Almost a third of prospective seller leads can be generated outside conventional estate agency working hours, according to new data highlighting the growing importance of round-the-clock digital engagement in the property market.
Figures from The ValPal Network show that up to 32% of leads generated through ValPal Pro occur outside traditional opening hours, as homeowners increasingly research valuations and contact agents during evenings and weekends.
The findings suggest the working day for prospective sellers can look very different from the opening hours of a traditional estate agency branch.
During August, ValPal Pro generated 3,634 appointment requests and 3,802 callback requests, representing 7,436 direct opportunities for estate agents.
Across the wider ValPal platform, 47,401 valuation leads were recorded during the month, indicating significant numbers of homeowners were researching the potential value of their properties.
Seller Activity Continues After Offices Close
The proportion of enquiries classified as out-of-hours depends on how an agency’s conventional working week is defined.
Using opening hours of 9am to 6pm across seven days, approximately 25% to 26% of ValPal Pro activity occurred outside those times.
However, when Sunday is considered a non-working day, the proportion rises to approximately 31% to 32%.
The figures illustrate how digital property searches have increasingly separated the homeowner’s journey from conventional branch opening times.
A prospective seller may research local property prices, request an online valuation or decide they want to speak to an estate agent while sitting at home in the evening or during the weekend.
Craig Vile, Director of The ValPal Network, said:
“Our figures clearly demonstrate that, with ValPal Pro, agents have the ability to say: ‘We never close.’
“In today’s demanding world, consumers increasingly expect businesses to be responsive when it suits them, not simply between 9am and 6pm.
“Someone considering selling their home in the evening or at the weekend is every bit as valuable a prospect as someone making an enquiry during office hours.
“AI allows that initial conversation to begin immediately, while interest is still high, without asking agency teams to work around the clock. The technology handles availability; the agent still owns the relationship and ultimately wins the instruction.”
AI Increasingly Used For Initial Customer Contact
For estate agents, the challenge is how to respond to homeowners quickly without expecting staff to remain available throughout the evening and weekend.
Technology providers increasingly see artificial intelligence and automation as one solution, allowing an initial interaction to take place before a member of the agency team follows up.
This could prove particularly relevant in the property sector, where securing the first meaningful conversation with a homeowner considering selling can provide an important opportunity to win a valuation appointment and potentially a future instruction.
However, the technology does not remove the importance of human interaction. Rather, its role is increasingly being positioned as a way of bridging the period between an online enquiry and personal contact with an estate agent.
3pm Emerges As Busiest Time For Activity
The August figures also revealed changes within the traditional working day.
According to The ValPal Network, 3pm was the busiest hour for activity, while activity at 5pm increased by 15.1%.
The later pattern could be significant for agencies deciding when sales teams should prioritise responding to new digital enquiries.
Vile said:
“These figures reinforce the importance of always-on lead engagement in a market where speed of response can influence which agent secures the first meaningful conversation with a prospective seller.”
The findings come as estate agencies continue to balance traditional branch-based services with consumers’ growing expectations for immediate digital access.
Online valuations, property portals and digital communications have already made it possible for homeowners to begin the selling process at virtually any time of day.
For agencies, the next challenge may be ensuring that interest is captured effectively when it occurs, while still providing the personal expertise homeowners expect once they are ready to discuss putting their property on the market.
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About The ValPal Network
The ValPal Network provides instant online valuation services and a range of additional products to over 1000 estate and letting agency brands with more than 4,300 offices across the UK.
The ValPal Network was winner of the Best in Sector Supplier of the Year Award for valuation tool at The ESTAS for five consecutive years.
For more information, visit: https://www.valpal.co.uk/.
