Estate Agents - Moving my potential buyers

david.jerwood

I originally used an online estate agent to put my house on the market and paid a set one off fee upfront, after a while I also decided to use a high street agent who charge £2500 + vat on completetion.

My high street estate agent has now found me a buyer and I have accepted the offer and the potential buyers are coming for a second viewing with their parents.

I was wondering if I were able to suggest to the buyers that I would leave certain items in the house (washing machine, fridge freezer etc) if they were to remove their offer and place it with my online estate agents as this would save me all my estate agent fee's?

My buyers have there own mortage provider and solicitors so would not need any communication with the current estate agent.

Are there rules against this type of thing? Any help anyone can offer would be much appreciated.

LandyAndy

So someone does all the work for their fee and you want to defraud them of it?

And you want a third party to accept a bribe to conspire with you?

Is that right?

MissMotivation

And they call EA's sneaky and underhand?!

ILW

EAs are pretty wise to this sort of thing.
If the sale goes through they will check the name of the buyer and have a paper trail to show that they were the introducer. They will then sue you and you will end up having to pay two sets of fees and court costs on top.

krlyr

And the buyers may wonder what other shortcuts you've taken with the house to save money.

hazyjo

If you suggested that to me if I were the buyer, I'd run for the hills...

Sorry, but you have to pay the fee to whoever found you the buyer.

Jx

Millie_Millsters

david.jerwood wrote: »

I was wondering if I were able to suggest to the buyers that I would leave certain items in the house (washing machine, fridge freezer etc) if they were to remove their offer and place it with my online estate agents as this would save me all my estate agent fee's?

As a buyer I'm not particularly bothered which EA the seller uses and I'd be a bit peeved if they suggested they were doing me a favour by leaving some of their stuff in the house instead of clearing it out.

LandyAndy

The OP's only other post makes interesting reading in the context of this thread.:cool:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/859511=

G_M

You have (presumably) signed a contract with the high street agent. Depending on the terms, you almost certainly have a contractual obligation to pay their fee if they introduce a buyer - which seems to be the case here.

EAs get this all the time (you are not the 1st person to consider this!) so they check (via the Land Registry etc) who has purchased properties on their books. If it turns out a buyer they introduced has bought a property they were contracted to sell, you'll find an invoice dropping through your letter box. Followed by a court claim.

domcastro

It's just bad luck - but you should pay the fees. I was gutted a few years ago when I was selling. I lived in a village and just put a sign up in the local shop about my house being for sale etc. After 2 weeks, I then went with an agent. The very next day, someone called saying they had seen my advert in the shop window!! I directed them to the EA but I was gutted!

G_M

domcastro wrote: »

It's just bad luck - but you should pay the fees. I was gutted a few years ago when I was selling. I lived in a village and just put a sign up in the local shop about my house being for sale etc. After 2 weeks, I then went with an agent. The very next day, someone called saying they had seen my advert in the shop window!! I directed them to the EA but I was gutted!

Very different scenario. Why did you direct them to the EA? Did you have a 'sole selling rights' contract with the EA?

If not (eg 'sole agency' contract) then there was nothing to stop you dealing direct with the buyer and saving the EA fee.

The difference is that the buyer was introduced by your personal ad, nt by the EA.