Countrywide

Beth19

i think lots of estate agents are paid commision by them

koexelek

minimike2 wrote: »

Their own website lists their panel of 9 lenders.

http://www.mortgagescountrywide.co.uk/mortgages/panel.asp


I do especially like the line:

"Please note - if there is not a suitable product from our panel, we will consider products from other lenders."

So basically, if they dont get a sale, they might decide to go "off-panel". After all, "suitable" doesn't mean "best".

I.E, they have 9 lenders.

" best" for them :cool: :rotfl:

Dan_1976

betmunch wrote: »

Dan,

You are Tarring about 800 Consultants/Advisors/Salesmen with one brush there my friend.

Yes, getting a Salesman off panel will be like pulling teath!

But not for the many Consultants and Advisors they employ, they will check the full panel.

I have a very good friend currently unhappily employed with Countrywide. The reason he is unhappy? His boss is a proper shark of a salesman and wants him to be the same. But he is a qualified IFA and is sticking to his guns and only advising and recomending on his clients needs, not his sales targets.

There are good people at Countrywide, but, as is true with any organisation, there are bad ones as well.

Cheers

Well I have had good experience working with them and another large corporate that work in the same way.

They may have good people but they rules to follow, and if they like it or not they are meant to work that way. I dont work for the other corporate anymore for the that reason, I did not fit in with the nutjobs that had the company name tatood across there backs and did what the bulldog sales managers asked!

So, in MHO I would stay away! I would not even by a house from them, may sound harsh but they nearly cost me my sale a few years ago trying to be greedy!

wildcardsa

I have dealt with them on a few occasions and recently fired one of their many EA companies due to lack of service.
Unfortunately as a large corporate EA,linked with financial advisors,solicitors,surveyors,etc I recently found their prices all a lot more expensive than shopping around and second to that, I also recently found out that our main Agent was getting paid commision to signing up new properties and NOT selling them. (dunno how far this is true, but heard this from numerous sources)

Im now looking at independants Estate Agents now...

Thats my experiance, maybe you and others will have different experiances though....

good luck making the decision though.

betmunch

I heard something about the Sequence Group charging to take a property to market.

Our local one (Connells) has a very bad habit of valuing houses too high just to get them to market. If hes getting paid up front then doesnt need to worry as much about actually selling them!

hahaha

Dan_1976

MAy well happen. I used to work for Sequence, they are turning in to the sister company connells. Or were.

In the last big slump, EA's did well once the first crash eased. They were earning 3% for sales, so making more with less work. People had to sell.

mr_clarkson

i have recently had dealings with them and would comprehensivly warn anyone off using them, we are first time buyers so maybe more nieave than other house purchersers but since day one they have lied and PURPOUSFULLY mislead us time and time again, and to date cost us the best part of a grand that we really cannot afford to loose, however we still feel lucky to have realized in the nick of time what they were up to and got rid of them before they screw us for any more cash. in my opinion i would steer well clear of them!

jayremoh

undervalued two of my houses in the last 5 years.

i rejected their valuation outright both times. 1st time the revalued, 2nd time i got someone else.

Dan_1976

Unusual they normally over do it. By the EA do not value your home, they give a guide price! People forget thsi and so do the EA's!

Not many high street corporate EA's are RICS!

maimee_magic

Agree with Mr Clarkson. Used them and wish I hadn't.They made one !!!! up after another. Even set up insurances even though we hadn't even discussed them. They went as far as setting up direct debits on my bank account. Received a letter of apology and told that the advisor would be retrained!!!! Avoid at all costs. Terrible.