Vendor changed estate agent, who gets my offer?

Rob320

Hi, Hoped I could get some advise on what I should do in this situation. I viewed a house about 2 weeks ago, it's a repossession so empty and no chain (great!). After seeing a few more properties in the area, I had a second viewing on Thursday evening. I've seen a few more properties today and have decided this is the house I want to make an offer on. But, today the property is no longer with the original agent, it's with a new one. So who do I make my offer to?

I would prefer to make my offer to the original estate agent, I've found them so far very efficient and helpful, and I feel they deserve my custom. I appreciate this may not be relevant from a legal point of view.

Any advise gratefully received.

G_M

Go back to the agent you went through and make your offer.

If they refer you to the new agent, or tell you they cannot pass your offer to the vendor, you know what to do!

Rob320

Thanks G_M, that sounds like a plan, could be an interesting conversation Monday morning..

googler

How can you make an offer to an agent who no longer has the house for sale? If they don't have a valid contract with the owner, and aren't marketing the property, how will they be able to accept an offer on behalf of the owner?

tbs624

Rob320 wrote: »

... have decided this is the house I want to make an offer on. But, today the property is no longer with the original agent, it's with a new one. So who do I make my offer to?

I would prefer to make my offer to the original estate agent, I've found them so far very efficient and helpful, and I feel they deserve my custom. I appreciate this may not be relevant from a legal point of view.
.

my bolding. As a potential buyer, it's irrelevant what you think about the agent if they are no longer involved in the sale of the property.

Just get on with putting in your offer to the EA who *is* currently dealing with the sale.

Not sure why G_M suggested that you went back to the first EA.

tbs624

Rob320 wrote: »

Thanks G_M, that sounds like a plan, could be an interesting conversation Monday morning..

More likely to be a waste of time Monday morning...........unless you like having chats with EAs who are effectively out of the equation?

Grimbal

The 1st EA introduced you to the property, & so may have a claim to the fees charged to the vendor. When a property changes agency, a list of the people viewing via the 1st agency is often kept or sent over for cases just like yours.

Personally, I would go back to the original EAs & say that you're interested in making an offer but need clarification (in writing) from both of the EAs on who retains the fees if the sale proceeds

TBH, it's more a headache for your vendor than you as they could be asked to pay two sets of fees.

go_cat

Whilst I agree with what's being said, it's not the OP that will be chased for the fees but the vendor that will have to deal with it. I would go to the current EA and say you have viewed it through other EA and now you want to make an offer. It's up to the EAs to sort out commission and fees due

googler

go_cat wrote: »

Whilst I agree with what's being said, it's not the OP that will be chased for the fees but the vendor that will have to deal with it. I would go to the current EA and say you have viewed it through other EA and now you want to make an offer. It's up to the EAs to sort out commission and fees due

Indeed, definitely not an issue for the buyer to be concerned with.

zappahey

Grimbal wrote: »

Personally, I would go back to the original EAs & say that you're interested in making an offer but need clarification (in writing) from both of the EAs on who retains the fees if the sale proceeds

TBH, it's more a headache for your vendor than you as they could be asked to pay two sets of fees.

The EA fees are nothing whatsoever to do with the buyer, so I don't see why the EA's would write anything.

As others have said, it's a problem to be sorted out between the seller and the two agencies.

Rob320

Thanks everyone, I guess my concern is that whichever agent I go to, the other will claim I am "their" sale. But, as has pointed out this is a problem for the estate agents to solve not me.

I'm going to approach the original agent first, the worse that can happen is that they politely tell me they can't proceed and I need to go to new agent.

One thing I don't understand is why the original agent was happy to arrange viewing late Thurs evening, the agents actually changed Friday morning, they must of known what was happening!