The Highest Valuation Isn’t Always the Best Valuation

When you are thinking about selling your home, it is completely natural to want to achieve the very best price possible.

If you invite several estate agents to value your property and one suggests a noticeably higher figure than the others, it can be tempting to choose the highest valuation. But there is an important distinction to make:

The highest valuation does not necessarily mean the highest eventual sale price.

At Shoulers, we believe our job is to give vendors an honest and realistic assessment of what their property is likely to achieve in the current market – even if that figure is not always the one they were hoping to hear.

What’s happening in the housing market?

The latest Rightmove market update highlights just how important realistic pricing has become.

In August, the average asking price of newly listed homes fell by 2.0% to £364,999 – the largest August fall in asking prices since 2018.

At the same time, the number of homes available for sale is at a 12-year high for this time of year, giving buyers considerably more choice and creating greater competition between sellers.

Against a backdrop of continued geopolitical uncertainty and volatility in mortgage rates, Rightmove has also revised its 2026 asking-price forecast to between 0% and -2% for the year as a whole.

Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock summed up the situation well, saying the larger-than-usual August fall suggests many sellers are recognising current market conditions and choosing to price more competitively from the outset.

For sellers, the message is clear: properties are still selling, but getting the asking price right from day one matters more than ever.

Why an ambitious asking price can backfire

Sometimes an agent may suggest an ambitious asking price in order to win an instruction.

Initially, that can sound appealing. If one agent says your home is worth £25,000 or £50,000 more than another, why wouldn’t you want to give it a try?

The difficulty is that ultimately buyers determine the market value.

With more properties currently available, buyers can compare homes very easily. If yours appears noticeably more expensive than similar properties nearby, they may simply choose to view something else.

Viewings can then be slower, the property remains on the market for longer and eventually a price reduction may be needed.

By that point, you have lost some of the valuable impact of launching a brand-new property to the market.

Your first few weeks matter

When a property first comes onto the market, it appears in buyers’ property alerts and catches the attention of people actively searching in that area and price range.

That initial interest is incredibly valuable.

If the asking price is too high, potential buyers may dismiss the property before arranging a viewing. Reducing the price several weeks later does not necessarily recreate the same level of interest that could have been achieved with the right pricing strategy from day one.

In a market where buyers currently have plenty of choice, that first impression is particularly important.

This is why we believe it is better to have an honest conversation at the beginning rather than start at an unrealistic figure and spend the following months chasing the market down.

Honest advice from the outset

Our valuations are based on comparable properties, recent sales, current competition, the condition and location of your home and, importantly, what we are seeing from buyers in the local market.

Sometimes our advice may be exactly what a vendor hoped to hear.

Sometimes a property may even be worth more than expected.

But there will also be occasions when we have to explain why the current market is unlikely to support a particular figure.

That is not about undervaluing a property. It is about giving vendors the information they need to make an informed decision and putting them in the strongest possible position to secure a buyer.

Asking price and selling price are not the same thing

Anyone can put a property on the market at a high asking price.

The real objective is to agree a strategy that generates genuine interest, encourages viewings and ultimately achieves the best possible result for the seller.

A successful valuation is not simply the highest number an estate agent is prepared to suggest.

It is the figure that gives your property the strongest chance of attracting buyers and achieving the best possible sale in the current market.

Thinking of selling?

If you are considering putting your home on the market, our residential team would be happy to provide a straightforward, evidence-based valuation and talk you through the best strategy for your property.

No unrealistic promises and no telling you what we think you want to hear.

Just experienced, honest advice based on your home, the local market and what today’s buyers are prepared to pay.

Because our job is not simply to put your home on the market – it is to sell it.