Just been told off by Estate Agent

LittleMissAspie

I didn't know you were supposed to give feedback on each house. I tried to give feedback if we were asked but it was difficult because there wasn't any practical reasons why we didn't like the houses, we just didn't like them.

As for estate agents calling you first with a house that meets your requirements, well first of all we had an agent who kept arranging viewing for houses that were new on, but he wouldn't send us any details about them because he wasn't allowed to market a house without the HIP. So he would get round that by calling people first to show them the house. Most of them were a complete waste of time and if I had seen a map or floorplan or pictures beforehand then we wouldn't have wasted so much time viewing them.

Secondly they don't bother with your requirements. We stated a max budget of £150k and nearly all agents ignored it and one even sent us a flyer for a house that was £220k... The agent above kept taking us to 3-bed houses for £160k plus, and every time I asked if he had anything smaller and cheaper and he always said no.

Edit: oh yes and another agency who we registered with simply sent us a weekly email with every single house on their books!

Niowrtt

I was viewing in early 2010 and was never asked for feedback. Similar, I did not receive feedback on the property I was trying to sell.

I was viewing again in early 2011 and this changed universally with all the local estate agents. Not only was I given feedback (without requesting it) but I was also called for feedback after viewing elsewhere.

I spent the time to give information when possible, but like the OP there were doubtless times when I had no mobile signal and missed calls.

Eton_Rifle

I just don't understand the resistance to a spending a minute making a "feedback" call?
It doesn't take a moment, doesn't do you any harm, nothing bad can come of it and it's just polite if nothing else.

So what's the real problem here? What's at the root of it?

Is it that people can't cope with a phone call because they think they're going to be cross-examined, asked to defend themselves and made to look stupid? Or fear they may be talked into something they don't want?
Is this it?

Schwade

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

I just don't understand the resistance to a spending a minute making a "feedback" call?
It doesn't take a moment, doesn't do you any harm, nothing bad can come of it and it's just polite if nothing else.

So what's the real problem here? What's at the root of it?

Is it that people can't cope with a phone call because they think they're going to be cross-examined, asked to defend themselves and made to look stupid? Or fear they may be talked into something they don't want?
Is this it?

Because the answer is simple. The answer is "I am not interested/don't like it". There is nothing further that needs to be asked.

Eton_Rifle

Schwade wrote: »

Because the answer is simple. The answer is "I am not interested/don't like it". There is nothing further that needs to be asked.

So why can't you just say that on the phone?
Exactly the same words but said aloud. What's the big deal?

Edit - or an email. How many seconds did it take you to type that one line? Why can't you do that again, have you worn those keys out now?

JQ.

Schwade wrote: »

Because the answer is simple. The answer is "I am not interested/don't like it". There is nothing further that needs to be asked.

My goodness you must be a delight to sit next to at dinner parties.;)

waribai

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

OK, you go ahead and cut your nose off to spite your own face.

Good properties still stand a chance of more than one interested buyer. If I were one of those competing buyers I'd want an much in my favour as possible.

Do you understand that agents have lists of buyers whom they call when new instructions arrive? Those people view first. New instructions that might be perfect for you when you've told them your requirements and built a relationship with them so they call you first.

Sorry to sound slightly suspicious but do you work in the house construction/sales industry by any chance?
Hello, we are in a falling market. Prices are getting slashed left, right and centre. There are no 'competing' buyers! Nor are there new instructions disappearing to favoured buyers. Tha'ts some illusion still being touted by estate agents. It's really not that kind of market anymore! If you are only selling one or two properties a month you just mailshot them out to all interested parties.
Not giving feedback is not a major issue. It's just a new approach by EAs which they would like us all to meekly adhere to . If I were an EA I'd be more concerned about viewers putting in offers on properties which are more than 3x their salary or are relying on a 90% LTV mortgage. That's real timewasting and seems to be a much bigger issue than people not giving feedback!

Schwade

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

So why can't you just say that on the phone?
Exactly the same words but said aloud. What's the big deal?

Because the EA wants to know WHY like a a little kid.

Also because sometimes you want to "think about it" but the EA keeps asking have you finish thinking about it?!

You know what EA should do - rather than asking for bloody feedback, get ALL the information quickly (i.e. not half-baked information) to the buyer so that they can decide!

Orpheo

waribai wrote: »

Have been looking at a few properties with an estate agent for the past few months. Recently I have been busy at work and could never reply to the EA's call asking for feedback on the viewings. Always mean to but after finishing work it slipped my mind.
Anyway, I phoned up about viewing another property and was told off by the EA who accused me of being discourteous because I never gave feedback after the viewings.
I explained my long hours etc during the week and that it's not always easy to talk on the phone during the day. Also, if they emailed me I could reply at my leisure.
Anyway the estate agent said they would give us one more chance
but if it happens again, they wo't be showing us anymore properties!

Have I behaved inappropriately? Should I apologise?

Thanks for any advice

I'd have told the agent that (s)he needn't worry as I wouldn't be viewing any more properties marketed through them. If I later saw any properties marketed through them that I wanted to view I would pop a note through the vendor's door explaining my buying position and why I wouldn't be viewing their house.

Schwade

JQ. wrote: »

My goodness you must be a delight to sit next to at dinner parties.;)

Yes I am definitely a bore if I am at a dinner party with a bunch of EAs