Think back ten years.
In 2016, Leicester City were Premier League champions, the iPhone 7 was the latest piece of technology and electric vehicle chargers were hardly top of a home buyer’s wish list.
The property market felt different too.
Buyers still searched online, of course, but the way they researched and compared homes was nowhere near as sophisticated as it is today.
Fast forward to 2026 and the modern buyer often knows an extraordinary amount about your home before they’ve even contacted the estate agent.
That’s completely changed the way properties need to be sold.
The viewing now starts online
Years ago, a physical viewing was often the moment a buyer properly discovered a property.
Today, that discovery happens on a phone.
Before arranging an appointment, buyers may have studied the floorplan, checked the EPC, researched local schools and looked at recent sold prices.
They may have virtually travelled along your road using Street View and zoomed into every property photograph several times.
By the time they arrive at your front door, they aren’t necessarily deciding whether they like your home.
They’re deciding whether reality matches the expectations created online.
That’s a very different buyer journey.
Your home is competing with more properties than you think
Buyers don’t look at homes in isolation.
A three-bedroom semi-detached house in Thetford isn’t simply competing with the house for sale three roads away.
Depending on the buyer’s circumstances, it might also be compared with properties in Brandon, Attleborough, Watton or villages across the Norfolk and Suffolk border.
Buyers can switch between dozens of listings within minutes.
If the photographs don’t capture their attention, the price feels difficult to justify or key information is missing, they may simply swipe to the next home.
Often, the seller never knows that buyer existed.
First impressions happen before the front door
This is why property marketing matters more than ever.
Professional photography isn’t simply about making rooms look attractive. Good photography should help a buyer understand the home, its lifestyle and why it deserves their attention.
The same applies to floorplans, video tours and social media marketing.
Today’s buyers consume property content across multiple platforms. They’re not all sitting on a property portal actively searching at exactly the same moment.
Sometimes a buyer discovers their next home while scrolling through social media when they weren’t consciously planning to move at all.
Selling successfully means meeting buyers where they are.
Buyers are more cautious about uncertainty
Higher borrowing costs and the rising price of home improvements have also influenced buyer behaviour.
Many people are thinking more carefully before taking on a major project.
That doesn’t mean buyers only want perfect homes.
Far from it.
Properties requiring modernisation can still generate significant interest, but buyers increasingly want to understand what they’re committing to.
A home that clearly needs a new kitchen can be budgeted for.
A home surrounded by unanswered questions is harder to assess.
Clear information and honest marketing can often give buyers greater confidence than trying to disguise a property’s imperfections.
Modern buyers expect quick answers
Our expectations around communication have changed dramatically.
We order something online and receive an immediate confirmation. We track deliveries in real time. We send messages and often expect a response quickly.
Property buyers bring those same expectations into their home search.
When someone is excited about a property, momentum matters.
Viewing enquiries that sit unanswered or simple questions that take days to resolve can quickly cool enthusiasm.
A proactive estate agent understands that buyer interest needs to be handled carefully from the first enquiry onwards.
Buyers arrive better informed
Perhaps the biggest change is simply how much information buyers can access.
Many will research the local market extensively before booking a viewing.
They’ve seen price reductions.
They know how long comparable homes have been advertised.
They’ve looked at previous sale prices.
Some will arrive with a surprisingly detailed understanding of the market.
This is why unrealistic pricing strategies are increasingly difficult to sustain.
Today’s buyers can often spot an ambitious asking price remarkably quickly.
Selling a home now requires a strategy
Putting a property online and waiting for enquiries isn’t a marketing plan.
Successful sales increasingly depend on preparation, accurate pricing, strong presentation and creating genuine buyer interest from the moment a home becomes available.
At Location Location East, our approach is built around understanding how buyers actually behave today. From pre-market launches and professional photography to presenter-led video and targeted social campaigns, the aim is to create interest rather than simply wait for it.
Our own marketing approach reflects a simple reality highlighted throughout our company strategy: today’s buyers aren’t just scrolling property portals. They’re discovering homes through social media and digital content too.
The buyer has evolved.
If you’re thinking of selling your home in Thetford or across the wider Breckland area, make sure your marketing strategy has evolved with them.
Article by Andrew Overman | Partner | Location Location East
