unscruplous estate agent

leftieM

We have had to do all our own viewings or else our house wouldn't get sold!
I can't wait to get shot of our agent. The person we deal with tells really obvious lies. They are acting for our vendor as well and have implied that if we don't stay with them we will lose the other house. They have us over a barrel!
Apologies for not being more sympathetic Greentea. I have my ire directed at investors at the moment.

Colin_Kee

Worst thing is that it's a nightmare also if you do want to complain about them. I've had a bit of an insight of this from my wifes (Girlfriend at the time) experience. The agent my wife was using was !!!!!! to say the least (Sorry about the language but nothing else can decribe him) He was registered with one of the accreditted EA Bodies and as we were less than happy with his service we had a bit of a chat with him. Basically told us if we didn't like his service we could go elsewhere! So we did.. We told him we had a mind to complain about his service and his reply was "Fine go ahead" We looked into making a complaint but found it rediculous the proceedure you have to go through to make an official complaint to the Ombidsman.. In the end we just didn't bother... It's as if they make it difficult to put people of complaining and the EA's know this!!

leftieM

I am never moving again after this. Unless they decide to turn Stormont into luxury apartments. Nice gardens......

mirakl

Often with something fishy like that, it's the estate agent who buys it.

Greentea

mirakl wrote:

Often with something fishy like that, it's the estate agent who buys it.

In this case I dont believe so, but your comment reminded me of a lady who house I viewed who told me the Estate Agent offered to buy her house before putting it on the market (ie when she invited him out to value it)!!!!!!! And apparently she knoew of 2 other properties who he purchased this way.

Parisien

Yeah...second hand cars sales men..insurance sales men...estate agents.......god preserve us all.........

I can't print what I think of them......5/10/20/50 per centers.............take and never give.............

My motto is...never buy anything off anyone who approachs you to sell something............

YUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NAR

leftieM wrote:

I am never moving again after this. Unless they decide to turn Stormont into luxury apartments. Nice gardens......

Pity about the visitors that call.

Parisien

LOL....touche NAR..........

marcais

scandarahar wrote:

There definitely needs to be a regulatory body for estate agents -

Bought our house 2 years ago and price had been agreed with vendors. Lo and behold next day another bidder appeared, according to the estate agent, and pushed our price up by £6000. I had no way of knowing if it was a scam or not (would an estate agent do that?!) , but we did want the house.

Even if there was a genuine last minute interested party (house had been on market 6 months and vendor told us that we were only viewers), a regulatory body would have been able to oversee and verify such circumstances, and I would know I wasn't 'screwed-over'.

And probably wouldn't have just as much loathing for EAs...

I certainly don't want to be seen as defending estate agents, bu tthe price of the house going up by £6000 results in an increase of £60 in the EA's commission (assuming the seller hasn't bargained them even lower).

It's not really in EAs interests to mess around this way. What would be better for them would be to close the deal and move onto the next property where they will make thousands in commission rather than the £60 extra they get there.

Usually when you get these last minute increases then the vendor is fully aware of everything. I sold our house earlier this year and I was approached after I had agreed a price with the buyer. An investor had approached the EA and offered a considerably higher price (without viewing). The EA is duty-bound to inform me of any higher offers. I turned the offer down as I had agreed a price with someone else, but I'm not at all surprised that other people just forget the deal they already had and accept the new deal. It's a lot of money after all.

It's not just EAs who can't be trusted in the process here. It's the vendors as well. And the buyers for that matter.

I like the Scottish system where an offer is legally binding on all parties. Once it's made it can't be withdrawn and once it's accepted it can't be gazumped. Everyone knows where they stand and there are no nasty surprises for anyone.

SteveyJC

Yeah, the estate agent I used, gave me one key for the house when I bought it - there were 3 doors into the house, so i'd expect at least 3 keys, if not 6 or 9. Not to mention no keys for the double glazed windows.

Anyway, I phoned once an hour every hour they were open just to annoy the hell out of them, and get my keys. Got them on day 3. I know its a pain in the !!! to do, but bug the f**k out of them, they treat the average punter like dirt, so we should do the same!