Very un-helpful estate agents

meanbiker84

:mad: Hi,

Im looking to buy a 4 bed home for my family in coventy. I am a first time buyer so dont really have much experience in the way of dealing with estate agents. A few houses that i have been intrested in have been repossesions by connells in coventry. however when i call the agent to try and arange a viewing i get given one day and one time i can view. If i cant make it thats my tuff luck. I ask for another date but they claim they are fully booked up in viewings. but when i go into the agents its full of people just sitting around talking. they dont return my calls or emails so what do i do??

Half of me wants to say p**s off:mad: but in all fairness they do have someting i want. any advice???

thanks in advance

maninthestreet

The EA works for the vendor, not the buyer. Given the current state if the housing market, I find it hard to believe they are fully booked up for viewings.
Try calling their bluff by turning up at their office when they don't appear to be busy, and asking for an immediate viewing.

Robert_Sterling_3

Have you got a mortgage in principle arranged.
It might not be worth arranging a viewing if you have not.

meanbiker84

hi maninthestreets

I have tried asking to go see one now and there was alot of shouting around the office and then a "the estate agent says noooooooo"

robert, I am not using a morgage and intend to be a 100% cash buyer

m_13

Connells are the viewing agents in Coventry for a number of auction houses. They get nothing at all from the deal other than payment for the adverts they place and their time for running block viewing days. I'm guessing these block viewings are the dates and times you have been given to view. If you can make them then it's quite informative as you can listen in on other people's conversations and work out what they think needs doing and if they are serious.

We've just bought a property in Leicestershire and Connells were the viewing agents. They had one block viewings and if you couldn't get there then tough. We did make it and since we exchanged they have allowed us to visit the property again and measure for curtains etc. We complete next Tuesday 10th March.

Do you know who the auction house is? Depending on the number of people asking for legal packs or contacting them for proxy/telephone bid forms they may be willing to put pressure on the EA to add more viewings particularly if there isn't a lot of interest. If there is a lot of interest already then they probably won't.

Robert_Sterling_3

It is similar to the situation with an auction.
If you can't attend on the day of the auction so be it.

It is not all beer and skittles being an Estate Agent particularly now.

maninthestreet

Robert_Sterling wrote: »

It is similar to the situation with an auction.
If you can't attend on the day of the auction so be it.

It is not all beer and skittles being an Estate Agent particularly now.

The OP merely wants to view the property, comparing this to not being able to attend an auction for a property is simply disingenious.

m_13

Repossession properties are a very different kettle of fish from normal properties as many of the posts on here show.

If block viewings are what the mortgagee in possession is willing to pay the EA to run then why would they do more?

It's harsh but the reality of the repossessions and/or auction market. If you are serious about buying a repossessed property then believe me, to get a 'bargain' then you'll have to jump through many more hoops than managing to get to a block viewing!

Robert_Sterling_3

Man in the street:- I agree with M-13
M-13 :- I agree with you. Thank you.

MissMotivation

If you are genuinely interested in this property and are able to buy now then take the viewing appointment that they offer.

The problem with reposession properties is that agents are, more often than not, inundated with people that want to view and for business reasons a block viewing may be the only way that they can meet demand for viewings.

I've lost count over the years where buyers are 'desperate' to view but not willing to put themselves out to attend a viewing

chickmug

MissMotivation wrote: »

I've lost count over the years where buyers are 'desperate' to view but not willing to put themselves out to attend a viewing

Even worse and a rarity is when the sellers have agreed to the viewing, see the sun out on the day of the viewing and decied to go out and not tell anyone they will not be there. One case that sticks in my mind is a special trip to view incurring a several hundred mile round trip.

The viewer was absoltely furious and when they calmed down relalised it wasn't our fault. They, and we, tried to get money off the seller to pay for wasted petrol and he said p*ss off literally saying "I can do what I want".

So we did what we wanted and deinstructed from acting further.

This is one example but similar ocurred now and again but interesting that the EA always initially gets the blame.