When should EA's stop telling you about 'interest' in your house?

devilot

When you have had an offer in? When you have accepted the offer? When you have recieved the memorandum of sale? When you have exchanged?

We accepted an offer on our house last Monday, we've had the memorandum of sale for the house we are purchasing, but not from our EA's for the house we are selling, yet. I called them last Friday to wonder why it was not showing SSTC on the website, they said that the buyers were sorting their mortgage out still. Fair enough.

They buyers came for a second look on Saturday, did seem very keen and assured us they were serious and wouldn't be messing us about.

Come Wednesday this week - still no memorandum of sale, so I called the EA who said they were having difficulties contacting the buyers solicitor, they couldn't trace the company she worked for and the buyers only had a mobile number for her? Alarm bells started ringing for me at this point but the EA assured me it was fine and they would continue to chase it.

I called yesterday to see where they were at, and the EA told me that our buyers had said they were having family problems which meant they didn't have the energy to deal with all this at the moment...erm - all this? All they need to do is provide proper contact details for the solicitor, and then they can forget about it for the time being?

I was in a proper state last night, convinced that the buyers were about to pull out. Talking to a friend at work today, she mentioned that a relative had called the EA twice in the past week, asking to view our house, and they had been told both times, it had sold (still no memorandum of sale yet, and sign outside still showing 'for sale).

I've been a bit naughty and told my friend her relative can have a private viewing tomorrow if she wants - not because I want to gazump our buyers, but as a bit of a 'back up' really. I've spent the last couple of days worried sick that the sale was going to fall through and that we would lose our house purchase because I assumed as we had not heard anything from the EA that there had been no more interest in the house.

So as I asked in the title, when should an EA stop advising you on interest in your house, and also, does anyone smell a rat with our buyers, or am I just worrying over nothing?

Swipe

An EA should stop when the offer has been accepted, the buyer has demonstrated proof of funds and the buyers are happy with the survey results. Prior to that it is still fair game.

devilot

Thank you. Well no survey has been done yet, as far as I know they have demonstrated proof of funds or at least a AIP, won't have got a full mortgage offer as the lenders survey hasn't been done yet at least.

Am I right to be a bit peed off at the EA for letting things stall?

chickmug

The EA should keep reporting all interest at cyclical intervals whether you are still for sale or sold subject to contract. 99% of folks give their solicitor straight the way or on the odd occassion it can take a day or two but still none at the end of the week I think you need to smell a rat. When you get excuses like family problems you must give people the benefit (perhaps) as there can be mitigating reasons but if there are they should come clean with full explanation.

I think your EA needs to sit on them very very firmly for you - are they (the EA) wimps or what?

SavingSteve

Well yes and no. In that situation I would have made it clear to the EA that you have accepted the offer, but until something concrete is in place (i.e. the items Swipe mentions) you would be open to more viewings and offers.

Suppose the onus is on you to discuss with the EA and make your position clear.

devilot

Thanks again everyone. I'm going to see how tomorrow goes and then call the EA on Monday and make our position clear. Be interesting to find out if they tell us this lady has called twice to ask about our property...

You know what the most galling thing is? The lady coming tomorrow is a cash buyer who had to be out of her current home today (she is staying with rellies until she finds somewhere!!):mad:

Things are never simple, are they?:D

poppysarah

No, they're never simple and sometimes things do genuinely go wrong.

Ms-Money-Penny

I'd tell your EA that until the buyers have a survey etc then you still consider the house on the market and available for viewing.

I lost a sale on my house last year because of FTB's then in the end they were unable to get a mortgage. I've taken my house off the market now but next time i won't be so green.

You are the vendor, you are paying them to sell your house, you call the shots.

chickmug

Ms-Money-Penny wrote: »

I'd tell your EA that until the buyers have a survey etc then you still consider the house on the market and available for viewing.

I lost a sale on my house last year because of FTB's then in the end they were unable to get a mortgage. I've taken my house off the market now but next time i won't be so green.

You are the vendor, you are paying them to sell your house, you call the shots.

I would be appalled that the seller needs to agree whatever action with the EA. The EA should be acting in the sellers best interests and using all efforts to maximise the chance of a sale. As part of this the EA should NOT sit on their laurels just because they think they have a sale agreed. It is NOT a done deal until contracts are exchanged and then legal completion.

devilot

Well the other potential buyers came today and seemed to like what they saw.

I now feel a bit about it all. 2 weeks from offer accepted and we still don't have memo of sale, but the buyers seemed nice people and I feel it would be morally wrong to gazump them. That said, if they keep dragging their heels, we risk losing our house. Its not a case of gazumping for extra money as I can live with the fact that they have got a bargain, its just that I feel like they are stalling for reasons unknown...and perhaps will pull out at a later date, leaving us back at square one.

I'm definitely going to call the EA's today and ask them to speed it up one way or another, I'm also going to ask how many people have asked after our property in the last 2 weeks...;)

devilot

Just an update - I just called the EA and apparently our buyer came in this morning and provided proper solicitor details - I'm calling them Monday afternoon to check they have been able to get in contact with her.

I asked if they had any other interest, she was a bit vague and said they had had 'quite a few' internet enquiries, and also some phone calls but that they couldn't send out a brochure because we hadn't approved it (we have!) and because the HIP was only just completed.

Well...we'll see what happens Monday then.