House viewing when house not for sale

thunderbird

I am in a difficult situation!

We have had our house valued by a few agents and have one that is keen to market it.
Having viewed several houses in the area we are thinking of moving to, we have concluded that there is nothing available that interests us and are considering different areas (although nothing available there at the moment either).

The estate agent that is keen on our house called me yesterday to say that they have had someone come into their offices today looking for properties and they pretty much described our house when saying what/where they wanted. So they have now asked if we would be interested in a one-off viewing, for this person to come and take a look.

I said we would think about it and get back to them. Seems a bit odd! Anyone else encountered this?

jockosjungle

Well this EA has introduced them to you and will expect their fee if they do buy it

R

madmish00

I would agree to the viewing...

At this stage you have not signed any agency agreement with the estate agents and therefore if a sale resulted from the viewing they would not be entitled to any fees for introducing the purchaser. They will of course hassle you to sign the agreement for the purchase to proceed but you are under no obligation as far as I can see to do that.

Could save yourself a couple of grand

maninthestreet

jockosjungle wrote: »

Well this EA has introduced them to you and will expect their fee if they do buy it

R

Not unless there is contract in place between the OP and the EA in question, and only then if the prospective buyer actually submits an offer to buy the property via the EA. I suspect this 'buyer' may be a figment of the EA's imagination, and they are just trying to get the OP's property on their books.

RAS

That was my thought; I would not be surprised if the viewers is a friend of someone working in the agency.

thunderbird

We haven't signed anything with the agency or agreed anything with them regarding this viewing (I'm yet to reply to them with an answer). As I said, the house is not actually for sale, we haven't even got an EPC.

I did wonder if it was a 'real' buyer or not?!

madmish00

Chances are they will arrange the viewing but want you to sign an agency agreement BEFORE the viewing takes place. Until that is signed they cannot claim a fee for 'introducing' this purchaser if they subsequently buy your property.

Ask them some probing questions about the 'purchaser'. What position are they in (FTB, property to sell, under offer etc) and whether their finances have been secured. If they are blagging and their isn;t a real viewer they will probably hesitate before answering.

thunderbird

I did ask them what their position was and they said they had just accepted an offer on their house, so were no keen to find somewhere to move to.

There wasn't any hesitation - maybe they were just well-prepared!

madmish00

Well if you are seriously wanting to move, I would offer to let them come round and look but say to the agent that you have not yet made a firm decision on whether to market the property or who with.

Their reponse will either be 'we won't send them round then' or you may get lucky and get a buyer without having to pay fees.

It may be that the prospective purchaser's property is on the market with them...as it is now under offer it is in their interests to find him/her somewhere to go quicker as they will then get their fee from the sale of that property.

adg1

Of course the agent had a buyer walk in who described your house exactly. I bet they even have the full quoted asking price to spend?

I will eat my hat (I don't actually own a hat but would buy one for the priveledge of eating it) if they actually have that very buyer willing to view.

I doubt its more than a ploy to get you to sign their agency sole terms just to let this viewer through. Once signed they will market your property. It has also got you thinking as you want this person who described your house to the agent to view and hence set the seed in your mind about that agent having the buyers available.

Decide on which agent you like most and market that house with them. If there really is a buyer then they will search rightmove etc and find your house that way.

jockosjungle

Does sound a little dodgy, has this EA got no properties to sell that he's offering yours that isn't for sale? What next knocking on random doors asking them if they want to sell to this buyer?

Sounds like they just want you to think they have people begging for houses at their EA

R