Tried to make an offer today but....

Southend1

Estate agent says he won't put forward my offer to the vendor until I have been "validated" by their in-house mortgage advisor. I already have a mortgage agreed in principle with a high street lender and I made clear that I don't want to take a mortgage through the EA's broker. Also that I don't want them trying to credit check me. He said he wouldn't put forward my offer until the mortgage advisor has called me. Grrrr!!!

If they call me back trying to fish for info on my maximum budget should I just say if they don't put forward my offer I will approach the vendor direct and explain that the EA refused to pass on my offer?

Why is this stuff made so much more difficult than it needs to be??!!

:mad:

skylight

Put the offer in writing. They are obligated to pass this on to the vendor.

Perhaps also place the offer and your position in writing and pop it through the vendors door with a comment about the estate agent refusing to pass on the offer - do that whether they call or not.

I wouldn't be giving them any info at all and repeating to the mortgage guy that I had a mip and dont need any advice ta very much.

Southend1

Thanks for the advice. I'll give them until lunchtime for the mortgage advisor to call before I do that, but I'm really cross that they're more interested in trying to flog me a mortgage than sell a house that someone is paying them to sell!

skylight

Perhaps though the vendor has been messed around with buyers who have fallen through and they want the EA to vet people first to avoid any more time wasters?

MissMotivation

The EA has a duty their client (Vendor) to make sure that any offer made is a valid and qualified.

If you already have an AIP then a quick trip to the EA's office with a copy of your AIP and a firm "thanks but no thanks" response to their offer of getting their Mortgage Adviser to qualify you is all you need to do.

If they are still being awkward then a gentle reminder that under the Estate Agents Act 1979 they have a duty to pass on your offer should do the trick.

It's not part of the Countrywide Group is it?

Southend1

skylight wrote: »

Perhaps though the vendor has been messed around with buyers who have fallen through and they want the EA to vet people first to avoid any more time wasters?

Unlikely I think, it's been on the market less than a week. And what kind of vetting could they do? Surely it's just a case of me showing them the proof that I have a mortgage agreed in principle.

I think it's just an EA trying to make more money either through mortgage commission or through finding out what I can afford and trying to pull my offer right up to that figure.

Yorkie1

I wouldn't show the actual EA the details of my AIP. They'd then know the maximum I could afford (I know they can't make me offer that much but it does weaken my negotiating position).

OP did you get the AIP through a broker? If so, you could give the EA your broker's name and say that s/he will confirm that an AIP exists which covers the offer made (so long as the broker doesn't disclose the full amount of the AIP).

Or, say that you are perfectly happy to speak to the broker (assuming no fee to do so) once your offer has been accepted.

Southend1

MissMotivation wrote: »

The EA has a duty their client (Vendor) to make sure that any offer made is a valid and qualified.

If you already have an AIP then a quick trip to the EA's office with a copy of your AIP and a firm "thanks but no thanks" response to their offer of getting their Mortgage Adviser to qualify you is all you need to do.

If they are still being awkward then a gentle reminder that under the Estate Agents Act 1979 they have a duty to pass on your offer should do the trick.

It's not part of the Countrywide Group is it?

I don't think so, but I don't want to mention the name in case they're reading this forum!

When they call back I think I'll just keep re-stating that I already have a mortgage agreed and I'm not interested in their mortgage services but I'm happy to pop in with the AIP later today.

Southend1

Yorkie1 wrote: »

I wouldn't show the actual EA the details of my AIP. They'd then know the maximum I could afford (I know they can't make me offer that much but it does weaken my negotiating position).

OP did you get the AIP through a broker? If so, you could give the EA your broker's name and say that s/he will confirm that an AIP exists which covers the offer made (so long as the broker doesn't disclose the full amount of the AIP).

Or, say that you are perfectly happy to speak to the broker (assuming no fee to do so) once your offer has been accepted.

Good point! No it was through the high st bank branch. I could give them the number of the mortgage adviser there and give him a heads up that the EA will be calling him to ask about me.

I'm really annoyed that the EA is putting me in this position! I made an offer on a property through a different EA a few weeks ago which didn't work out but they never went through all this with me, they just called the vendor right away to pass on the offer.

MissMotivation

Yorkie1 wrote: »

I wouldn't show the actual EA the details of my AIP. They'd then know the maximum I could afford (I know they can't make me offer that much but it does weaken my negotiating position).

OP did you get the AIP through a broker? If so, you could give the EA your broker's name and say that s/he will confirm that an AIP exists which covers the offer made (so long as the broker doesn't disclose the full amount of the AIP).

Or, say that you are perfectly happy to speak to the broker (assuming no fee to do so) once your offer has been accepted.

There are not many EA's that will go on the say so if a broker! If you were selling your property wouldn't you want your agent to make sure that your buyer had the ability to purchase before messing around negotiating and incurring costs?

The EA won't be bothered about the maximum you can afford as long as the AIP covers the amount you have offered.....they will jusr want to get the sale agreed at a price the Vendor is happy with.

MissMotivation

Southend1 wrote: »

I'm really annoyed that the EA is putting me in this position! I made an offer on a property through a different EA a few weeks ago which didn't work out but they never went through all this with me, they just called the vendor right away to pass on the offer.

Sounds like a rubbish EA!