Offer accepted - meeting with EA

Funkygibbon

I haven't had to go to see the estate agent after our offer was accepted. They did ask for an Agreement in Principle, to which I said I've just paid for a survey. They were happy with that. Although I must say that the estate agent that are handling this do seem to be very good from a buyer's point of view. Only asked me once if I wanted to use their services after the offer had been accepted. I said no and we have moved on!

azkaban420

Congrats on having your offer accepted! As others have mentioned, don't get roped into using their add-on services. You can easily fob them off by telling them you have everything in place already and are satisfied with your financial/conveyancing provisions.

Good luck,

Az

geoffky

Niowrtt wrote: »

Classic sales technique - there is at least a chance of you giving them money if you have to sit down at a desk with them. If you've got everything in hand as you describe then get away with whatever minimal contact you think appropriate. The estate agent is little more than a key holding device now, much like the hooks I have in the hallway.

I was lured into the murky world of countrywide services but I've managed to extricate myself - their costs, like all 'added services' from estate agents, are insane:
£650 to arrange to port a mortgage with my own bank in *addition* to the normal fees. I went to the bank direct.
£1300 sales conveyancing - £400 elsewhere!
£1200 purchase conveyancing - £900 elsewhere.
£500 for a HIP on a flat - really kicking myself over that.
3% estate agency fee on a flat - well, I can't get out of that now.

christ..you have been mugged and robbed at gunpoint all at once..a good lesson for other readers to take note of who it was..

marsman802

PledgeX

I'm a FTB as well and just recently gone through the process although we're about to walk away from the deal (see my other posts).

Our EA NEVER asked me for any info. I said everything was approved and ok'd. I said to them to give me 2days to get quotes on conveyancing and make a decision. They did and left me alone and I went back and said it is sorted.

The only ID I ever showed was to the solicitor for money laundering regulations and the EA has hardly been involved at all. My IFA handled everything on the mortgage front and put them in contact with my solicitor.

This seems a very strange thing they're getting you to do but I can't see much harm. they're just being cautious I guess!

pledgeX

timmyt wrote: »

it is all about the hard sell....is it a national brand estate agent by the way?

King and Chasemore. Was a Mann Countrywide, not sure if they're linked in anyway or just happened to take over the same shop on the hight streeet! I'm pretty sure they're linked though...

I'm still going in as I want to speak to him anyway, I'll just say no to any bumpf they try to sell.

Niowrtt

pledgeX wrote: »

King and Chasemore. Was a Mann Countrywide, not sure if they're linked in anyway [...]

Same people - their website is a branded CountryWide site and there are CountryWide links in the footer.

So, as you say, just give a firm 'no' to any extras they offer.

As I posted above, the costs they wanted for just sales conveyancing would cover the entire buying and selling conveyancing with my current solicitor (and my current solicitor will actually talk to me, unlike the Countrywide ones!). I've given them over a grand for nothing and consider that I got off lightly when I think how much it would have cost in total had I continued.

pledgeX

Just a quick update in-case anyone else finds them self in a similar position.

They did indeed try to sell us some stuff, but we were straight with them, told them we were happy with the solicitors/surveys/insurance we found and have already got them sorted. We told them our mortgage deal and they couldn't get close to beating it so nothing more was said about that either.

They also photocopied our ID for their records which I had no problem with.

The EA, also gave us an update on the sellers position which was the reason we went in, so all in all it was all relatively easy and painless, and although not particularly helpful, I'm still glad I went.

betmunch

pledgeX wrote: »

Just a quick update in-case anyone else finds them self in a similar position.

They did indeed try to sell us some stuff, but we were straight with them, told them we were happy with the solicitors/surveys/insurance we found and have already got them sorted. We told them our mortgage deal and they couldn't get close to beating it so nothing more was said about that either.

They also photocopied our ID for their records which I had no problem with.

The EA, also gave us an update on the sellers position which was the reason we went in, so all in all it was all relatively easy and painless, and although not particularly helpful, I'm still glad I went.

Thanks for the update, I'm glad they offered you their services, and glad they didnt give you the hard sell when you said no.

I sounds to me like they have done the right thing by the Vendor and checked you out without being pushy.

This is how it should be done in my opinion!