📣 From 692,000 to One: The Secret to a Healthy Property Listing

Read time: 4 min

If you’ve ever wondered why some homes fly off the market while others sit for months, the answer might not be the property — but the listing. A topic that sits at the heart of everything I do: how to position a home for the best possible result at the point of sale.

This week, I want to take you behind the scenes and share insights I’ve gathered after analysing hundreds of listings — especially the ones that should have sold long ago but didn’t.

Because I see it all too often — beautiful, well-located homes that sit on the market far longer than they should, losing momentum… and losing value.

In some cases, prestige homes lose £100,000 or more, not because there’s something wrong with them — but because the listing wasn’t designed to succeed.

Let’s start with a number: 692,000.
That’s the number of properties Rightmove reported on their platform back in 2021. And it’s safe to assume that number has only grown since then.

Even when narrowing the search down to just 10 miles around the small village of Shurlock Row on the M4 corridor — to include areas like Henley-on-Thames, Windsor and Ascot — we’re still looking at nearly 7,800 listings.

That’s a lot of competition.
So, the question is: how do you stand out?

▶️ In this issue, you’ll learn:

• Why video tours generate 400% more enquiries

• Why staged homes sell 3x faster (and often higher)

• Why professional photography matters more than you think

• How to price with strategy, not guesswork

• The tools that help buyers visualise their future — and why so many listings lack them

And above all, why listings done right don’t just “go live”… they go strategic.

It starts with knowing who you’re speaking to.

Before you can market a home, you need to know who the ideal buyer might be.

And if you don’t know where to start? Look inward.

Think back to when you first bought your home.

• Were you single? A young couple? A growing family?

• What did your career, commute, social life or lifestyle look like?

• Why did you pick this home?

Those clues, along with how your home is used today, help define your ideal buyer profile — which then informs everything from your photos to your floor plan, your brochure to your viewings.

Next comes the moment you list.

It’s tempting to think the work is done once your property goes live online. But that’s just the beginning.

Every new listing gets a wave of attention — that first wave is your best shot at catching the eye of serious, ready-to-move buyers.

But that wave dies down quickly. And without the right marketing? The listing drifts into “stale” territory.

Buyers ask:
“Why hasn’t it sold?”
“Is something wrong with it?”
“Are they hiding something?”

That doubt alone can cost you viewings, offers… and eventually money.

So, how do you ride the wave effectively?

The 7 elements of a healthy listing

Here’s what I’ve learned after analysing hundreds of listings and dedicating hundreds of hours educating homeowners.

1. Staging the property
Staging helps buyers see themselves in your home — especially when they’re scrolling fast and making snap judgements.

• Staged homes sell 3x faster

• Staged homes create urgency and often trigger multiple offers

• Staging doesn’t just look nice — it adds perceived value

2. Professional photography
Photos should feel warm, inviting, and aspirational — not just functional.

• Only 25% of listings include pro photography

• A great photo stops the scroll and draws people in

• It's not just the camera — it’s the eye, the angles, the editing, and the prep

3. Video tour
People now expect video for everything. Listings are no different.

• A proper video tour (not just a slideshow) increases enquiries by 400%

• It showcases flow, space, and lifestyle

• It’s also shareable — which means more eyes, faster

4. 3D virtual tour
Especially useful for busy or long-distance buyers.

• Helps serious buyers shortlist your home faster

• Allows them to revisit it without needing a second visit

• Generates 20% more online engagement and better-quality leads

5. Lifestyle brochure
Most brochures are just PDFs of the listing. That’s not marketing.

A brochure should:

• Tell a story

• Highlight the neighbourhood

• Share owner testimonials or local tips

• Package your home like a luxury product — not just bricks and mortar

6. Covering the full market
Did you know Rightmove only covers ~70% of the UK search market?

• Adding Zoopla and OnTheMarket increases exposure to 99%

• And that’s before international exposure or targeted campaigns

7. Pricing strategy
Price is a tactic, not just a number.

There’s a difference between:

• Market value

• Marketing price

• Final sale price

With the right strategy — e.g., “offers over” + open house — you can generate competition and push your price above asking.

But what about cost?

It might sound like all of this must be expensive. It doesn’t have to be.

Some agents (especially high-volume ones) will cut corners to keep costs down, and charge extra for this (when interested at all).
Independent agents like me invest in these tools because they work.

Sometimes we ask for a small upfront marketing contribution, sometimes it's built into the fee — but either way, the return on that investment is clear.

For example:
Rightmove requires a minimum 2% price drop to refresh a listing.
On a £1M home, that’s £20,000.

Investing £1,000–2,000 upfront to avoid that outcome? That’s just smart ROI mindset as opposed to a pure loss.

Local Spotlight: The Property Experts

At The Property Experts, we do all of this — and more.

For example, would you agree putting your home online is just the beginning? If so, what should come next? We bring your listing to life by activating it—targeting the right audience with precision, both online and offline. Why? Because only 2–3% of people are actively looking, but 65% would move if their dream home showed up. That dream home could be yours—provided they know it’s for sale.

We know our numbers, and are proud to share with you our highlights of 2024:

✅ £427,119,550 in property listed
✅ 953 homeowners successfully moved
✅ 102% of asking price achieved on average
✅ Average of 10 viewings per property

And with our Prestige brand, we’re here to raise the standard — not the stress levels.

Wrapping up

A successful listing is never about just uploading photos to Rightmove.

It’s about:

• Knowing your buyer

• Designing the right experience

• Executing the strategy from day one

▶️ If you’re already on the market, use this as a checklist.
▶️ If you’re preparing to list, start with your ideal buyer and let the rest follow.

And if you’re unsure, I’m happy to offer honest, no-pressure advice to help you move forward with clarity and confidence. (Just reply to this e-mail

Because in the end, you only need one buyer.

Let’s make sure they find your home — and fall in love with it.

All the best,

Guy