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Property owner not being present during viewings.
Comments
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Honestly, what can there possibly be about the standard 2/3/4 bed in this country that couldn't easily be communicated by the owner to the EA?
Hidden doors? Secret passageways? Tunnels for smugglers?
When we last sold we had a couple come back for a second viewing. The EA did the first, I did the second. On the second viewing they were surprised and delighted by the large double garage the EA had failed to show them!0 -
Personally speaking I would leave it to the EA thats what you pay them for if you are in when they come to view I would make some excuse and go out. It gives the viewer more freedom to ask unreserved questions, and the EA can deflect awkward questions by saying they would need to ask the vendor etc, however as a purchaser I would want the vendor to be there for a second viewing though to give them a bit of a "grilling".0
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I've never been present at any of my viewings when the house was for sale, for me having viewed properties with owners there, I feel rushed, I can't look properly and feel I can't discuss the house fully with them there. However saying this the house I'm buying currently did have the owners there, however they are very old and so I understood and they were very pleasant and kind of stayed out the way whilst viewing.0
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mrsmchapman wrote: »I've never been present at any of my viewings when the house was for sale, for me having viewed properties with owners there, I feel rushed, I can't look properly and feel I can't discuss the house fully with them there. However saying this the house I'm buying currently did have the owners there, however they are very old and so I understood and they were very pleasant and kind of stayed out the way whilst viewing.
Your not my wife are you , she is Mrs M Chapman0 -
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Estate agents are far from neutral! They are working for the seller and are only in it for their commission. From my experience of several purchases/sales, some estate agents will tell the potential buyer complete lies to swing a sale.I prefer it this as the EA is a 'neutral' , so this limits any awkwardness dealing with the vendor.
As a buyer I would always prefer the seller to be there as I have little to no trust for estate agents.0 -
This is seems to be another issue with the larger agents. They don't take any time to learn about the property and can't answer questions accurately or miss things out completely as above.When we last sold we had a couple come back for a second viewing. The EA did the first, I did the second. On the second viewing they were surprised and delighted by the large double garage the EA had failed to show them!0 -
Honestly, what can there possibly be about the standard 2/3/4 bed in this country that couldn't easily be communicated by the owner to the EA?
Hidden doors? Secret passageways? Tunnels for smugglers?
As another posted said, in our experience EAs have been known to miss things when showing prospective purchasers over a property and equally don't always have all the answers to the questions a buyer may have.
One vendor we encountered in 2007 (who wasn't present at the viewing, btw although we did meet afterwards) had prepared a very useful printed document relating to their period house with much info regarding utilities, council tax and works completed etc. It was very useful, especially in relation to actual history of the work carried out on the characterful house. However well a vendor primes them, a typical EA could hardly be expected to remember all this info on every property on their books - although maybe you aren't a typical EA
Could also be that the houses we view are rarely standard properties, LOL!Mortgage-free for fourteen years!
Over £40,000 mis-sold PPI reclaimed0 -
I did the viewings all the properties I have lived in and sold. That has been three.
All three sold within a few days and at over asking price.
I like to do the viewings I like to size up the buyers!
On the last buy to let I bought I met the owner, the house was over priced, when the EA had left I went back to talk to him about what his situation was. It turned out he was desperate to sell, I did a second viewing the next day and put in one cheeky offer and got the house, maybe I should have offered less!
Even the EA was shocked at the price he accepted!
I like to meet vendors and I like to do viewings myself.
I agree with this 100%.
I am currently trying to buy and have viewed 6 properties, 2 with the vendor direct and 4 with the EA only.
Give me the Vendor any day. They at least can answer your questions. The EA's so far have been absolutely hopeless
Getting a viewing is bad enough. Oh we are all booked up, oh we don't work Sundays, ooh no we don't do evening viewings.
Er excuse me what are you doing..........Do you want the sale or not.
As for allowing EA's to do viewings when I sold my property. No chance.
I can do a far better job.
Yes I am a retired professional EA but, even so, if what I have observed during the last couple of weeks in my own quest is a true reflection of the quality of the average EA out there these days, then all I can say is they leave a great deal to be desired.
The Vendor is likely to do a far better job.......
As an ex EA I really do hate to say this - but I have been appalled at the shocking lack of knowledge, the shoddy service, the take or leave it attitude.
As for actually selling .........half of them wouldn't recognise a "buying signal" from the purchaser if it slapped them round the face.
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:0
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