An estate agent has set up a free quote service for property sellers he claims deals with the “systemic issue” of over-pricing.

Joshua Owens, aged 33, (pictured left) says many owners are given an “eye-catching” amount their home will never realistically sell for.

Never realistic

“Sellers were being anchored to a number that was never realistic,” he says.

“I wanted to give people an honest picture before any of that – not the figure they’d like to hear, but the one they’re actually likely to get.”

Together with business partner Khashi Shahverdi, aged 37 (pictured right), Owens built the AI-driven tool at howsold.uk.

The platform instantly pulls live sold prices, local demand, crime data, flood risk, and energy rating, using real sold prices as the baseline.

Centrepiece

The new tool is the centrepiece of Howsold, an online auctions-based agency launched in Liverpool by the duo in 2025. They bring more than 20 years of combined property experience to the business.

“It’s fast, it’s free, and there’s no catch,” adds Owens. “If someone uses the tool and decides we’re not for them, fine – they’ve still had an honest answer. That’s more than most people get.”

Telling the truth isn’t bad for business – it is the business.”

Fellow director Shahverdi says: “An inflated figure that sits on the market for months is the last thing we want.

“Telling the truth isn’t bad for business – it is the business. The tech is there to serve the seller, not the other way around.”