Why auction is becoming part of the everyday sales conversation for Yopa

For Estate Agents, giving clients the right advice starts with understanding what matters to them. 

Every seller has different priorities. For some, achieving the best possible price will come first. For others, speed, security or simply having greater certainty around their move may matter more. The right sales method shouldn’t be determined by the property – it should start with the client’s circumstances. 

It’s an approach Yopa is putting into practice by making Auction part of the initial appraisal conversation with its clients. 

In our latest video, the Yopa team share their perspective on why Auction is an important part of their offering, how it’s helping their agents provide clients with more choice, and the opportunities it can create across both new instructions and existing stock. 

Start with the clients needs

One message comes through clearly from the team at Yopa – understand your client first. 

“For us, it’s really important that whenever we meet our customers that we really understand what it is that’s important to them, why they’re moving and what they’re looking for next.”

– Verona Frankish, Yopa CEO

Moving home can be an exciting next step, but it can also happen at a difficult or changing time in someone’s life. Taking the time to understand why a client is moving, what they need from their sale and the priorities that matter most gives Estate Agents the opportunity to recommend  a sales method that reflects their individual circumstances. 

As the Yopa team explain, that means exploring factors such as price, fees and speed before matching the recommendation to the individual client. 

“Is price important to them? Is fee important to them? Is speed important is certainly important. So, depending on what their needs are at any given time, then it’s really important that our agents should explore all of those and then match the right recommendation to the needs of the customers, and provide them with a range of options that will suit them.”

– Verona Frankish, Yopa CEO

Auction isn’t just for a certain type of property

One of the misconceptions the Yopa team address is that auction is primarily for properties requiring significant modernisation or refurbishment. 

The conversation should be much broader. The Modern Method of Auction (MMoA) can be suitable across different property types, with the client’s circumstances and  priorities helping to determine whether it’s the right option. 

“Key benefits to an agent having auction in their offering is that it’s an opportunity to talk to all of their customer base about it. Auctions is for every customer. So therefore, when you’re in the living room with a customer and they’re just about to go on to the market. You can talk to them about the speed of sale that can be gleaned from using an auction provider.”

– Tom Greenacre, Direct of Estate Agency Operations

For clients who value speed and security, Auction can offer a clear alternative to Private Treaty, with completion within 56-days* and a 95% completion success rate, helping to give sellers greater certainty around their move.

More choice can create more opportunities

Having Auction within their offering is gives Yopa agents another way to approach client conversations. 

When speaking with a new seller, agents can explain the different methods of sale available and help them understand which could best meet their priorities. For properties already on the market, Auction can also offer an alternative route if circumstances change or a seller decides they need to move more quickly. 

“if you’ve got a customer that’s on the market and maybe their situation’s changed and they need to sell a little bit quicker. So, it’s just about talking to customers all of the time about all of the things that you can offer, which is always a prerequisite of any good salesperson.”

– Tom Greenacre, Director of Estate Agency Operations, Yopa. 

For the Agent, that can mean another opportunity to win an instruction, support existing clients and keep transactions moving. For the seller, it means greater choice and a recommendation shaped around what they want to achieve.  

Make Auction part of the conversation

The advice from the Yopa team is simple – don’t try to identify an ‘auction property’. Start by understanding every client’s wants and needs, then talk them through the options available. 

By making Auction part of the everyday sales conversation, Estate Agents can give more clients an informed choice about how they sell and help them find the route that’s right for their circumstances. 

*From receipt of draft contract. Based on grade one standard properties.