Estate agents - the worst profession

[mowith 10]

I know this has happened to thousands of people but it's still gutting.

 

Niece put offer in on house but it was rejected and offered to first time buyers First time buyer then pulls out. Estate agents phone her and offers her the house which she accepts and puts her house up for sale (in a very popular area with quick sales). Estate agents have just contacted her now and said the vendors have shown further people rund and decided to accept a further first time buyer (with a lower offer) and they have not been successful. Grief all round when hopes are high. I hope the sale falls through right at the last minute!!!! Yes... I am bitter.

[ukdavvy 10]

If they accept your offer then say the house must be withdrawn from the market

 

If they still show people round then walk

They obviously cant be trusted

 

And the seller must take the flak as much as the agent Im afraid

 

good luck

 

d

[Strix 11]

This is exactly why we never negotiate through agents

 

Always sit the vendor down to make your offer - you've a much better chance of discovering whether this sort of stupidity is likely to go on if you do your business personally

[ukdavvy 10]

Actually can I ask you a bit more please

 

Im about to become a first time buyer too and I was wondering what the market is actually like.

 

I dont want to know exact numbers but did your folk offer the asking price or a bit above, and was the first time buyers lower offer at the asking price or below it?

 

Cheers - the agents cant be trusted, according to them everything I want to look at is going to go for 20% above asking.

 

It would be useful to know whats really happening

 

d

[Strix 11]

When you view - ask how long it's been on the market, why they are selling, where they are moving to.... and the answers to these questions will help you to gauge how desparately quickly they need to sell, or otherwise

 

Don't make your offer through the agents, sit down with the vendor and make your offer. If they won't play ball, pull out. The game to play is to deal with the vendor, but keep the estate agent bang up to date.

 

It saves all the to-ing and fro-ing too. If your offer is too low, you'll know immediately, and can up it on the spot, then put exactly the right offer in to the agent - for confirmation in writing.

 

If you deal with the vendor directly, it'll establish a 'relationship' which makes it harder for them to mess you about. If they do mess you about - walk.Once you've established you can be messed about, it won't end with one event, and things can get messy

[Tony 10]

If they accept your offer then say the house must be withdrawn from the market

What gives you that idea? It's for sale right up to the moment that contracts are exchanged... and even then it's not a done deal.

 

People really should take the time to understand how it all works when they are making such big financial decisions.

[ukdavvy 10]

What gives you that idea? It's for sale right up to the moment that contracts are exchanged... and even then it's not a done deal.

 

People really should take the time to understand how it all works when they are making such big financial decisions.

 

Dear Tony

 

It looks like we both know how house sales work in this country

 

My point was if the seller wont stop showing people round then you are at serious risk of losing the house, after you have paid solicitors and surveys this is going to cost you lots of money.

 

If they keep it on the market then you must be suspicious that they are gonna blow you out and risk you losing £££££'s.

this is not good.

 

If however they take it off the market then they are showing good faith and are likely to be a nicer person - tho not completely and not as you say legally bound

 

If youre own philosofy is that a house is for sale until even after contracts have been exchanged, then you are strictly right, but I hope I never try and buy a house off you

 

Its a question of honour and decency

I admit its also a question of money to less honourable types

 

Cheers

 

 

d

[Tony 10]

I do it for a living ukdavvy, so I've probably bought and sold more properties than most people can ever dream of. I do agree with you on the moral points, but of course it takes all sorts, but you'd find dealing with me a pleasure because I have standards that I try to uphold.

 

My most frustrating moment was when I was buying a large property and had signed my contracts, sent all the completion monies to my solicitor and he couldn't get the other side to take his call to exchange that afternoon. You know the rest of the storey without me telling it

 

The moral of this story is... don't expect there to be any morals!

[acps 10]

I can recommend bloor and co, very good. reeds rains are very, very poor.

[Hayley1 10]

I'm not sure if I'm downing all e/agents up here (it's not my intention), but where I came from in the midlands, the e/agents worked a bit harder for their %

ALL viewings are done by them, never by the vendor...unless you request of course.

Their charges are less also. (or at least they were when I left in May)

some of the agents up here I found unhelpful, and even sometimes rude...

I realise they're not all like that, but the ones we had dealings with needed to be retrained.

I was disappointed...as was the fella we bought from