Agents Lose 34% of the Day to Chasing: 5 Ways to Get Those Hours Back

If you own an independent agency, you probably know how a day can disappear: a call to a buyer, another to a solicitor, a quick update for a seller, then a colleague needs to know what happened on a different file.

A recent Landmark Information Group report puts a number on that familiar pressure. Property professionals estimated that around 34% of the working day goes on chasing stakeholders for updates or responding to requests about outstanding information.

The same research found that 74% of professionals say rising fall-through rates are significantly affecting business performance. Among agents, poor communication between transaction stakeholders was selected as a top-three frustration by 36%, up from 19% in 2025.

That doesn’t mean every agency can reclaim a third of the day overnight. Some follow-up is an essential part of keeping a sale moving. But it does invite a useful question: which chasing needs your expertise, and which needs a clear owner, a better routine or a dedicated pair of hands?

Where does all that chasing time go?

It rarely sits in one neat block in your diary. It arrives in small interruptions, each with its own file, person and next step.

You might be checking whether the buyer has returned paperwork or spoken to their mortgage broker. You may be trying to get a response from a solicitor about searches, enquiries or a draft contract. If there’s a chain, the other agents may have the latest news on a linked sale, or may be waiting to hear from someone else.

Then there are the sellers, who need a clear picture of progress, and the lender or broker, who may have information about a mortgage offer or valuation. Finally, there’s internal chasing: asking a colleague whether they spoke to the buyer, checking who promised to call the solicitor, or piecing together what’s happened from different notes.

Each conversation can be reasonable. The drain comes when the same question gets asked repeatedly, nobody knows who owns the next action, or you have to stop several times a day to pick up the thread.

Five practical ways to get those hours back

1. Agree an update rhythm before people start asking

A buyer or seller who doesn’t know when they’ll hear from you may understandably chase for reassurance. A simple contact plan at the start of the transaction can reduce that uncertainty.

Explain who their main contact is, how often they can expect a progress update, and what kinds of changes you’ll communicate sooner. For example: “We’ll check in with you every Thursday, and we’ll be in touch sooner if there’s a meaningful change or we need something from you.”

The rhythm should suit your pipeline and your team. The important part is setting an expectation you can keep. A scheduled update isn’t a reason to sit on important news; it gives routine communication a home, so fewer people have to ask where things stand.

2. Give each outstanding action an owner and a review date

“Waiting for the solicitor” doesn’t tell you who needs to do what next. A useful action note does.

For every open item, record:

• What needs to happen.

• Who is responsible for moving it forward.

• When it was requested and when you’ll review it.

• What the next step will be if there’s no response.

For example: “Buyer’s solicitor to confirm searches ordered. Requested Tuesday. Review Thursday; call the firm if there’s no reply.” That’s clearer than a vague reminder to chase, and it helps your colleague pick up the file without starting from scratch.

It also makes it easier to tell the difference between an action that is genuinely overdue and one that is still within the timeframe you agreed.

3. Batch routine chasing into set slots

If every new email triggers an immediate call, you spend the day switching between tasks. Where the matter allows, set one or two daily slots for routine progression calls and messages. Group actions by file or type, keep your open-action list to hand, and update your notes as you go.

This doesn’t mean ignoring urgent issues. A chain break, a lender deadline or a problem that could put a sale at risk may need attention straight away. But a routine request for an update may be better handled in your next planned slot than interrupting a valuation call or client meeting.

Protect the slots in your diary, and agree within the team what counts as urgent. That way, batching creates focus without leaving important developments unattended.

4. Ask a specific question with a date attached

“Any update?” is easy to send, but it can be hard to answer. The recipient may not know which part of the transaction you mean, or what information would help you move the file on.

Try naming the action and asking for the detail you need. For example:

“Could you confirm whether the searches have been ordered? If they haven’t, please let me know what’s outstanding and when you expect to place them.”

Where a reply is needed by a particular date, say so and explain why. A clear question gives the person on the other end a better chance of providing a useful answer, and gives you a more meaningful next step if they can’t.

5. Notice when the problem is capacity, not process

Better routines can cut duplicated effort. They can’t create more hours in the week.

Look at your pipeline over a typical period. Are the same actions being chased twice because ownership isn’t clear? That points to a process issue. Or are you following a sensible process but still unable to complete the work within business hours? Are sales calls, instructions or time with your team being pushed aside because every live file needs your attention?

If the process is clear but the workload still doesn’t fit, that’s a capacity question. You might redistribute tasks across the team, review which files need closer attention, or bring in support for progression. The aim isn’t to pass every client conversation elsewhere. It’s to decide where your time matters most and make sure the essential follow-up still happens.

You can start by reviewing a handful of live files: list their outstanding actions, name an owner for each, and estimate how much time they need this week. That small audit can show whether clearer ownership would help, or whether you need more capacity.

Some chasing is part of the job. It doesn’t all have to sit with you.

Progressing a property sale involves people, changing circumstances and information that doesn’t always arrive when expected. You can’t eliminate every follow-up, and you shouldn’t promise that every transaction will run without delays.

But you can reduce avoidable chasing, make the next action clearer and keep clients better informed. And when the volume still leaves you stretched, asking for support is a sound business decision, not a failure to manage your agency.

Easy Progression provides calm, people-led outsourced sales progression for estate agents, working as an extension of your team. You agree how the handover works and stay informed about your pipeline, without having to micro-manage every call. The support is delivered during business hours, so reclaiming time doesn’t depend on adding evenings to your working week.

If chasing is taking you away from the work only you can do, it may be time to look at what could be shared. Start with one file, one clear handover and a little more breathing room in your day.