Estate Agent got very snarky...

Orpheo

Just venting really.

A telephone converation with an EA today got very heated when I refused to take their "financial advice." I have been viewing some houses with this particular EA and today she asked me if I would be interested in making an appointment with them for mortgage advice. I simply replied "no" and told her that I would be making my own mortgage arrangements. She pressed me with the spiel about them "being able to quote from the whole of the market" and when I refused again she asked why. I told her that I would prefer to keep my financial advice separate from any agents who might want to sell me a house. At this she became quite angry and began ranting on about how she can't understand why I would make such a decision.

Why on Earth would anyone seek financial advice from someone who works for an EA that benefits if you buy a house? Why would I give them access to my whole financial position so that they can exploit it? Was this EA simply dim?

SmlSave

My mum worked for a EA firm once and she said that the amount of pressure they get to get clients to take their financial advice is stupid! Perhaps the EA you spoke to is dim or just desperate for commison.

atruefaker

The easiest thing to do is to say 'Thanks, but I have my own Finicaial Advisor'.

I'm an FTB, and they actually told me that unless I saw their mortgage advisor I wouldn't be on their priority buyer's list ( Barnard Marcus).

Once I told them I had my own FA they left me alone.

BeccaBell

I had a certain Estate Agents as they wouldnt take "No" for an answer on financial advice. We have an amazing deal from our building society and when I tolde them the rate he told me I was making it up! Coupled with there bullying nature and telling me I was "deluded" when I mentioned the condition of a flat we had viewed we have stopped using them!

Orpheo

I will arrange my mortgage finance myself. I'm certainly not new at this as I have bought and sold property twice before. I find it bewildering that EAs are so adversarial with buyers, I have nothing to sell (sold in Jan 2009) and in excess of 50% deposit, they should be treating me with some respect. Selling anything is about giving the customer what they want, EAs seem to utterly fail in this respect.

Gwhiz

And in other news, I hurt my toe

betmunch

Orpheo - Which EA did you have this problem with?

Atruefaker - this sounds like conditional selling to me, if you feel this could cost you the house you want then you should report it

C_Mababejive

This is the kind of arrogance and bad manners which is endemic in the EA industry and the very reason why it needs to be dismantled and the business taken up by more responsible and ethical organisations.

Many EAs simple treat their clients both buyer and seller,as sheep to be shorn.

Its is partly EAs fault that the housing market is the way it is..i.e overheated,overpriced and incredibly stressful to deal with.

Ignite

Fox and Sons were the last agents that tried this on me. We weren't even buying a house through them! In the end when they asked when they could make an appointment for us to talk to the mortgage advisor, I replied with anytime you like. We won't me there. If you won't be buying through an agent, this is the best game to play. Waste their time.

poppysarah

Are they a member of an organisation that says they shouldn't do this?

dubsey

It's true we do make money from the buyers using our in-house advisor for their mortgage. It's also true that we are HEAVILY targeted on how many people get sat in front of the mortgage guy, also true that sales staff get sent off to be re-trained if they continually fail to meet targets.

But - also true that we get massively screamed at by vendors when a sale goes wrong because we find out after the sale has started that, actually the buyer can't get a mortgage. Normally we will ask to see some sort of proof that you can get the mortgage, so either speak to our guy and he can clarify that, yes, providing everything you've said is true (nothing comes up on a credit check) you will get a mortgage, or bring in a current AIP (you'd be shocked how many people produce AIP's that are well over a year old) or show a bank statement that covers the cash amount.

I have seen threads on here that swing both ways, - my sale fell through because my buyer couldn't get their mortgage - why didn't your agent check them financially first? Then on the other hand, when you're a buyer, the EA is being unreasonable by asking the question. Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

If you tell agents that you will be happy to show you're proof of funds IF you choose to offer on something they have, they should accept that, if they don't they are definately one to be avoided if at all possible. In that instance, if they have the property you really want, let them book the appointment with the mortgage advisor, turn up with your AIP and just say, apparently I need to show you this as my mortgage is all sorted.

This post is not meant to sound harsh, so apologies if it does!