Home for Christmas? Agents plan to work through festive period

The festive season may be a time to slowdown and reflect on the past year but estate agents are planning to work all the way through to Christmas Eve to keep the property market moving, research suggests.

With Christmas approaching estate agents could be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas following what have been a manic few years due to the pandemic property market boom. 

However, a survey of more than 500 property professionals by GetAgent has revealed that 88% of estate agents plan to keep working until Christmas Eve. 

Three quarters of those surveyed will also be putting in a shift during the week between Christmas and New Year to ensure that those final sales complete before 2023. 

For the vast majority (75%), this means clocking longer working hours than usual, with 26% also stating they will be working weekends in order to get the job done, according to the research.

While 83% said they will take some time to completely switch off on Christmas Day, 8% revealed they may check their emails, 5% stated they might do a little bit of work, with 4% planning to work as usual on Christmas Day. 

Mal McCallion, chief operating officer at GetAgent, said: “It’s been an incredibly busy few years for the nation’s estate agents, who have worked incredibly hard to service the millions of homebuyers and sellers transacting during the pandemic market boom. 

“But despite this, it seems that they remain unrelenting in their endeavours to get as many sales over the line as possible before Christmas comes and the year is out. 

“Most will be clocking longer hours and working right up until Christmas Eve - when presumably local shops will feel the benefit of some panicked last-minute present buying!

“A word of caution, however - following such an intense period of sustained market activity, it’s important that even the most committed agents find a day to completely switch off.

“Whether they celebrate Christmas or not, that 17% intending to work on Christmas Day itself might just want to put the laptop away and join the rest of the country in binge-watching disposable festive nonsense.

“We’re all susceptible to burn out and it’s the one time of year when we can all pause, take stock and spend some quality time with our loved ones.”