Estate agent won't allow viewings until after a mortgage interview!

DVardysShadow

Doctor_Gloom wrote: »

Estate Agents disgust me. It's little wonder even Jesus wouldn't have anything to do with them.

Do you have chapter and verse? And while you are about it, can you tell us why Jesus had fishermen but no electricians or Sky installers as disciples? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

jonewer

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Do you have chapter and verse? And while you are about it, can you tell us why Jesus had fishermen but no electricians or Sky installers as disciples? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

And lo! the LORD will surely smite thy estate agents, the foxtonites and the connellites, and send plagues of lice among their offices.

And the lice did cause a great itching among thier matalan machine washable suits and pink ties with extra fat knots.

And the LORD did smite the Sky customer service call center operatives with great wrath and fury.

"Look I just want to cancel my s*dding acccount" Sayeth the LORD. And it was so.

And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

ginvzt

We had similar situation - we were looking around the area for the houses, and went to Bairstow Eves as they were advertising the house we liked from outside. Thye were pushing hard. We were told that we can't view the house until we get mortgage interview. We flatly refused. It took us near half an hour sitting in the EA office, but with both me and OH saying we will not be having this mortgage interview, and maybe we will consider if we decide to proceed with the property, we finally got the viewing booked.

Well, we didn't buy the house in the end, as I didn't like not having ceiling light in the living/dining room (4 wall lights), boiler in the bedroom (on the other side of the master bedroom, attached to the wall that you head backs to), the garden had nice patio, but the rest of it was tiny slope, and there was a crack on the outside of the house, probably just the render, but it had lizards stuck along the crack just to highlight them!

C_Mababejive

Mrs_Money wrote: »

Some relatives of mine are househunting for their first property - an estate agent for one such property they are interested in has said they will not book a viewing for them until they have a mortgage interview with them! They have a mortgage arranged in principal anyway with a local branch of their Building Society - so don't need this.

This is a new on me - I thought it was absolutely priceless!!!!! I wonder if the vendors know this EA is putting off potential buyers like this?

Anyone else come across this situation?

Tell the EA to FOAD then write to the vendors and tell them.

GMS

Tell the agent you are reporting them to the Office of Fair Trading. If they are ARLA or NAEA registered also report to them (probably do no good).
Knock on the vendor's door and explain the situation. Arange your own viewing if necessary. May be a negotiating point on price if no estate agents in the loop. Up to 2% EA fee to be knocked off. Cannot see how the estate agent could claim their commission whenthey flatly refused to introduce you to the vendor. Surely this is them foregoing their arrangement?

If you did not have an Agreement in Principle they may have a point as the vendor would want viewings from peopel who are in a position to buy. The fact that you had one means they have absolutelyno grounds for this.

Good luck

ILW

telfordwhite wrote: »

Not sure I agree with this.

What has them knowing how much money you have got to do with your negotiations? You decide what the property is worth and stand firm on it.

They will either accept your max offer or they won't.

I have to agree, what difference does it make them knowing what you can afford, it is what you are prepared to pay that is the point. The "you have to sell it at £x because that is all I can afford" is a rather pathetic andineffective negotiating stance.

DVardysShadow

ILW wrote: »

I have to agree, what difference does it make them knowing what you can afford, it is what you are prepared to pay that is the point. The "you have to sell it at £x because that is all I can afford" is a rather pathetic andineffective negotiating stance.

While I agree with this stance, to a point, the Agent does not need to know how much you can afford, he only needs to know that you are good for your offer.

And in negotiations, once he knows how much more you can afford above your offer, what is the betting that a basically acceptable offer would be rejected and an affordable counter offer made?

DVardysShadow

ginvzt wrote: »

We had similar situation - we were looking around the area for the houses, and went to Bairstow Eves as they were advertising the house we liked from outside. Thye were pushing hard. We were told that we can't view the house until we get mortgage interview. We flatly refused. It took us near half an hour sitting in the EA office, but with both me and OH saying we will not be having this mortgage interview, and maybe we will consider if we decide to proceed with the property, we finally got the viewing booked.

Good on you. This suggests the other tactic of accepting the mortgage interview under protest, refusing to sit down and refusing to answer questions

ILW

DVardysShadow wrote: »

While I agree with this stance, to a point, the Agent does not need to know how much you can afford, he only needs to know that you are good for your offer.

And in negotiations, once he knows how much more you can afford above your offer, what is the betting that a basically acceptable offer would be rejected and an affordable counter offer made?

I am just saying that negotiating on a basis of what you can afford is just daft. Any decent saleperson will pull you apart on that one.
The standard reply being "if I can show you a way you could afford the higher price we must have a deal then". Gotcha.

C_Mababejive

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Do you have chapter and verse? And while you are about it, can you tell us why Jesus had fishermen but no electricians or Sky installers as disciples? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

No no no,its the Cheesemakers..." Blessed are the Cheesemakers"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLUEMj6cwA