Feeding the Fish

Why a good estate agent does rather more than sell houses

There's a job description for an estate agent somewhere. It mentions valuations, viewings, negotiation, the occasional heroic effort to find the right buyer. What it does not mention, anywhere, in any edition, is fish food.

And yet here we are. At the moment, between us in the office, we are keeping a pond of fish alive and well at a house that is currently empty. The owners aren't there. The fish very much are. So somebody has to make sure they're fed — which means somebody has to make sure the fish food doesn't run out, which means, yes, we now have fish food delivered. We didn't plan this. We're not marine biologists. But the fish didn't ask to be part of a property transaction, and we weren't about to let them go hungry over it.

This is the part of the job nobody warns you about, and frankly the part we love most.

Selling a house sounds simple when you say it quickly. In reality, a home is rarely just bricks and a postcode. It's somebody's life, often at a tender moment in it. We frequently look after properties for clients who don't live there full time, or who live some distance away. Sometimes — and we say this gently — we're acting for a family after an owner has passed, and the people we're helping are grieving from another part of the country entirely, unable to pop round to check on things. In those situations, “we'll handle it” has to actually mean we'll handle it. All of it. Including the residents with fins.

So we get involved. Probably more than is strictly required, and definitely more than the job description suggests.

We change the water for flowers in the vase, because a wilting bunch on the windowsill makes a house feel forgotten, and a fresh one makes it feel cared for. We arrive early before viewings to make sure everything is tidy and welcoming, we notice the small things: the curtains that want opening to let the light in, the post piling up behind the door, the heating that ought to be ticking over so the place doesn't feel like a fridge. None of it shows up on a brochure. All of it makes a difference.

Why bother? Because the details are the difference. Anyone can stick a board outside and upload some photos. What actually matters, especially when our clients can't be there themselves, is the quiet confidence of knowing their home is in good hands while it waits for the right new owner. That nobody has to lie awake wondering whether the flowers have died, the dust has settled, or — heaven forbid — the fish have staged a protest.

We think of it as looking after the whole situation, not just the sale. The people, the property, the pets, the plants, and apparently the pond life too. When someone trusts us with their home, they're usually trusting us with something a great deal bigger than a transaction. We don't take that lightly. We take it seriously enough to set a reminder about fish food.

It would be easy to make this sound grander than it is. We're not claiming sainthood — we're estate agents, and we'd quite like to sell your house at a good price, thank you very much. But we've learned that doing the job properly and doing the human bits properly are the same thing. A client who feels looked after is a client who can actually relax through what is, let's be honest, one of life's more stressful processes. And a relaxed client makes for a far better sale all round.

So if you ever find yourself needing to sell a home you can't be standing guard over — because life has taken you elsewhere, or because circumstances are difficult and you simply can't face the practicalities from a distance — know that we treat your home as if it were our own. Lights on, flowers fresh, doormat clear, fish fed.

We'd love to help. Whether you're thinking of selling, or just want to talk through your options with people who'll sweat the small stuff on your behalf, do get in touch. We promise to look after everything.

The fish included.