In an era of portal dependency, if the major property platforms vanished tomorrow, would your agency thrive?
That’s the question being posed by branding and digital marketing experts Jazzbones Creative, who believe too many estate agents rely on portals like Rightmove and Zoopla and ignore their own shop window – their website.
In a world where house sellers are looking for more than just a quick Google search to find an agent, this isn’t enough.
“Many estate agents’ website are little more than catalogues of properties for sale,” said Nathan Sandhu, founder of Swindon-based Jazzbones, which specialises in the property sector. “But they should be viewed as a real asset which, if done well, are an intrinsic part of an agent’s growth strategy.
“People looking to sell property want an agent they trust, who has credibility and proven results. They are no longer just browsing Google results to pick their nearest agent. They are asking direct questions, comparing expertise and increasingly trusting AI to guide early decisions about who they want to entrust to sell their most valuable asset – their home.”
Jazzbones is advising estate agents to remember:
- Search in 2026 is no longer a single channel problem.
- Ranking well is not the same as being trusted.
- Traffic is not the same as influence.
- Digital foundations are not optional – they are where sellers validate you, where future staff decide if you are worth joining, and where your reputation is quietly shaped long before a valuation is booked.
Nathan said: “The strongest agencies understand this shift. They are using their website to establish authority, answer the right questions and shape perception before the valuation is ever booked. If your website isn’t doing that, it isn’t a growth asset.
“The portals are just the first step. House sellers will then build up a picture of an agent through their branding, their sales boards, their social media, and what their website says about them, and whether it resonates.”
By leaving their websites to languish, estate agents risk having to work harder for instructions, end up discounting more than then need to, and struggle to find the best employees.
Nathan added: “Yes, investing properly in brand and digital costs money but there is a bigger cost which comes through not investing.”
Jazzbones has been creating websites for more than 20 years. The team are currently offering a cost-effective SEO Foundations package to estate agents. A monthly optimisation programme that improves visibility, authority and enquiry, it also includes a landing page or microsite designed to convert visitors into enquiries, and is structured for SEO, AEO (answer engine optimisation) and GEO (generative engine optimisation, to improve visibility with AI engines like ChatGPT or Gemini).
Jazzbones Creative works with businesses in the property sector including some of the biggest national and independent estate agents, property developers and architects. For more information visit https://jazzbones.co.uk/.
