Dodgy practice of KFH estate agency

Dodgy_practice_reporter

We have been looking for property in Bromley area for about a year now and we know very well the upside-down of the area. Which properties were sitting on the market for long and how each agency is practising. What we noticed recently is that KFH in Beckenham area has a dodgy practice. We saw a property on the market and when we called the agency to view the property , KFH told us property is not available and is under offer. We questioned them "why on right move and other websites, it does not have any sign of "under offer" or "sold" and KFH told us because they just accepted the offer. Two months later the property is still on the market on right move and their website without any sign of "under offer" or "sold". We called them again asked to view the property if still available. They told us the same story!! Don't you think that they are playing a game with the vendor? What I mean is they don't show people the property to tire up the vendor and being able to buy it cheap from him themselves or their friends! Other than that I can't see any other reason for it to be sitting on the market without any under offer sign and being told each time that the offer is just been accepted. Very dodgy in my opinion. What do you think?

TadleyBaggie

Seems like a pretty poor business model. Estate agents make commission when a property is sold, blocking sales means no commission. Makes no sense to me.

charlie3090

maybe im just nosey,but what about knocking on the door and asking?,worth a try:)

burnleymik

Definately worth a knock to ask the owner the status of the property, it could well just be coincidence, but I think the owners should at least be aware.

browneyedbazzi

Perhaps it has sold or is pending contracts but they're leaving it on the websites because it is an attractive property and gets prospective buyers to ring up...they can then tell the house hunters 'Terribly sorry that house is under offer but I have other similar properties I'd be happy to show you...' Could be a ploy to get people to go an view properties they may not ring up about based on website images etc. Same way some companies advertise really cheap deals on goods when they never have stock in hopes of flogging a more expensive or inferior product.

HoneyBunnyPB

We bought a flat in Beckenham from a couple who were listed with KFH and the same thing happened to us. For almost two weeks the house stayed on the website as For Sale despite my husband calling them twice to change it. It may seem like we were paranoid a bit early, but it is a high demand area and they were due to have an open house the day after we made the offer (which wasn't cancelled - which I can maybe see due to our offer only being accepted the previous day) so we were concerned somebody else would make a higher offer. My theory is they do it hoping somebody will press them with a higher offer. There were also many other dodgy practices along the way. We had a nightmare with the entire process and found out that KFH (maybe the vendors) kept many crucial facts from us and only confessed to them after we pressed them. I told my husband that I don't care if they are half the cost of other Estate Agents, when it is time to sell our flat, we will not use them.

James_Lahey

When we first rented this house it was advertised in local estate agents. We applied and were accepted as tenants - the landlady,landlord then disposed of the services of the EA and we set up a private contract/agreement.

Despite no longer having any connection whatsoever they kept the advert on their high street board as "To Let" for nearly 3 months after we moved in.

I hate to go against the grain but in my experience(s) most letting agents and estate agents are a bunch of immoral borderline crooks

Hoof_Hearted

James_Lahey wrote: »

I hate to go against the grain but in my experience(s) most letting agents and estate agents are a bunch of immoral borderline crooks

Er, I don't think this is against the grain....

Dodgy_practice_reporter

We attempted calling at the vendors door but apparently the house is a probate and nobody is living in there. As it is an interesting house for developers I reckon the KFH guys got backhander to make the deal cheaply. That is why all the other buyers are kept at bay. That is just a guess but I'm not sure what to think.

bargainbetty

I went to them years ago for a property sale in Beckenham. They gave me entirely the wrong figures on the maintenance fees for the flat, and had lied about several other small things as well. They didn't bother to turn up for the first attempt at viewing either. Bought a flat from someone else in the end. Awful experience, I'd never sell through them.

Jinx

Either knock on the vendors door or if you feel thats a big bold, drop a note with your number through the vendors door to arrange a viewing privately. If its for sale you will should be able to view it no bother......