Is it good to pester estate agents?

Theresonly1

I've recently been phoning up an estate agent about certain stuff and getting him to help process things (he's a bit passive in doing things and quite slow..) so wonder if this is good?

I'm beginnng to wonder have i annoyed him or such?

I just dont want to keep on phoning him up every 2-3 days..with him thinking "oh not him again"

Gwhiz

Depends what you are pestering about. Your post is rather vague!

shortchanged_2

Well seeing as most estate agents are very good at pestering themselves, I would say it's fine.

more_money_for_me

On the basis that you are likely going to be paying them 000's of £'s then you are quite entitled to chase them up to make sure they are doing what they should be. It may be worth asking for timescales for particular things, so if EA knows something will take a week then at least you know the same and don't need to follow up for a week. However after a week you know you are well within your rights to say why hasn't it been done. I wouldn't worry about upsetting the agent, it is purely business, you are looking for a timely property sale, not a lifelong friend.

hcb42

what are you pestering about?

Orpheo

When I sold my house I phoned the EA (nearly) every day to ask them what they were doing today to sell my house. Sold within 6 weeks in the summer of 2008. I could tell that they didn't like it, but I had paid a couple of hundred up front as part of my negotiation for a much lower fee. They'd already taken money, I demanded action. They started to send me data on phone calls, internet clicks and whatever else. It is nice to be in control.

Seanymph

I am selling and buying - I have a daily meeting at 9.30am with my estate agent..... I'm driving them nuts. However I don't care, I am paying them a two week holiday in the sun for putting up with me until it exchanges. When that happens I'll stop dropping in!

tyllwyd

Seanymph wrote: »

I am selling and buying - I have a daily meeting at 9.30am with my estate agent..... I'm driving them nuts. However I don't care, I am paying them a two week holiday in the sun for putting up with me until it exchanges. When that happens I'll stop dropping in!

What on earth do you find to discuss if you visit them every day? Wouldn't once a week be enough?

Seanymph

well she's a friend - but no, as we got nearer to completion we hit all sorts of issues - so massaging the deal through was often necessary, and she could contact the buyers solicitor and buyer directly, and of course I couldn't - I could pay my solicitor to chase things, or get her to do it for nothing.

We found lots to talk about.

And still haven't exchanged... here's hoping for tomorrow now.

kingstreet

People's views on this issue are quite interesting.

Once an agent finds you "a ready willing and able purchaser in a position to proceed to unconditional exchange of contracts" their contract is complete.

My ex-boss, a chartered surveyor who owned a chain of twelve estate agency branches, stood in the office one day and told the negotiators that what we chose to do after agreeing a sale was our business and nothing to do with the vendor or purchaser. It wasn't part of the service anyone was paying for and we only did it to try to get paid faster.

He was great in the "winning friends and influencing people" stakes.

tyllwyd

Seanymph wrote: »

... I could pay my solicitor to chase things, or get her to do it for nothing. ...

Fair enough. Mind you, she's not doing it for nothing, all the time she spends with you means she's not working towards making another sale, so from her point of view, the more time consuming your sale is, the less profitable the fixed fee you've agreed becomes overall.

Edited to say - which is essentially the same point that kingstreet has made in the post above.