Estate agents and their psychological games

lessonlearned

DRP wrote: »

to be fair to moneyistooshorttomention, I agree that I wouldn't be particularly impressed by a viewer requesting a viewing without the EA. Take it or leave it , my EA is employed to do that job and I don't want to get involved.

For me it has nothing to do with 'risk' - my negotiation/pokerface skills are just not up to it!

Seriously you don't need a poker face - just be yourself - Sunday manners of course;) If you are scared of negotiating then you can leave that bit to the EA.

I know I bang on about this but I truly believe that no-one can sell a house like the Vendor can - not even me:rotfl::rotfl:

You will know far more about your house than any EA possibly can. You know all it's features, advantages and history - you might even know where the light switches are :rotfl: I love that one.........

A note to budding EA's if you have to do viewings, arrive early - case the joint, familiarise yourself with the layout, open the windows let some fresh air in, pick up the mail from the stair well. Make an effort......

moneyistooshorttomention

My EA asks for the address of viewers before letting them come round and its their male staff that get sent out to accompany viewers - usually the same man (because he knows my house pretty well by now). The women see the vendors and do other tasks as far as I can see in that EA.

One of my viewers fired an absolute barrage of questions at him and then congratulated him on knowing the answer to every one and said how well-informed he is (he ought to be - I'd thought of every one he might be asked and told him the answer in advance:rotfl:). He's only had to ring me once during a viewing to ask a question I hadn't thought of.

...and I don't rate my own negotiation skills as highly as I'd like to - not bad, but could do better is my verdict on them. As for pokerface - not a hope in hell of me ever achieving pokerface. I've been told so often in so many contexts that its easy to see what I am feeling that theres absolutely no chance of me letting a viewer spot my face and I wish I didn't have to have vendors seeing my face either...:o.

phoebe1989seb

lessonlearned wrote: »

Money - I am utterly astonished by your last post.

Just because a man wanted to view your property without an EA does not necessarily make him a weirdo, a rapist or a murderer.

There is absolutely no reason why a one to one viewing with a man automatically puts you at risk.

You are doing men a great disservice. If I were a man reading your post I would be jumping up and down and hurling a brick at the computer screen. You are just being so unfair and unreasonable to men in general and this man in particular.

I completely agree Lesson

Furthermore, I have been in the position where I (not a lone woman, but my DH was at work at the time and I had no-one else I could call upon) had to let a guy that had actually been tried for murder (of a child), found guilty, imprisoned, re-tried (twice?) and subsequently acquitted into my home (that he was buying) on a dark Winter's evening.

Did I object - on the grounds that I (and many others as far as I can tell from the media coverage) believed him to be guilty? No, I let him have the benefit of the doubt, let him come into my home, measure for furniture etc, then go on his way.......and I'm still here to tell the tale

It never crossed my mind to ask our EA to do this second viewing - even though they had been carrying out all our first viewings......I believe it was down to us (or in this case me) to be on hand for second viewings in order to answer any queries the EA may not have been able to!

Money I do seriously think you're over thinking this whole process and over reacting

JimmyTheWig

nickmack wrote: »

Our EA is quite strongly trying to push us into accepting the £131,000, as 'viewings have dried up and it's a good offer'.

Even though the agent's commission is based on the selling price, there is not much difference in commission between selling at 131 and selling at 135. But there is a big difference in how easy it is to sell at those two prices.
So I'm not surprised they are pushing you to take the low offer.

What does the £4k difference mean to you?

lessonlearned

OK - one more time ......

"Putting on a poker face" is wholly counter productive. It's stupid. Just be yourself. Don't try to be something you are not - you will come over as insincere......

At best it makes the perpetrator look foolish. At worst - well they just look like a rude, obnoxious, ill mannered, borish ar*e.

Anyone with half a brain can see right through that act. All it does is scream Fake!!! A child can spot a fake.

Who wants to do business with a fake.......

Again - Negotiating is not difficult.

In fact most of us have been negotiating since we were in our cradle - we just don't realise it. We do it day in and day out. Wheeling and dealing, buying and selling is just an extension of those innate inborn skills. Lack of skill is rare, it's lack of confidence that will hold you back. If you lack confidence then by all means leave it to the EA.

However, always remember EA's will be negotiating over the phone and they are only the third party - piggy in the middle is not the best place to be. Three way phone conversations are not satisfactory.

Negotiating is always best done face to face - on the ground - in the moment.

Whilst I learned a few basics of house negotiation in an EA's office I was only ever the "Go-between". I was unable to package a deal and make it attractive to the purchaser. I could only obey the Vendor and perhaps offer them a little advice. The decisions were always theirs and never mine. My strike rate was ok.

It wasn't until I worked for developers and was given a sales budget to play with that I had the flexibility to negotiate properly. As long as I remained within budget I could package the deal how I liked, tailoring it to the Purchaser's exact needs and requirements. My strike rate improved no end.

This is why the Vendor who undertakes their own viewings has the advantage. The Vendor controls the sales budget and can question the viewer and get to know what is really important to them. What do they actually want. What will seal the deal.

Only once you know that can you package the deal and make it irresistible to the Purchaser. You literally have to make them an offer they can't refuse.....

You cannot instruct your EA properly if you don't know what the viewer wants. The EA is only the messenger.

Only a new build negotiator has the power to make decisions and package deals. EA's can only do the Vendor's bidding.

That's why EA's often fail to make a sale........;)

DaftyDuck

LL

I'm often amazed at how little Estate agents have found out about a purchaser who's been on their books for a while, stuff like do they have kids (so should I make the spare rooms bedroomy, tell them about the schools) or work from home (convert them to office-look, wax lyrical about broadband). If they are looking at what I'm selling (and they are usually old, listed buildings) but live on a new estate, they're not likely to fall for the real fires and quiet lighting, so no point lighting up.

It's why I like to do my own showings, and really want to, come second or third viewing. I'm more than happy to work to sell the property, find what they love and highlight it. Vital with older properties, I find.

Always be honest and upfront, offer all the information they want, and more... NO point conning someone into an offer ("the village shop is just round the corner, is a delight and sells everything") when a month later they find the truth (the petrol station is two miles away, they sell stale bread and !!!!!! mags, and stinks of pee) and pull out!

Dan-Dan

DaftyDuck wrote: »

when a month later they find the truth (the petrol station is two miles away, they sell stale bread and !!!!!! mags, and stinks of pee) and pull out!

A plus , surely

DaftyDuck

Dan-Dan wrote: »

A plus , surely

Not if you were the mad, backwards-facing artistic lady who bought mine. She wasn't that kind of artist (I hope!)... :eek:

lessonlearned

DaftyDuck wrote: »

LL

I'm often amazed at how little Estate agents have found out about a purchaser who's been on their books for a while, stuff like do they have kids (so should I make the spare rooms bedroomy, tell them about the schools) or work from home (convert them to office-look, wax lyrical about broadband). If they are looking at what I'm selling (and they are usually old, listed buildings) but live on a new estate, they're not likely to fall for the real fires and quiet lighting, so no point lighting up.

It's why I like to do my own showings, and really want to, come second or third viewing. I'm more than happy to work to sell the property, find what they love and highlight it. Vital with older properties, I find.

Always be honest and upfront, offer all the information they want, and more... NO point conning someone into an offer ("the village shop is just round the corner, is a delight and sells everything") when a month later they find the truth (the petrol station is two miles away, they sell stale bread and !!!!!! mags, and stinks of pee) and pull out!

Spot on.

I'm currently helping my sons buy a property. We did 4 viewings last Saturday. Only one was the vendor, a young guy in his early 30's. What a pleasure. He could answer our questions, he could demonstrate his property to us, he even pointed out a couple of its "bad" points, bless him. We may well revisit that one for a second viewing. It's on our short list.

We had one agent show us two properties - ok but his info was very general and not specific to the houses in question. The second agent was utterly hopeless, knew nothing, objected to being asked questions, and just wanted to get the whole thing over and done with.

That particular house has been on the market for some time and has had the price slashed several times.....

Only the Vendor asked us any meaningful questions. Neither of the EA's made any attempt to discuss our requirements, timescales or to ask what we thought of the property.

Ask for the bl**dy sale dammit"!!!!:rotfl::rotfl: At the very least try and ascertain what we are thinking and feeling and ask us if we want a second viewing. Get your diary out and book that second viewing there and then. Don't let us off the hook;)

And no - it's not being pushy - not if done nicely, with respect and a dash of humour and charm. If the EA is pleasant, chatty and knows a little a bit about the house then it's not being over-zealous or over-bearing.

If I thought my EA's performance was that lack-lustre and that they were letting hot "prospects" slip through their fingers I would be jumping up and down with fury.

If you do your own viewings you are in control. I cannot understand why Vendors abdicate responsibility and entrust such an important business transaction to a third party.

Use the EA as an Introducer. Then keep a tight hold on the reins until you have your offer. Once you have secured your offer then you can hand proceedings over to the EA. Let them do the sales progress chasing. This is where they really add value and come into their own. This is where a good EA really earns your fee.

C_Mababejive

What has it to do with the EA what YOUR house is put up for sale for? Who do they think they are? some kind of pimp? You can easily do your own homework and tell them what your initial selling price is going to be. If they dont like it,they can sod off..