House viewers refusing to give feedback??

Silverbantam_2

I've had my house up for sale for just over a week and last Saturday we had 2 viewings.

However the estate agent has told us that they have tried to contact both viewers a couple of times for feedback with no success.

Why can't they contact the estate agent to give feedback? Even just to say they weren't interested? Aren't they being very rude?

I have looked at houses myself and have always given feedback when asked.:(

Grimbal

Unfortunately, it's just the way some people are. When I was selling, it did drive me barmy when I received no feedback until I realised that no feedback meant no sale. Rest assured that when someone is interested, they'll be in touch with the EA!

Counting_Pennies_2

I would start pacing yourself, as the disappointments will continue.

It is very usual not to get feedback.

Someone not interested in your house is highly unlikely to call back an EA unless they are clued up that the better the relationship they have with the EA the likelihood is they will get heads up on new properties

The EA needs to continue to call to get feedback.

I got about 80% feedback.

If you are really keen to get feedback, I would suggest you are there when the people are shown around, discretely in the background so you can hear their individual comments as they go.

Good luck with the sale

Seanymph

sometimes I gave it if I felt I could say something constructive - sometimes I didn't if I had nothing particular to say - or if the estate agent wasn't particularly nice.

One house wasn't for us for any number of reasons when we were looking, but the one that OH hated was the fact that the floor boards squeaked upstairs. Having lived in a house that did that we knew it was annoying, so one of us usually walks about upstairs with the other downstairs... they were awful and all needed lifting and reseating to cure it.

I told that to the estate agent as an opener and she started telling me how easy it was to rectify. No it's not, it involves a lot of work, and inconvenience, and moving of furniture and relaying of carpets - she continued telling me how I shouldn't turn it down for 'something so small' and it ended up with me just backing off and trying to get off the phone. I could have mentioned another three or four things that we noticed and didn't want to rectify ourselves, but I didn't because the estate agent didn't want to hear it.

The viewers don't 'owe' you feedback - it may be something that they do, or there may be circumstances where they feel unable to do so.

But selling a house is a constant disappointment until such time as you exchange - which, incidentally I still haven't done so I'm deep into 'bitter and twisted' territory at the moment

Breathe in, you have a long way to go yet.

Orpheo

Silverbantam wrote: »

I've had my house up for sale for just over a week and last Saturday we had 2 viewings.

However the estate agent has told us that they have tried to contact both viewers a couple of times for feedback with no success.

Why can't they contact the estate agent to give feedback? Even just to say they weren't interested? Aren't they being very rude?

I have looked at houses myself and have always given feedback when asked.:(

Do you think it is my responsibility to contact the EA to give feedback when I have viewed a property? Or do you think it is the EA's responsibility to contact the viewer for feedback? I never call EAs with feedback; !!!!!!, they might think I'm keen. And sometimes, when EAs have contacted me for feedback I have told them that I do not care to give it. On the other hand, after every time I walk around the supermarket I pop to the manager's office to tell him (or her) what I think.

No feedback is feedback.

Davesnave

Seanymph wrote: »

The viewers don't 'owe' you feedback - it may be something that they do, or there may be circumstances where they feel unable to do so.

When you arrange a viewing, you enter into a sort of contract which goes something like: "If you let me look inside your normally private house & grounds, I'll think about whether I want to buy it." There isn't usually an assumed sub-clause saying, "but I'll keep all my thoughts to myself."

It's an exchange of favours, or you could just call it good manners. Go anywhere public and you'll find some people who fall at the first fence with the latter.

People can always give a reason why they are not interested, even if it's just, "There was nothing special enough to make me want to spend my money on it."

Usually reasons are more specific than that, but personal, so maybe vendors shouldn't expect them to be particularly useful. If they form a pattern, the vendor usually knows the weakness.

We usually gave feedback by letter direct to the vendor, but that was because we were looking at farms/smallhldings, which take a lot more than the usual 20 minute whizz round. We always balanced the negatives with some positives (though that was sometimes hard!)

As I recall, we had only one reply, and that was from a lady who wanted to tell us she'd sold!

KateLiana27

I always gave feedback when asked for it after our recent house viewings because I have a compulsive politeness problem. However, I really dislike the whole concept of asking for feedback on house viewings. When I was very honest in the beginning, eg saying we didn't like the area, the ceilings were too low and the bedrooms were too small, the estate agent would often sound personally disappointed/offended and proceed to try to argue us out of it, when we had already made up our minds. It was awkward and fairly pointless - the poor vendors couldn't do much about their area or the size of their bedrooms! I know the perceived wisdom is that the vendor can then use the feedback fix any issues, but to be honest, if it was something that COULD be easily fixed (eg clearing clutter, different decor), it wouldn't put the average person off anyway.

To me, it's a little like being set up on a blind date, and then chasing the person for "feedback" on whether they liked you or not, and if not, why not. Just relax. If they liked your house, they will call.

Silence = "It's a lovely house but just not for us, sorry".

If you want real feedback about things you can change, it's probably more productive to get a few brutally honest friends who are experienced in buying/selling around and have them critique your house.

Running_Horse

This has been done to death several times, if I could be bothered to search for you.

Feedback is not compulsory. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with the house; it's just not the one. Agents chasing reluctant viewers for feedback might be better off spending their time trying to sell your house. If someone has not bought your house, there is very little you could have done differently because of feedback. They just didn't want to buy it. Get over it.

Orpheo

Davesnave wrote: »

When you arrange a viewing, you enter into a sort of contract which goes something like: "If you let me look inside your normally private house & grounds, I'll think about whether I want to buy it." There isn't usually an assumed sub-clause saying, "but I'll keep all my thoughts to myself."

I have lived my whole life unaware of this assumed contract. Well, you know what Oscar Wilde said about when you assume...

jjlandlord

Davesnave wrote: »

When you arrange a viewing, you enter into a sort of contract which goes something like: "If you let me look inside your normally private house & grounds, I'll think about whether I want to buy it." There isn't usually an assumed sub-clause saying, "but I'll keep all my thoughts to myself."

What is that? :rotfl:
Plus, it's a bad example as if there is no such sub-clause, it implies that you're free to "keep all your thoughts to yourself".

On a more serious note: It is the EA's job to follow up after visits. If they don't bother I would question how keen there are to do business...

Davesnave

Orpheo wrote: »

I have lived my whole life unaware of this assumed contract. Well, you know what Oscar Wilde said about when you assume...

Like I said, some people are not aware of a lot of things others of us take for granted. It's OK.