Changing Estate Agents When Selling House

nikki_angel

Hi All,

My M.I.L is selling her house and is bound by a 12 week contract with her agent. If she has had no luck after these 12 weeks and wishes to change agent, will she have to pay for further legal checks by her new agent or can she take her results from her old agent with her? The sort of things I mean are like the checks they done to ensure that her 2 sons (21 and 26 who still live at home) are who they say they are etc. Also, am I correct in understanding that her H.I.P can be taken with her?

Many thanks

poppysarah

She should look at why she's not sold - chances are it's not the EA - it's price!

maninthestreet

nikki_angel wrote: »

Hi All,

My M.I.L is selling her house and is bound by a 12 week contract with her agent. If she has had no luck after these 12 weeks and wishes to change agent, will she have to pay for further legal checks by her new agent or can she take her results from her old agent with her? The sort of things I mean are like the checks they done to ensure that her 2 sons (21 and 26 who still live at home) are who they say they are etc. Also, am I correct in understanding that her H.I.P can be taken with her?

Many thanks

Since when did EAs perform identity checks on the occupants of a house for sale??

princessamy86

What legal checks has she paid for? Yes she can take her HIP with her, although if she has deferred the payment they may ask that she pays the amount in full before they release the HIP. As far as I'm concerned, who lives in the house is nothing to do with the agent, nor should she have had to pay to verify it! As long as they confirm the ID of whoever owns the property (which we do by a driving licence, passport etc for free) then they shouldn't need anything else!

nikki_angel

To be honest I am not 100% sure about the whole ID check thing as I have never heard of it before either. Apparently it is to do with data protection which sounds ridiculous but I'm not sure. Sorry pregnant head!!!!

I'll try and get more info and come back to you!

chickmug

nikki_angel wrote: »

To be honest I am not 100% sure about the whole ID check thing as I have never heard of it before either. Apparently it is to do with data protection which sounds ridiculous but I'm not sure. Sorry pregnant head!!!!

I'll try and get more info and come back to you!

It will be the Money Laundering Regs which EA's must do for seller/s and they are even recommended to do it for buyers. But only for those who say they own or part own the house.

No charges should be made by EA.

googler

They should only need to check the ID of the supposed owner of the property to be sold, not all the occupants, and they shouldn't be charging for merely looking at a driving licence, passport, utility or council tax bill, and noting or photocopying them!

david29dpo

With all my years dealing with agents, I too any never heard of this before.

zaphod_beeblebrox_2

We sold our house last year (thank god) after switching agents several times due to their incompetence in marketing the house (Estate Agents are the scum of the earth, all failed Car or Double Glazing salesmen)

To answer the original posters question ... yes !

What happens is that (by law) the Agent has to check that YOU ARE THE OWNER of the house, this means simply showing proof, ie Bank Statement, Passport et-al. They then complete a £3 online Land Registry search, and that’s it, no cost to you !

When you change from one to another, they will do the same, but it does not cost you anything

PLEASE read the SMALL PRINT on the NEW agents contracts, don’t assume all EA contracts are the same. One we where about to switch to had TINY wording that … "if we pulled out at ANY time up to completion we would be charged 3% of the sale price, regardless if they where still instructed. We challenged this as it was a 12 weeks contract and HE (IT) draw a line through it!

If your not happy with the agent, switch as we did several times. I ended virtually marketing and selling it myself with their board up

'Benefit Britain Brown', if your good at anything, disband all Estate Agents

nikki_angel

Thanks to all for the advice etc.

Is anybody able to tell me the sort of searches/checks etc that the EA carries out that the seller is liable for? Also, linking in with the original question, would they need to be repeated by the new EA or could the results of the original searches/checks be taken along to new agent?

Thanks all!!

nikki_angel

Just bumping this post to see if anyone can help