Trust me. I'm an Estate Agent...

Loughton_Monkey

... or at least Estate Agents seem to be more trustworthy than Bankers. They in turn beat Journalists in the trustworthy stakes.

Lounging at the bottom, of course, are Politicians.

No surprises there, then.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19639795

Mis-selling scandals and the financial crisis means bankers are now less trusted than estate agents, according to consumer group Which?.

But the group's survey suggested that bankers remained more trusted than journalists and politicians.

Which? said that recent banking scandals meant there was an urgent need for a "fundamental change" in banking culture and practice.

My only concern, here, is that this report was presumably written by a Journalist at 'Which?' and in turn their drivel has been reported by a BBC journalist. So can we trust the above facts? Could it be that Journalists are in fact less trusted than polititians, and they are simply lying about it?

I think we should be told.

chewmylegoff

We need a full judicial inquiry, sod that leveson !!!!!!.

Loughton_Monkey

chewmylegoff wrote: »

We need a full judicial inquiry, sod that leveson !!!!!!.

.. can't trust the judges!

Hoopie1

You might have a different result if estate agents were FSA regulated. That said, the guy that is currently selling my flat has been very professional and easy to deal with, although he was head and shoulders above some of his peers that I met (including one individual that was barely out of short trousers and valued the place at £100k more than everyone else, when a cursory look on Rightmove would tell you that was miles off).

John_Pierpoint

This is the culmination to a campaign that "Which?" has been running for several years.
My submission on behalf of a standardisation of the handling of "bereavement" was largely ignored.

The tax treatment is also "unfair" but what do you expect when organisations are run for the benefit of the senior employees not the "customers".

shortchanged_2

EA's are one bunch of cowboys that are no where near regulated enough.

Seeing as they are the front line of people who deal with the majority of peoples largest purchases in life they are a law unto themselves.

House buying in this country is far too open to lying, deceiving and other forms of abuse. They frequently dream up things such as phantom buyers/offers in order to get people to offer more. This to me is nothing short of fraud and deception because they are actually lying in order to obtain more money from a buyer and there is very little way a buyer can actually know whether a competitor genuinely exists or not.

For me it's a very dark and murky world that really needs sorting.

somethingcorporate

shortchanged wrote: »

EA's are one bunch of cowboys that are no where near regulated enough.

Yep, you could not be more right. :T

I hate EAs with a passion, I have yet to receive a good service from one in viewing dozens of houses, buying a couple and renting ours out.

FTBFun

Hoopie1 wrote: »

(including one individual that was barely out of short trousers and valued the place at £100k more than everyone else, when a cursory look on Rightmove would tell you that was miles off).

He didn't - by any chance - have a green mini as his company car?

Hoopie1

FTBFun wrote: »

He didn't - by any chance - have a green mini as his company car?

I deliberately wouldn't touch that lot. There's no need, I can get someone that is loathsome and incompetent and not pay the extra 1% from a variety of other outlets.

purch

shortchanged wrote: »

EA's are one bunch of cowboys that are no where near regulated enough.

Seeing as they are the front line of people who deal with the majority of peoples largest purchases in life they are a law unto themselves.

House buying in this country is far too open to lying, deceiving and other forms of abuse. They frequently dream up things such as phantom buyers/offers in order to get people to offer more. This to me is nothing short of fraud and deception because they are actually lying in order to obtain more money from a buyer and there is very little way a buyer can actually know whether a competitor genuinely exists or not.

For me it's a very dark and murky world that really needs sorting.

Estate Agents...........don't get me started.

In 1992 I found a "new build" property, that was on a development where the first few had sold for £275K in 1989, this was the last property never sold. The EA was marketing it as offers in the region of £200K.........I offered £170K....the !!!! laughed in my face and told me I didn't understand the property market. The following week I went back in, and the moron told me I was too late, and that the property was now off the market.

I said "Yes, I know, I am the person buying it for £158,000........looks like you lost your commission !!!! face"

chewmylegoff

FTBFun wrote: »

He didn't - by any chance - have a green mini as his company car?

Foxton's are hilarious.

There is a flat in my block up for rent.

We are paying £370 a week. Granted we have been paying that for over 2 years without an increase, so market value now might be £425 or something like that, maybe advertise at £450.

There is a 3 bedroom flat (i.e. one more bedroom than ours) on the rental market at the moment. Apparent from the extra bedroom it is basically identical to ours in all other regards.

Foxtons have popped it on the market at £1,200 per week!

To be fair they have managed to get the words "outstanding, exceptional and striking" all into the first sentence of the property description, but I can't see them shifting it, frankly.