Why brokers and estate agents are often at loggerheads, and how a few practical shifts can smooth over conflict
Having worked on both sides of the transaction, Marc Finch knows the pressure points between brokers and estate agents. Now a broker at Forever Home Mortgages, and formerly an estate agent, Finch says a lot of friction stems not from conflict but from simple misalignment.
"Ultimately, [estate agents] are a key player in the transaction," Finch said. "Whether you have a relationship with that estate agent or not, they are fundamental to the transaction going through, just as much as we are, and just as much as a conveyancer is."
Misunderstanding starts at offer stage
According to Finch, tension often arises right as a buyer submits an offer. Estate agents want a deal tied up, while brokers need time to validate affordability. Without clear expectations, both sides can end up frustrated.
"There is only a certain speed we can work at as brokers," Finch said. "If a client doesn’t give us all the information or doesn’t provide the documentation we need to financially qualify them, we can’t do the agreement in principle and give [agents] the security that the transaction is going to go through."
Pressure to rush an agreement in principle before verifying documentation is common, especially on new-build sites. "I did a very quick fact-find, put the phone down, and within 30 seconds I was getting a call again from the site asking, 'Where’s the agreement in principle?'"
Finch says the urgency is understandable but potentially damaging: "From a regulation perspective and from a duty-of-care perspective, we want to make sure that when we run a credit check, it’s going to pass."
Sales progression and silence
The agent's job doesn't end with the sale, and neither should the broker's communication. Finch argues that brokers can vastly improve relationships by anticipating the agent’s biggest pain point: sales progression.
"The toughest part of the job is progressing the sale through to completion," he said. "If you can strip even the tiniest bit of that workload away from an estate agent, they will want to work with you."
Simple updates at key milestones – valuation booked, offer issued, delays in underwriting – can make all the difference. "The more you can stop them having to chase you, the more likely you are to have a better relationship through the transaction."
That communication is especially critical when property issues arise. "It’s much easier if you can pick up the phone to the agent and ask what the issue is. They’re going to understand what’s happening in the transaction much better than the client in many cases."
Incentives, personalities, and how to defuse tension
Structural incentives can also fuel friction. Finch is clear-eyed about how referral models shape behaviour: "There are a lot of agents who have tie-ins with a particular broker... negotiators or valuers in the agent’s office might see an opportunity to earn extra money."
That puts independent brokers in a difficult position. In new-build scenarios, clients are often told to use a specific mortgage service, even if they already have an agreement in principle.
"Sometimes that means we need to take extra layers of precaution to make sure the client is not being pushed down that avenue," Finch said. “For first-time buyers, they don’t know any different and there is no one there really representing them."
Still, not all tension is structural. "I was told [asking about the EPC] was none of my business," he said of one call with an agent. "That was a personality issue: they simply didn’t like a broker ringing to chase something."
Where possible, Finch suggests brokers neutralise pressure through simple professionalism. "Pick up the phone or drop an email to say, 'Here is the agreement in principle, we have done everything we need, we have the client’s documents, and I could submit the case tomorrow if you tie it up.' That kind of communication sets the agent’s mind at ease."
In a system where brokers and agents are rarely incentivised to collaborate, that may be the clearest path to cooperation.
