Selling your home is not finished when you accept an offer 🏡🔑
Accepting an offer is only one stage of selling. Discover why communication and sales progression are essential to reaching completion.
The photographs worked. 📸
The viewings took place. 👀
An offer was negotiated. 🤝
The buyer and seller agreed a price. 💷
Everyone celebrated. 🎉
But the property was not sold.
It was sold subject to contract.
Between accepting an offer and handing over the keys, there are still legal enquiries, mortgage arrangements, surveys, searches, documents and decisions to complete.
This is the stage where communication becomes just as important as marketing. 📞
A property chain rarely moves at one speed 🔗
Most people involved in a property transaction are waiting for someone else.
The buyer may be waiting for their mortgage offer.
The solicitor may be waiting for search results.
The surveyor may be waiting for access.
The seller may be waiting for enquiries.
Another property in the chain may be waiting for entirely different information.
Delays are sometimes unavoidable.
Silence is not. ⚠️
When nobody understands what is happening, ordinary delays can quickly become major concerns.
A buyer begins wondering whether the seller is committed.
A seller begins worrying that the buyer is going to withdraw.
Frustration builds, even though the transaction may still be progressing normally.
Sales progression is not simply “chasing” 📋
Good progression is not about repeatedly asking solicitors whether there is an update.
It is about understanding the transaction.
🔹 What is outstanding?
🔹 Who is responsible for providing it?
🔹 Has everyone received the correct information?
🔹 Is the buyer’s mortgage progressing?
🔹 Has the survey been completed?
🔹 Are there any issues that could affect the agreed price or timescale?
🔹 Does another party in the chain need help or clarification?
The aim is to identify obstacles before they become emergencies. 🛠️
The buyer’s circumstances matter 👤
An offer should not be assessed purely by its value.
Imagine receiving two offers:
💷 £315,000 from a buyer who still needs to sell their property.
💷 £310,000 from a buyer with a mortgage agreed in principle and no related sale.
The higher figure may still be the best choice, but the seller needs to understand the difference between the buyers’ positions.
The strongest offer is the combination of price, proceedability, motivation and risk.
That is why agents should carefully qualify buyers before recommending an offer. ✅
Communication protects confidence 📞
Property transactions can take time, and not every update will be exciting.
Sometimes the update is simply that a search is still awaited or a solicitor has raised further enquiries.
But regular, honest communication reassures everyone that the sale remains active.
At M&M, we work alongside our dedicated sales progression support to help maintain momentum after an offer is accepted.
We communicate with the relevant parties, monitor key stages and help sellers understand what is happening throughout the process.
The agent’s job should not disappear once the sales memorandum has been issued.
That is when a different part of the job begins. 🚀
Choose an agent for the whole journey 🏠➡️🔑
When comparing estate agents, most homeowners naturally focus on valuation, fees and marketing.
Those things are important.
But sellers should also ask:
❓ Who will progress my sale?
❓ How regularly will I receive updates?
❓ Will you communicate with the rest of the chain?
❓ What happens when a problem arises?
❓ Who will negotiate if the survey affects the buyer’s position?
❓ Will I have a clear point of contact?
A low fee can become expensive if the sale collapses and the entire process must begin again. ⚠️
The true value of an estate agent is not only measured by whether they find a buyer.
It is measured by whether they help that buyer become the new owner. 🔑
What happens after an offer is accepted? 📝
There is still plenty to do before completion, including:
🏦 Mortgage arrangements
🔍 Surveys and searches
📄 Legal enquiries
📋 Documentation
🤝 Chain coordination
📞 Ongoing communication
🔑 Exchange and completion
Keeping everything moving requires organisation, communication and attention to detail.
Final thoughts 🏡
Accepting an offer is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line.
A successful sale requires the right support from the first photograph to the final set of keys.
At M&M Estate & Letting Agents, we believe sales progression is an essential part of the service we provide, helping to maintain communication, identify potential problems and keep the transaction moving wherever possible.
Have you experienced a property transaction where poor communication caused unnecessary stress? We would be interested to hear what you believe could have been handled better. 👇
📞 Thinking of selling in Gravesend, Northfleet or the surrounding villages?
Get in touch with our team today for a free, no-obligation valuation and discover how the right launch strategy can make all the difference.
📍 M&M Estate & Letting Agents
📞 01474 321957
📧 sales@mandmprop.co.uk
