Properties on RightMove etc do not exist

sartois

Apologies if sounds like a rant but I am having a frustrating day. After the initial excitement of getting an AIP, I am now looking at RightMove, Zoopla etc. I can see lots and lots of lovely properties, in my price range... location is perfect... property appears to be the right size if not bigger... and then I call the agents to find out (surprise surprise) it's no longer on the market due to:

A. The seller has withdrawn
B. It has been sold last week
C. It shouldn't have been listed in the first place

Now I wouldn't mind if it was the odd one here and there. But this is happening with about 95% of the properties I call about. Is this Estate agents on a fishing expedition to get people to call them (if so I really don't see the point as I live in London which means not enough properties for too many buyers) or is this perfectly normal for RightMove / Zoopla etc? The agents send me their "alternatives" but they are such a letdown in comparison to the one I initially called about, yet are the same price.

Does anyone have much success with RightMove or Zoopla? I guess the answer is to physically get down to the Estate Agents to find out what really is for sale... just not so easy to do when I am in work

shortchanged_2

The property I purchased a couple of months ago is still being listed on rightmove. It never went as under offer or SSTC on rightmove but it did on zoopla and primelocation.

So to anyone looking on rightmove as far as they are concerned my house is still up for sale months down the line!

sheldonb14

sartois wrote: »

Apologies if sounds like a rant but I am having a frustrating day. After the initial excitement of getting an AIP, I am now looking at RightMove, Zoopla etc. I can see lots and lots of lovely properties, in my price range... location is perfect... property appears to be the right size if not bigger... and then I call the agents to find out (surprise surprise) it's no longer on the market due to:

A. The seller has withdrawn
B. It has been sold last week
C. It shouldn't have been listed in the first place

Now I wouldn't mind if it was the odd one here and there. But this is happening with about 95% of the properties I call about. Is this Estate agents on a fishing expedition to get people to call them (if so I really don't see the point as I live in London which means not enough properties for too many buyers) or is this perfectly normal for RightMove / Zoopla etc? The agents send me their "alternatives" but they are such a letdown in comparison to the one I initially called about, yet are the same price.

Does anyone have much success with RightMove or Zoopla? I guess the answer is to physically get down to the Estate Agents to find out what really is for sale... just not so easy to do when I am in work

We have found this problem too. As you already suggested, I think the issue is partly that the properties generate calls to the agents and so are a great generator of potential customers; even if one in ten ends up viewing another property as a result of the call it's worth it. Not saying that the properties were never on the market, just that the agents have a disincentive to remove them as quickly as they should.

GlynD

I'm sure this isn't the first thread on MSE I've seen regarding this issue. It seems Right Move make a habit of this.

sleepymans

My guess is that it is a symptom of a (London) propoerty market that is "in frenzy". Join in or not - your call.

ognum

sleepymans wrote: »

My guess is that it is a symptom of a (London) propoerty market that is "in frenzy". Join in or not - your call.

not just London,it happens in other frenzy markets too!

sartois

sleepymans wrote: »

My guess is that it is a symptom of a (London) propoerty market that is "in frenzy". Join in or not - your call.

I don't think the recession even slowed it down to be honest. I am almost panic buying at this stage due to continuously reading how the prices in London are expected to go up another 10-20% every year...

ging84

put down the tin foil
estate agents don't want you phoning up about properties they are not selling either, but they are not always the most technical people, updating the internet has only very recently entered the estate agents job description, not all of them are particularly good at it.

AdrianC

GlynD wrote: »

I'm sure this isn't the first thread on MSE I've seen regarding this issue. It seems Right Move make a habit of this.

Not RM. The EA.

When we bought this place, it was never flagged as "Under Offer" or "Sold STC" or anything, right up until it was removed a day or three after completion. I asked the EA, they said it was "their corporate policy". Indeed, other branches don't appear to flag (or sell...?) much, either.

OTOH, the one we sold was flagged _instantly_. UO the instant we accepted the offer. SSTC the instant we exchanged. Removed the instant we completed.

GlynD

AdrianC wrote: »

Not RM. The EA.

When we bought this place, it was never flagged as "Under Offer" or "Sold STC" or anything, right up until it was removed a day or three after completion. I asked the EA, they said it was "their corporate policy". Indeed, other branches don't appear to flag (or sell...?) much, either.

OTOH, the one we sold was flagged _instantly_. UO the instant we accepted the offer. SSTC the instant we exchanged. Removed the instant we completed.

I thought Right Move were an Estate Agent?

Slinky

A flat we sold still had SSTC on it for nearly 12 months after we completed.