Graham Stanbridge, Head of New Business
Delays are often treated as something that happens later in the transaction – when the chain becomes complex or exchange is approaching. But in reality, by that point, the outcome is already set in motion.
With transactions now taking over four months on average, and fall-through rates sitting around 30%, it’s no surprise that certainty can feel out of reach right up until the point of completion. But what we see repeatedly is that the foundations of a transaction – the information, checks and expectations put in place at the very beginning – are what determine how smoothly everything unfolds from there.
What happens once the chain is underway
When critical information like property details, searches, ID checks or documentation haven’t been made available upfront, those gaps begin to surface as soon as the chain is underway. Progress becomes stop-start, enquiries increase, and brokers find themselves spending more time chasing than actually moving cases forward. Which is when we see that confidence starts to drop – for both brokers and their clients.
And for brokers, this isn’t just an operational challenge. It has a clear commercial impact. Delays mean longer times to completion, slower income, and increased pressure on pipeline health. So that all important income gets delayed.
How brokers can speed up transactions
However, brokers are uniquely positioned to influence change. As the first professional most home movers speak to, brokers have the opportunity to shape the transaction from the very beginning; setting expectations, introducing key steps earlier, and helping clients take the right actions sooner.
This is where I believe the concept of getting clients ready to move early (or sale-readiness) makes the biggest difference. At its core, sale-readiness is about changing the order of events. Instead of waiting for key steps to happen later in the journey, it’s about bringing them forward. That means ensuring that information, checks, and processes are in place before the transaction gathers momentum. From both buyers and sellers.
And this isn’t just what I believe, we know this works. We’ve seen that when key information such as searches and ID checks are introduced earlier, transactions can complete around four weeks faster than the national average, with transaction certainty improving by over 5%2. That’s a meaningful shift; not just in speed, but in certainty and control.
Where delays tend to build in a chain
Importantly, this approach doesn’t require a complete overhaul of how brokers work. In practice, it comes down to a small number of practical actions that can be introduced early in the process:
These steps aren’t about adding more to a broker’s workload. If anything, they reduce it. By addressing potential issues earlier, brokers can remove friction before it impacts the transaction. This leads to fewer delays, fewer surprises, and far less time spent chasing once the case is live.
In a market where speed, service and certainty are increasingly important, being able to progress cases more efficiently becomes a genuine competitive advantage. It not only helps protect pipeline and cashflow, but also strengthens relationships with clients who value clarity and confidence throughout the process.
This is where I’d love to see more brokers feel empowered and start influencing outcomes. Not by working harder later in the process, but by shaping how transactions are set up from the very start.
Because when the right steps happen earlier, everything that follows becomes easier to manage. Progress is smoother, issues are surfaced sooner, and transactions move forward with far less friction.
If you want to see what this looks like in practice, download our broker playbook, which breaks down five simple ways to bring those steps forward – helping you reduce delays, increase certainty and keep cases moving from day one.