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Just been told off by Estate Agent
Comments
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Eton_Rifle wrote: »I'm interested to know how leaving one person hanging and ignoring another is closure.
You might want it to be because of a psychological issue with the situation but it isn't.
Even if you think it's 'closure' for you, there are at least two other people in the whole process who don't regard avoidance as 'closure'.
Otherwise they wouldn't be asking you for your conclusion would they?
Most houses are mass advertised. People anywhere in the world can type in a UK street name and see houses for sale on the internet. EA's push through descriptions of houses that are in some instances laughable. More laughable is usually the price.
Any buyer then visits these sites and books a viewing. People could view up to 8 a day, maybe even more. The marketing strategies used nowadays suggest that feet through door is the aim rather than matching buyers to sellers.
In this context what do EA's and sellers want? Can the seller not see that s/he is allowing ANYONE to see the house? And then sellers and EA's are now complaining that they don't get feedback.
Its quite simple - if you don't here back then 1) your house is overpriced, 2) its not all that great even if it is at the right price, 3) your EA is a joker and keeps bringing along unsuitable buyers.
You don't need some disillusioned buyer to tell you that. Between the seller and the EA I'm sure they can figure it out. That is once they decide to join the real where 'I say its a great house and is worth X amount because I say so' doesn't really cut it.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
Its quite simple - if you don't here back then 1) your house is overpriced, 2) its not all that great even if it is at the right price, 3) your EA is a joker and keeps bringing along unsuitable buyers.
You don't need some disillusioned buyer to tell you that. Between the seller and the EA I'm sure they can figure it out.
You've outlined three optional scenarios, one or more of which could apply.
How are the seller and EA to 'figure out' which of these applies unless the viewer(s) tells them?0 -
...so what's difficult about saying to the agent
"There's nothing specific I dislike about the house, but it's just not right for me"
Because the estate agent never accepts that.
"But you said you were looking for a 3-bed house in that area?"
"Yes, but that one's not right."
"You said you didn't mind doing work."
"Yes, but not on that house..."
"You won't get a bigger garden than that on your budget."
"Yes, but I don't want that house."
"They'll accept offers..."
etc etc etc...0 -
I've been following this thread with quite some interest. Genuinely fascinating to see the views on house viewing feedback.
Personally I feel I would answer any specific questions an EA or vendor had and try not to get drawn into a debate surrounding any answers I gave (maybe easier said than done). If people were asked "what was the deal breaker for you?" when they said no to a property then the answer(s) would probably be valuable to the vendor, but it seems that a lot of people in this thread have just had their decision contested by the EA as a further sales pitch when giving feedback, so I can see why they avoid the interaction.
It seems to me that there's a difference between going out of your way to provide that feedback and giving it if they catch you at a convenient moment or just drop you an email so you can reply at your leisure. Again, I feel I would be happy to provide it in the latter passive cases.
If you were to have a standard parting statement of "I'll/We'll let you know if we're interested" is that not enough? In reality the EA/vendor is waiting to hear back from a buyer, not to hear back from a non-buyer.
Also, it's not like you don't keep trying to sell the house just because someone has viewed it, so there's not really any waiting about to hear back in any way other than raised hopes, you just carry on with your life and viewings, in theory expecting the worst and hoping for the best, and be no better or worse off than you were before the viewing.EAs are obviously such horrible, nasty people that the public should treat us with a lack of respect that would usually be afforded to beggars and criminals.
As a side note, I don't know about you, but I don't treat beggars or criminals with a lack of respect, they're still people.If you think of it as 'us' verses 'them', then it's probably your side that are the villains.0 -
You've outlined three optional scenarios, one or more of which could apply.
How are the seller and EA to 'figure out' which of these applies unless the viewer(s) tells them?
1) Figuring out if a house is overpriced is quite simple. There is data availale for free on what house prices are in any given area.
2) What can I say? Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once replied to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson something along the lines of 'Everybody thinks the wife they have at home is the most beautiful'. The point was stop being delusional. It is the sellers responsibility to appoint an appropriate EA, value the home accordingly and instruct exactly how to market. Buyers aren't guinea pigs who should come and view work in progress properties, give feedback and make sure the seller gets it right for the next guy.
The OP works long hours. On top of this the OP has to take some time out of his/her busy schedule to gather his/her thoughts on the biggest purchase he/she will ever make and then get back to working long hours again and then make time in his/her busy schedule to view other properties. Is this a joke? A hard working person being told off so that sellers and EA's can be taught a job? The OP does his/her job very well. Intead of being rude to the OP, maybe the EA could take of leaf out of the OP's book.
3) Sellers responsibility to engage the correct person to sell the property.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
A few months later, a near identical flat went up for sale in my building through this EA for more than £20k greater than mine was listed and more than £30k greater than it was sold for in the end. It is still on the market for the same ridiculous price.
Foxtons, I presume?...much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0 -
Unless I've been misled, all property transactions now trigger the water board (or whatever they're called this week) arriving to dig a hole and fit a meter.
It depends. We wanted to get a water meter - because in central London, beig done on some pre-historic rates basis, our 3 bed flat was costing £700 a year for water and sewage.
We couldn't get one, because there isn't room for one after the common pipe splits between the flats, and in addition, there are two in-pipes, one from one road for the kitchen, and another from another road for the bathrooms.
So now we're billed for some sort of rolling average. About £280 a year....much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0 -
billricardi wrote: »In a nutshell, your estate agent needs to know details about what you like and don't like, so that they know what to show you next time.
But it doesn't work like that, surely?
The EA emails details of places. You decide to view it, or not. The EA anyway ignores completely what you've said about what you're looking for.
I got one EA who sent me, over a fortnight, 3 different sets of particulars for 1 bed flats. We are a couple with a child, we wanted either a very large 2 bed or 3 bed as a minimum....much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0 -
Buying a property involves a close and regular working relationship with an estate agent (whether you like it or not) that may go on for 6 months or more and which may get very stressful at times.
Does it? Not always. Our first dealing with the agent we're buying through was when we saw the flat we're now buying....much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0 -
neverdespairgirl wrote: »But it doesn't work like that, surely?
The EA emails details of places. You decide to view it, or not. The EA anyway ignores completely what you've said about what you're looking for.
I got one EA who sent me, over a fortnight, 3 different sets of particulars for 1 bed flats. We are a couple with a child, we wanted either a very large 2 bed or 3 bed as a minimum.
It sounds like you've got yourself an awful and/or clueless agent.
BUT you discover that fact MUCH more quickly if you give feedback, right? Because they can't hide behind the excuse of 'you never told me'.
So if you give feedback, and they make the same mistake twice, you know for a fact that they simply don't care about you, and are trying to push for a double ended deal.
However if you give feedback, and they tailor the next showings based on that feedback, you've not only saved everyone involved a lot of time, but you've detected a quality estate agent who cares about getting you what you want.0
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