Estate agents threats - what to believe?

TBagpuss

It may be worth asking your solicitor to e-mail the vendors solicitor, cc'd to you and the agents, setting out
-the stage you are at,
-what they are waiting for from the vendors (and when they asked for it)
-what they are waiting for from any third party
- the fact that they are being told by the agents that the vendors have been trying to contact them
- their contact details.

If information has not got through, this brings everyone up to date. It also lets the other conveyancers know very clearly where you are, and what the agents are saying.

What Prophet of Doom says above may be true of a few solicitors but it is not the norm, and it doesn't sound as though your solicitors are behaving in that way.

I've found that some agents will pressurise the person they can get hold of most easily - the agents may be chasing you simply because you respond, and then do their job for them by chasing (or getting your solicitor to chase) the vendors.

WebGuru

An industry based on commission is riddled with this type of conduct. This is why they are hounding the OP as they want the sale to get the commission.

Prothet_of_Doom

TBagpuss wrote: »

What Prophet of Doom says above may be true of a few solicitors but it is not the norm, and it doesn't sound as though your solicitors are behaving in that way..

I am a bit cynical, but last time I moved house, that seemed to be the way they worked.

Just my own experience: Based on my trying to find out where they whole process was, all I got was "We have sent X their request for Y, and now we wait, for Z to reply with our request for Y2, and once they send that we'll send ...but try to talk about target dates and timescales, and you get seriously into smoke and mirrors.

bethl79

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Do the sellers' solicitors definitely have the correct contact details for your solicitors?

Yes they definitely have the correct details, I did check with them as I had wondered about this.

Its an interesting point, that I am probably the easiest person to get hold of. I'm also a big worrier which they have probably worked out!

I had a whole day without any calls or emails yesterday :j but if I get any today then there are some really useful tips above of things I will be able to do. Thanks everyone.

pinkteapot

I have the reverse issue here. I'm itching to get moving with our sale and purchase but the chain isn't yet complete (people at the top still "looking"). I'm calling the EA a couple of times a week for an update and I think they're getting fed up with me.

Once it does all start moving, if they start harrassing me and telling me to hurry up, they'll be getting short shrift!