Estate Agents cold calling

janey_uk

Quick question - does anyone know whether there is a code of practice for estate agents regarding cold calling?

My house is on the market and I have a contract with a local agent, and other ones (mainly larger chains) keep knocking my door and telling me they have people to view it/it's undervalued etc etc to try and get the sale.

It's completely unwelcome and frankly seems unethical to try and poach so directly - I'm more than happy with my agent. Is this kind of cold calling allowed?

zone

Tell them you are happy with your current agent and they will probably stop.

stevetodd

janey_uk wrote: »

Quick question - does anyone know whether there is a code of practice for estate agents regarding cold calling?

My house is on the market and I have a contract with a local agent, and other ones (mainly larger chains) keep knocking my door and telling me they have people to view it/it's undervalued etc etc to try and get the sale.

It's completely unwelcome and frankly seems unethical to try and poach so directly - I'm more than happy with my agent. Is this kind of cold calling allowed?

undervalued, yeah right!

Gwhiz

A quick !!!! OFF and a fist to the face should suffice!

lincroft1710

Some councils have designated certain areas "No Cold Calling Zones". This operates where I live, but have to confess unsure how it is enforced. Tell the cc agents that if they have potential buyers, they can send them round and if they complete sale you will give agents introductory fee based on half their normal selling fee. I doubt they'll bother you in the future.

PasturesNew

What they're probably trying to do is make you think you're losing out with your current agent, so you go onto their books ... with the ultimate aim being that they'll wipe him out, so there's less local competition.

If only 1 house sells per month in an area, then if there's only one agent selling all the houses they'll get that sale. If there are other agents then it's hit and miss if any one agent gets the deal. So they need to wipe out the competition.

Jorgan_2

Are the agents contacting you part of the NAEA? They take a very dim view of this sort of practice and have fined their members in the past.

teafiend

I had this problem, and the man on my doorstep was more than happy to leave and not return after I asked him whether he understood the data protection act says about the collection of people's personal data, storage and use of it. He tried initially to say that as I had chosen to put my house up for sale, it was fair game. But he did concede that I had not given him my address, or consented to his sending letters to it repeatedly, and definitely not to him turning up on my doorstep. Especially when I don't even have a For Sale board outside. Hateful practice!!!

carolbee

janey_uk wrote: »

Quick question - does anyone know whether there is a code of practice for estate agents regarding cold calling?

My house is on the market and I have a contract with a local agent, and other ones (mainly larger chains) keep knocking my door and telling me they have people to view it/it's undervalued etc etc to try and get the sale.

It's completely unwelcome and frankly seems unethical to try and poach so directly - I'm more than happy with my agent. Is this kind of cold calling allowed?

I too am in south east (in Kent on the coast, waiting for the wood to come ashore near me ) and have had letters through the door but no callers..

As I might want to use them to buy if I stay locally I tell them how truly wonderful my agents are (they really are). I hadn't thought of quoting the Data Protection Act though.

2 viewings tomorrow and only been on the market for 10 days!

janey_uk

Thanks. I think as we have a board up they are just chancing it, but my own agent is making formal complaints to the companies at their head offices as we are apparently not the only customers with the problem. If it were simply calling to say 'if you want to go dual agent here's my details' it would be ok, but they are calling round and effectively slagging off my agent and trying to directly poach business without any invitation to do so.

!!!!!!!

carolbee

it's stressfull enought isn't it without these people coming around. When I spoke to one yesterday about a property they had for sale and said I was on the market with my agents, he sounded surprised and quite disdainful that I was with them! - think nasty smell under their nose.

I wouldn't mind but one their staff once told me to hide up and not answer the door when I said the landlord of the house I was renting was coming round - good professional advice from them eh?

You're lucky your board didn't blow down with the wind we had this week, I've had mine 'shored up' today.

good luck janye_uk with your sale in these tough times