The weekly vendor report vendors actually read

What vendors actually want to know each week

Vendors are not asking for a marketing report. They are asking three things:

1. Is it working? Are real buyers looking, and are more looking than last week?
2. What do buyers think? Not your summary of what they think. What they actually said.
3. What happens next? What are you doing this week, and what do you need from them?

Everything in the report should serve one of those three questions. If a line doesn't, cut it. A page of portal screenshots and generic market commentary feels busy, but it leaves the vendor to work out the answer on their own. Usually they work out the wrong one.

The other thing vendors want is consistency. A report that arrives on the same day, in the same format, lets them compare week to week. That comparison is where trust comes from. When the numbers move, they can see it themselves, and you don't have to argue the point.

What to include in a weekly vendor report

Keep it to six blocks. Each one has a number or a quote, and each one shows this week next to last week.

1. Enquiries

Count the genuine buyer enquiries for the week, by source: portals, your website, signboard calls, your database, walk-ins at the open. Separate first-time enquiries from people you already knew. If you're slow to reply to portal leads, the count will drop over time, so fix that first. Our guide to portal enquiry follow-up covers how.

2. Inspections

Report the number of groups through each open home and each private inspection. Groups, not people. A couple with two kids is one buyer, not four.

3. Return visits

Second and third inspections are the strongest sign of intent you have before an offer. Name how many came back, and what they came back to look at (the yard, the garage, the second bathroom). This tells the vendor where the real interest sits.

4. Buyer feedback, in their own words

Quote buyers directly. Keep it anonymous, but keep their words. "Loved the kitchen, worried about the road noise from the main bedroom" is far more useful than "positive feedback on presentation". Group the comments into themes so the vendor sees patterns, not just a list. Collecting this is easier if your open home follow-up is tight; see open home follow-up.

5. Price-guide reaction

Tell the vendor how buyers responded to the advertised price or range. Did they say it was fair, too high, or did they go quiet? Note any figures buyers volunteered, and any written offers. If you sell in Victoria, the advertised price now sits on the Property Price Statement, which replaced the Statement of Information; our Property Price Statement guide explains the changes.

6. One clear next step

End with one action and a date. "Second open Saturday at 11. I'm calling the four return buyers on Wednesday to ask for their position." If you need a decision from the vendor, say so plainly and say by when.

An example weekly vendor report layout

Here's a simple layout you can copy. The figures below are placeholders to show the format, not real results.

Put the verdict at the top, not the bottom. Most vendors read the first line and skim the rest. If the first line answers their question, the rest becomes proof instead of a puzzle.

How to give bad news with evidence

Bad news lands better when it's early, specific and backed by the buyers' own words. Vendors rarely get angry at the facts. They get angry at surprises.

1. Say it in the first line. "Inspections are down for the second week, and buyers are telling us the price is the issue."
2. Show the trend. Put two or three weeks of numbers side by side. A falling line makes the case for you.
3. Quote the buyers. Let three or four buyers say it, in their words. It's no longer your opinion.
4. Bring comparable evidence. Show any recent nearby sales that bear on the price.
5. Offer options, not ultimatums. For example: adjust the guide, change the photos or lead image, run a second round of database calls, or hold for two more weeks with a set review date.

How often to send it, and on which day

Weekly is the standard for a reason. It's often enough that the vendor never wonders what's going on, and long enough for numbers to mean something.

• Monday works best for most agents. Most open homes run on the weekend, so a Monday report captures the full week, including Saturday's numbers and feedback, while it's still fresh.
• Same day, same time, every week. Predictability is half the value. If the vendor knows it lands Monday morning, they stop chasing you on Sunday night.
• Add a call when something changes. The report is the record, not the conversation. Any offer, price change or major feedback deserves a phone call first and a written note after.
• Short campaigns may need more. In the final week before an auction, a brief midweek update is reasonable. Keep the same layout so it's easy to compare.

Common pitfalls (and what to do instead)

• "Good feedback" with no numbers. This is the most common one. It tells the vendor nothing and it sounds like spin. Replace it with counts and quotes.
• Reporting portal views as interest. Views show reach, not intent. Lead with enquiries, inspections and return visits, which are actions buyers chose to take.
• Hiding the price conversation. If buyers keep raising price and the report doesn't, the vendor will hear it from somewhere else later and trust you less.
• No next step. A report that ends with "we'll keep you posted" leaves the vendor anxious. Always finish with an action and a date.
• A new format every week. Changing the layout makes comparison impossible. Pick one and stick to it.
• Copy-pasted comments. Vendors notice when the same line appears for different buyers. If you can't remember what a buyer said, that's a follow-up problem. A good buyer database fixes it.

Sending it every week without the extra admin

The report is only as good as the notes behind it. If enquiries, inspection sign-ins and buyer calls all live in different places, Monday morning becomes an hour of copying and pasting, and the quality drops.

A few habits help, whatever system you use:

• Log every enquiry and inspection against the listing on the day it happens.
• Write buyer comments down straight after each call, word for word where you can.
• Keep a running sheet for the campaign, so the report is a summary, not a rebuild.
• Send a live link as well as the summary, so the vendor can check numbers between reports.

Some agencies automate the whole thing. With Tap Vortex, for example, each listing becomes an interactive buyer tour, and a weekly vendor report with a live link goes out every Monday, built from what buyers actually did. If you want to see where your own follow-up loses buyers before the report is even written, try the where do your buyers go cold? check.