When people choose an estate agent to sell their home, they often spend time getting to know the agency first.

They look at the team, the experience, the reputation, the marketing, the properties we sell and, quite rightly, what makes us stand out from the competition.

But something we have always felt is just as important is what happens the other way around.

How well do we really get to know our clients?

When people choose an estate agent to sell their home, they often spend time getting to know the agency first.

They look at the team, the experience, the reputation, the marketing, the properties we sell and, quite rightly, what makes us stand out from the competition.

But something we have always felt is just as important is what happens the other way around.

How well do we really get to know our clients?

As estate agents, we spend a great deal of time inside people's homes. We see the rooms, the gardens, the carefully chosen interiors and all the little details that make a house a home. We talk about valuations, presentation, photography, floor plans and marketing strategies.

But for us, the relationship shouldn't stop at the front door.

Over time, we have come to know our clients beyond the four walls of the property they are selling. We learn about their families, their lifestyles, their plans for the future and, perhaps most importantly, what they are hoping to find in their next chapter and sometimes, that knowledge allows us to do something quite special.

There have been occasions when we have valued a property, met the owners, understood their circumstances and their aspirations, and then found ourselves valuing another property that we immediately felt could be just right for them.

Before the photographs have even been taken, before the particulars have been written and before the property has appeared on the portals, we have been able to make that connection.

We've picked up the phone, made an introduction and arranged a viewing and on more than one occasion, that has resulted in a sale.

No glossy brochure, no online search, no waiting for the right buyer to stumble across a listing. Just an understanding of two sets of clients, their needs and the opportunity to bring them together. For us, this is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.

It is a reminder that estate agency is about so much more than bricks and mortar. It is about people, relationships, listening and understanding. It is about recognising that behind every move there is a reason, a story and often a whole new chapter waiting to begin.

Of course, marketing a property properly is incredibly important, and we take great pride in how we present and promote the homes entrusted to us. But sometimes, the best match happens long before the marketing even begins.

We believe that taking the time to genuinely know our clients gives us a different perspective. It allows us to think beyond the immediate instruction and look at the bigger picture because selling someone's home isn't just about finding a buyer.

Sometimes, it's about helping them find their next home, too.

That's when our job becomes something rather special.