the best Estate Agents see listings lose momentum. When things aren’t working, don’t slow your pipeline or a vendors’ sale by holding out for a change in the market – act and explore a change direction that could help you and your client complete faster. Sometimes, a property launches at Private Treaty with promise, but then weeks turn into months, viewing numbers fall and the seller grows increasingly frustrated.
With average Private Treaty timelines surpassing 200-days* across the UK, this scenario is not uncommon and Estate Agents are increasingly turning to the Modern Method of Auction as a method of sale that can get sellers moving.
Consumer data shows that when a listing stalls at Private Treaty:
Auction can give properties a faster and more secure route to sale without you losing the instruction or the relationship with your client.
The strongest agents don’t wait for the market conditions to be right – they know when to recommend a different route. What’s more, consumers have already confirmed that they want choice in their method of sale. Data from our latest Consumer Tracker^ shows that consumer expectations continue to rise, with demand growing for faster, more certain property transactions. 84% of sellers identified that they’d be more likely to choose an agent offering a range of ways to sell – by offering an alternative strategy you are giving a bespoke service that clients will remember.
Here’s our practical checklist to help you decide if a vendor is ready for a conversation about moving their property listing to auction:
While price reductions might be the go-to for prompting more interest in a listing, this can have some adverse effects, such as buyers waiting for the property to go down further in price, low ball offers coming in, or buyers questioning if there is something wrong with the property.
Instead, auction creates a clear timeline for people to make decisions and act within, and competitive bidding can often drive a price to its full potential when there is more than one interested buyer.
Rather than just adjusting a listing in the hope of attracting new buyers, auction can help reset perceptions of a property by:
When your sellers are anxious to see some progress in their sale, emotions can be high, so bringing the vendor back to what their key priorities are can help make the right route clear.
Questions you can ask your vendor:
If your vendor has a clear deadline in mind, wants less chance of fall-through and would be reassured by a clear view of how progress is moving, then introducing auction is a great option.
We have long moved past auction being a channel for distressed properties – it is now the choice of buyers and sellers who value, speed, transparency and security in their sale. Auction is often the perfect fit for chain free sellers, with all types of properties. Make sure to tell sellers what the key benefits are for them:
Remember that auction is just another tool for agents to help vendors win, not a last resort to shift the property. Focus on how auction helps them meet their objectives, set realistic expectations of what auction can deliver and make your best recommendation to the vendor – the element of choice is key for modern consumers, and by offering choice you empower them to get the best out of their sale.
Our Partner Agents have access to our Success Hub which is packed with guides on how to explain auction to vendors. Our brand new method of sale explainer card is a quick read for your sellers, so you can show them all their options sided by side, from Private Treaty, to Sale Ready and Auction: XXX
If your client needs a little more time and help to decide if auction is right for them, then our Auction Watch magazine explains everything they need to know about selling at auction.
Switching from Private Treaty to auction can be as beneficial to your branch and it is to your vendor. Auction can:
Private Treaty is often the default method of sale but it’s not right for every property. Sticking with this traditional method of sale because it’s familiar is not always the solution that will get your client the best result. With auction, the right auction conversation, held at the right time, can turn an ageing listing into an active opportunity.
Speak to the iamproperty team about identifying suitable listings, introducing auction to your vendors and adding the Modern Method of Auction to your agency’s sales toolkit.
* TwentyEA 2025
*^Home Owners Alliance 2022
^ iamproperty Consumer Auction Tracker Trust data (350 respondents) carried out 3 times per year, most recently between 5th and 12th February 2026.
^^Based on standard properties. From receipt of draft contracts
^*From receipt of auction fee. Must qualify. Not applicable to caveated or £400k+ properties.
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