Know what your competition is asking – and why half of it won’t sell.
How a competitor listing analysis changes the appraisal conversation from opinion to evidence.
Kieran Slinger · Propalt · For estate agents
Every agent knows their local rivals by feel – who's active, roughly what they're asking, who seems to be winning or struggling. What almost none have is a systematic, data-backed read on competitor stock by type, beds, price and EPC: the kind of intelligence that actually sharpens a price recommendation or an appraisal pitch.
The agent who walks into a valuation knowing not just the comparables but the competitive picture – what else is on at this price, how it stacks up on size and EPC, how long it's been sitting – brings a level of preparation the vendor can feel.
What competitive positioning analysis actually shows
A competitor listing analysis for a target area does three things that a casual portal browse cannot. It normalises for size by calculating price per square foot across competing stock. It surfaces EPC rating as a competitive dimension alongside price. And it identifies which competing listings have been on the market long enough to have lost credibility with buyers, which is important context for a vendor considering whether to compete at a similar price.
| Active 4-bed detached, LE3 – competitive picture | Asking price | Price/sqft | EPC | Days on mkt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 Glenfield Rd, LE3 | £485,000 | £362/sqft | C | 12 days |
| 17 Western Blvd, LE3 | £499,950 | £381/sqft | D | 38 days |
| 8 Fosse Rd North, LE3 | £475,000 | £358/sqft | B | 8 days |
| 31 Hinckley Rd, LE3 | £525,000 | £398/sqft | C | 71 days |
| Subject property recommendation | £479,000–£495,000 | £360–£372/sqft | C | – |
That picture tells a clear story. The best-value property at £475,000 with a B-rated EPC went under offer in eight days. The most expensive at £525,000 has been sitting for 71 days with a C-rated EPC and is not competitive on a price-per-square-foot basis. The recommended range for the subject property positions it to compete with the two strong performers and avoid the pricing trap of the slow-moving stock.
That recommendation, presented to a vendor with the supporting data, is not a subjective opinion. It is a competitive analysis.
The appraisal pitch that demonstrates real market knowledge
Vendors increasingly prepare for valuation meetings by doing their own Rightmove research. An agent who arrives with a competitor analysis that goes deeper than the vendor's own browsing – normalising for size, including EPC, flagging which competing properties are already stale – demonstrates a command of the market that a portal browse cannot match.
The Propalt Competitor Listing Analyser pulls all competing active listings in an area by type and bedroom count, benchmarks on price per square foot, EPC and days-on-market, and produces a competitive positioning summary. The agent arrives at the appraisal with an insight the vendor has not seen. That is the difference between an agent who quotes a figure and one who explains it.
The agent who knows the competitive picture doesn't guess at the price. They recommend it from evidence.
Walk into every appraisal with the competitive picture already mapped.
Try the Competitor Listing Analyser → propalt.ai
Competitive listing data sourced from live portal activity via the Propalt intelligence layer. Price per square foot calculations require floor area data where available. This article is general information for estate agency professionals.
Competitor Listing Analyser
Pulls all competing active listings in an area by type and beds, benchmarks on price, size and EPC, and produces a competitive positioning summary.
🎯 Best used for
Appraisal & pricing strategy
🔌 Propalt APIs used
audience_selling_property get_comparable get_market_analysis get_epc_fabric_by_postcode