A question of ethics

pineapple

My next door neighbour, who no longer lives at the property, told me yesterday he has instructed an estate agent to put the house on the market. I have been planning to put mine on the market too - though not necessarily with an estate agent.
Should I get into conversation with any of his viewers, would it be wrong of me to mention that mine is up for sale as well?

Gwhiz

pineapple wrote: »

My next door neighbour, who no longer lives at the property, told me yesterday he has instructed an estate agent to put the house on the market. I have been planning to put mine on the market too - though not necessarily with an estate agent.
Should I get into conversation with any of his viewers, would it be wrong of me to mention that mine is up for sale as well?

Why not just put a for sale sign in your front garden? Then they can approach you and you are doing nothing to !!!! off your neighbour.

Approaching the prospects would seem a little like hi-jacking

tbs624

I'd let the neighbour get on with his property marketing and wait a few weeks before putting your own up for sale.

Sublime_2

That would be underhand approaching his viewers in my book, but thats just me. As has been said, put your for sale sign up/adverts etc, and let your house/and yourself do the talking.

pineapple

Gwhiz wrote: »

Why not just put a for sale sign in your front garden? Then they can approach you and you are doing nothing to !!!! off your neighbour.

This would seem a good compromise thanks. That would leave it up to the viewer to decide whether to approach me.
I would rather not be selling at the same time. if only because it can look suspicious to potential purchasers, but sometimes these things can't be helped.

G_M

My partner bought her flat after viewing a run-down one opposite that she rejected as soon as she viewed it. Her vendor stopped her as she was about to drive away, said he was selling, and showed her round. The rest is history.

hazyjo

Unless you have anyone already interested, you'll probably struggle to sell without an EA (unless you're talking about using an online EA).

I definitely wouldn't tell next door's viewers that you're selling as you'd effectively be getting an introduction from the EA next door's up with. By all means sell at the same time, or use the same EA, but I suppose it depends on your reason for selling. I tend to find that once a house goes up for sale in a road, another will follow soon after so it's not uncommon. If your reason is actually something to do with the road, area, neighbours or whatever (not that you'd probably be telling potential buyers that), I'd wait a while before selling and not have the two up for sale at the same time (if it can be avoided). Best not to raise any sort of suspicion.

Two houses in the same road wouldn't make me think something was wrong. On reading your post, I didn't think two next door to each other would bother me, but then remembered seeing two very attractive houses up for sale recently next door to each other. I did wonder what was wrong- probably unfairly! I know you can ask why they're moving, etc, but it's not like anyone's going to tell you something negative.

Jx

hazyjo

Ah yep, just noticed the other post saying about putting your own sign in the window saying For Sale. Maybe a bit sneaky, but I can't see anything wrong with that. Just make sure anyone who offers tells the EA that they saw it whilst driving/walking up the street, not after they'd been to view next door as an introduction, as it might be a bit of a grey area about introduction/fees. Possibly not, but I'd say better safe than sorry!

Jx

LandyAndy

hazyjo wrote: »

Ah yep, just noticed the other post saying about putting your own sign in the window saying For Sale. Maybe a bit sneaky, but I can't see anything wrong with that. Just make sure anyone who offers tells the EA that they saw it whilst driving/walking up the street, not after they'd been to view next door as an introduction, as it might be a bit of a grey area about introduction/fees. Possibly not, but I'd say better safe than sorry!

Jx

I don't think so. The EA wouldn't have a contract with the OP so how could they be owed anything? It's no different to spotting a house for sale with EA1 while viewing a house with EA2.

hazyjo

LandyAndy wrote: »

I don't think so. The EA wouldn't have a contract with the OP so how could they be owed anything? It's no different to spotting a house for sale with EA1 while viewing a house with EA2.

Point noted Really don't see a problem then!

Jx

timmyt

put a private board up and see what passing trade you get, but dangerous to do it yourself as you don't know the people knocking.....always use an Agent, and as I always say, and use a local independent one not a national corporate one