Estate agent not marketing property - what should we do?

danilou21

We have had our house on the market for just over three months and have just found out that the agent has not been advertising our property in the local papers as they said that they would (we are currently staying in a different area, so its hard to check) So really its just been on rightmove. Bit p155ed off really- have found that other, similar properties are up for 30 grand more than ours, but agent pushing us to reduce price even more.

Anyway, DH wants to cancel with them and change to a different agent, but if we do will we still have to pay them if we do sell or only if is sells to people that viewed it through them in the first place? (only 2 so, doubt thta would happen)

Please help!

tyllwyd

First thing to do is to check the contract to see what it says.

CloudCuckooLand

Read the Ts & Cs of the contract for any lock-in period. Follow any "ending contract" conditions.

Get a list of those who viewed, so future agents and the old agent don't argue over who introduced which viewers. You only have to pay that agent if they introduced the buyer.

If £30k is a substantial % of the price, I'd have thought bargain hunters would have found it on Rightmove and bagged a bargain, by now.

princeofpounds

Mostly people look at rightmove over local papers anyway, but if they said they would do it they should do it.

You should already know what the conditions are of your contract. You are meant to read and understand it before you sign it. You *must* be careful so you do not get stung for marketing fees or cancellation fees.

You have to pay agents who introduce the buyers to the purchase, not merely the property (google the recent foxtons legal case). So any viewers supplied who make an offer in the next few months you are likely to have to pay for, but someone who merely got a fact sheet for the property and then viewed through the new agents and offered 8 months later you are not likely to be liable for.

As suggested, the best advice is to get a list of introductions to avoid disputes later.

DannyboyMidlands

Why are you !!!!ed off that other are priced £30k more than yours? Have they sold? Has yours? Sounds to me like everybody is over-priced.

danilou21

DannyboyMidlands wrote: »

Why are you !!!!ed off that other are priced £30k more than yours? Have they sold? Has yours? Sounds to me like everybody is over-priced.

Yep, well sold stc. Ours hasn't sold (otherwise I wouldn't be worried!). And no, not overpriced really, a two bed starts at about 210,000. Our house is a five min walk to the station and its under an hour by train into central London, lovely village location, close to airport (but not under flightpath so don't hear planes)

The thing is our house is suited to older people - both viewing have been people in there 70's that are downsizing and they both saw the advert in the paper. I think that these are the sort of people that will not go on rightmove.

Its just so annoying when they say one thing and then don't do it! I'm going to get dh to sort out the contract to see if we do have to pay marketing fees etc and definately switch agents.