Leicester-based Hauseit, the independent estate agency co-founded by Imran Bashir and Mohammad Aliyan, has been featured in The Negotiator — one of the UK property industry’s leading trade publications — for its policy of refusing to over-value properties to win instructions.
The article, written by industry journalist Nigel Lewis and published on 27 August 2025, profiles how Hauseit is gaining market traction in Leicester by doing the opposite of what many agents do: giving sellers an honest valuation rather than an inflated one designed to flatter.
Honesty over instructions
It is an open secret in the estate agency industry that some agents inflate their valuations to win the instruction, then gradually reduce the asking price over the following weeks. Sellers, drawn in by the high number, sign on the dotted line — only to find themselves stuck on the market for months with a price correction looming.
Hauseit’s approach is different by design. Co-founder Imran Bashir told The Negotiator:
“We would rather get a property sold for our client than give them false hope. That honesty has led to faster sales and more word-of-mouth recommendations.”
The agency reports selling properties in as little as two weeks — considerably faster than many traditional local competitors.
Raising standards in Leicester
For Mohammad Aliyan, the honest valuation policy is part of a broader mission to elevate the standard of estate agency in the city:
“We want to raise the standard of estate agency in Leicester. Sellers deserve transparency, buyers deserve fairness, and landlords deserve compliance and peace of mind.”
The feature notes that Hauseit combines digital marketing innovation — including cinematic property film and editorial photography — with traditional service values: direct phone numbers, personal viewings, and founders who attend every valuation themselves.
An industry context
The article arrives shortly after a BBC investigation into over-pricing allegations at one of the UK’s largest online agencies. The Negotiator piece situates Hauseit within a broader industry movement toward transparent pricing — a growing demand from both sellers and buyers who are increasingly research-savvy and less willing to be misled.
North London agent Trevor Abrahmsohn is also quoted in the piece, characterising over-pricing as an “ungratifying sport” among certain market participants.
For Hauseit, the recognition in a national trade publication is a validation of the model the founders have built from the ground up in Leicester since launch.
