Estate agent removed property from sale

sensybil

We've been trying to sell our flat for almost one year with one estate agent. This weekend the "for sale" sign disappeared. Sometimed they get nicked but I found it a bit strange so checked the EA & rightmove website and our property has gone! I walked down to the EA office & passed another property still for sale with them with for sale board outside. At the office they've obviously not gone out of business but still have a handful of properties for sale.

Anyone got any idea how this could be? How do I stand legally? They have made no contact for weeks & still have my house keys!

poppysarah

When they open tomorrow be there.

sensybil

I will be but it's really annoying me in the meantime!

PropertyPro

Sounds like a misunderstanding.

Perhaps the person who supplies their boards took the wrong one away?

As Poppy says, go and see them tomorrow. Ask why they haven't been in touch recently. All agents should stay in contact with their vendors - who after all pay their fees, whatever the market may be.

Mutton_Geoff

Agents often remove properties from Rightmove and then put them back on a couple of days later. It makes them show up in the "new listings" bit and emails registered people accordingly.

It also circumvents any Property Bee data on the previous listings.

The removal of the board is probably a co-incidence?

sensybil

Possible but it wouldn't explain why the property has also been removed from their window.

Hopefully all will become clear.

GDB2222

I think you shd get the keys back.

silvercar

Estate Agents don't like property to be on their books for ages, it looks bad. Marketing a property costs money, takes advertising space in adverts and in the window and makes the agent look stale.

If you've been on the market for a year the agent has probably shown it to everyone able to afford your price, so he's virtually given up on the sale. He wants new properties on his books, that attract people into his office and makes his adverts look exciting.

Unless you want to reduce the price to appeal to other buyers, there is little the agent can probably do for you, he knows this and has sidelined your property.

Either reduce the price or go with a different agent who might find handling your sale exciting.

papermoney

Silvercar - i've never heard of that before, i'm shocked that an EA would take a property off their books without communication. Infact even with communication.

I'd be at the EA door tomorrow morning wanting to know exactly what is going on.

sensybil

We reduced the price about 6 weeks ago by £10000 but he's never got back to us since then. Can they just remove properties without consulting you? We have to give notice, are they not bound by anything?

PropertyPro

sensybil wrote: »

We reduced the price about 6 weeks ago by £10000 but he's never got back to us since then. Can they just remove properties without consulting you? We have to give notice, are they not bound by anything?

Estate agents will do just about anything to ensure they don't have properties withdrawn.

I'm sure you'll find that they are still marketing the property and the for sale board has either been stolen or taken away in error.

When you go to see them tomorrow, state that you want them to call you weekly with an update on interest shown in the property. That will keep them on their toes. If they carry on not making contact with you then check the terms of your contract and give them notice to withdraw the property from them at the earliest possible time and then get another agent to market the property on the understanding they call you once a week to discuss the marketing of the property.