By Sadie Pullin, Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, Priory Law
I spent over a decade working closely with estate agents and clients in the property industry before joining Priory Law. That background - combined with a previous career in accountancy - means I have always approached property transactions with an eye for detail and a strong sense of how many moving parts are involved.
Since moving into the legal side of the industry, my appreciation for what good estate agency actually looks like has grown rather than faded. I think it is worth saying that out loud - because it does not get said often enough.
More than selling houses
There is a phrase that gets thrown around: anyone can sell houses. I heard it when I worked alongside agents and I still hear it now. It is wrong.
The best estate agents are not just negotiators. They are the connective tissue of a transaction - the people keeping buyers, sellers, solicitors, mortgage brokers and surveyors moving in roughly the same direction, at roughly the same time. That is harder than it sounds, and it requires a particular kind of skill: the ability to hold a process together under pressure without losing the human beings inside it.
Anyone who has worked in property knows that a sale is rarely straightforward from the moment it is agreed to the moment it completes. The time between those two points is where most of the real work happens - and much of it belongs to the agent.
What happens in the middle
Agents are usually the first professionals a client speaks to - long before a solicitor is instructed, long before a mortgage application is submitted. By the time a transaction reaches the legal team, the agent has often already spent weeks building a relationship with both buyer and seller, managing expectations on both sides.
That relationship does not pause when the sale is agreed. It continues throughout. Agents chase updates, manage anxiety, field calls at all hours and absorb the frustration that comes with delays - most of which are completely outside their control. When a chain begins to wobble, it is often the agent who holds it together through persistence and relationship management alone.
That work is largely invisible by the time a transaction completes. Which may be exactly why it does not get the recognition it deserves.
What the best agents actually do
The qualities that stand out in great estate agents are the same ones that stand out in great conveyancers: genuine care, proactive communication and a willingness to stay with a problem until it is resolved.
The agents who make a real difference tend to share a few things in common:
- They communicate before they are asked - not reactively, but ahead of the questions.
- They understand the whole process, not just their part of it - which means they can explain what is happening and why.
- They manage the emotional side of a transaction, not just the practical side - because for most people, buying or selling a home is one of the most significant things they will ever do.
- They work with solicitors and conveyancers, not around them - which makes a genuine difference to how smoothly things progress.
- They stay focused on the outcome, even when the process is difficult - and they bring everyone else along with them.
These are not small things. They are the difference between a transaction that completes and one that falls apart.
It takes a team
One of the things I value most about working at Priory Law is the genuine partnership with the estate agents we work alongside. Communication flows, issues are flagged early and everyone is pointed in the same direction - the difference to the client experience is significant.
Getting a transaction over the line is never one person's achievement. It is a team effort.
We understand it’s personal.
About the author - Sadie Pullin
Sadie Pullin is Executive Assistant to the Managing Director at Priory Law. With over a decade of experience working closely with estate agents and clients across the property industry, and a background in accountancy, she brings a methodical eye and a strong understanding of the conveyancing process from every angle.
About Priory Law
Priory Law is a specialist residential conveyancing firm acting for clients across England and Wales. Regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC Licence No. 12134), the firm offers a structured, transparent and personal alternative to high-volume conveyancing. Every transaction is handled by a dedicated conveyancer, with clear communication and a process designed to stay in control from instruction to completion.
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© Priory Law 2026. This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your property transaction, please contact Priory Law directly.