• Swindon & Wiltshire Experts
• Wednesday February 18 2026
• Author Name: Nathan Sandhu

Estate agents: if portals disappeared tomorrow, would you still win business? – Jazzbones

Too many estate agents are relying on portals while ignoring their own websites, says branding expert Nathan Sandhu

In an era of portal dependency, if the major property platforms vanished tomorrow, would your agency thrive?

That’s the question estate agents need to ask themselves, because it’s clear that too many rely on portals like Rightmove and Zoopla and ignore their own shop window – their website.

Many estate agents’ website are little more than catalogues of properties for sale, 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. 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.

Sellers 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.

If you run an estate agency, then 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.

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.

Yes, investing properly in brand and digital costs money but there is a bigger cost which comes through not investing.

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 Sandhu is founder & creative director at Jazzbones