Sales progression emails you can copy
Five plain emails for the sale that’s gone quiet: to the solicitor, the broker, the other agent in the chain and your vendor, plus one for every sale hoping to complete before Christmas. There are dates to send them, too. They’re free. There’s nothing to sign up for. Copy them, change them, put your name on them.
The emails
Curly brackets are yours to fill in. Each one is short and goes to one person, so it’s easy to answer.
Email 1. To a solicitor, when the file’s gone quiet
Subject: {Address}: where are we up to?
Hi {name}, I’m the agent on {address}, sold to {buyer}. We last heard from you on {date}. Could you tell me where the file is up to, and what you’re waiting for and from whom? A one-line reply is plenty. If it’s with someone else, tell me who and I’ll chase them. Thanks, {your name}Email 2. To the broker, when the mortgage offer isn’t in
Subject: {Buyer}, {address}: mortgage offer
Hi {name}, I’m the agent on {address}, which {buyer} is buying. The application went in on {date}. Has the valuation been done, and do you have a date for the offer? If you’re waiting on anything from me or the seller, tell me and I’ll get it. Thanks, {your name}Email 3. To the other agent in the chain
Subject: {Their address}: where’s your end of the chain?
Hi {name}, Our sale of {address} depends on yours at {their address}. We’re aiming to exchange by {date}. Are you still on track for that? What’s the last thing you’re waiting for? I’ll tell you if anything moves at our end. Thanks, {your name}Email 4. To your vendor, even when nothing’s moved
Subject: {Address}: where things stand this week
Hi {first name}, Here’s where your sale stands: - Done: {what’s come back since I last wrote} - Waiting on: {who, and for what} - Next from me: {what I’m doing, and by when} There’s nothing you need to do {or: the one thing I need from you is ...}. I’ll write again on {day}, even if there’s no news. Thanks, {your name}Email 5. On every sale hoping to complete before Christmas
Subject: {Address}: is completing before Christmas still realistic?
Hi {name}, {Buyer} and {seller} are hoping to complete on {address} before Christmas. We’re closed from {day} to {day}. From what you can see now, is that still realistic? What’s left, and who has it? If it isn’t going to happen, I’d rather tell them now than the week before, so they can plan their move. Thanks, {your name}
Before the Christmas break
The bank holidays are GOV.UK’s for England and Wales: Fri 25 December, Mon 28 December and Fri 1 January. The send dates are only our suggestion, so move them to fit the days you’re closed.
| Day | What to send |
|---|---|
| Mon 30 November 2026 | Send email 5 on every sale hoping to complete before Christmas. |
| Mon 7 December 2026 | Send email 1 on any sale with nothing back from a solicitor. |
| Mon 14 December 2026 | Send email 2 where the mortgage offer isn’t in, and email 3 where the chain has gone quiet. |
| Fri 18 December 2026 | Send email 4 to every vendor, so they know where things stand over the break. |
| Mon 4 January 2027 | Back in. Send email 1 on any sale that went quiet over the break. |
The days the money can’t move
If the completion money goes by CHAPS, the Bank of England’s words are:
The CHAPS system is usually open from 6am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank or public holidays in England and Wales).
On that timetable, a completion that misses Thu 24 December can’t move by CHAPS until Tue 29 December, and one that misses Thu 31 December has to wait until Mon 4 January.
The Bank also says “Customer payments must be submitted by 5.40pm”, and a solicitor’s own bank may set an earlier time. So ask the solicitors on each sale how they’re sending it and what their last time is.
Before you use them
We aren’t solicitors or conveyancers and this isn’t legal advice. We wrote these on 6 November 2026, so check them against the Bank of England’s and GOV.UK’s pages and your own terms.
We have no reply rate for these emails. If one of them works or falls flat, we’d like to know: info@chancelry.com.
If you’d rather nobody had to send them
Chasing is the sort of job Chancelry can set up for an agency, in its own email and systems. You don’t need that to use anything on this page.
Sales progression chasing: solicitors, brokers and the chain