Has you ever told a viewer to leave?

Suzy_M

fac73 wrote: »

Suzy, you can't have it both ways - you are either selling a home or having a business meeting, I would take my children to one of those and not the other.

I'm not the seller. - But yes I can have it both ways. Selling a house is a business transaction so therefore a viewing is a business meeting.

Suzy_M

Doozergirl wrote: »

I'd argue about the children thing. Moving house is a family experience and if you're selling a 'home and not a development', then you have to appreciate that people are looking for a home as well. Sometimes people can't get babysitters, don't have them at all or they feel that the decision should be a family one. That doesn't excuse their behaviour but you can't exclude children from what might be their future home.

How can you sell a home in one sentence and be running a business meeting in another?

OK - As regards children - Shall we all agree to disagree on this one.

the_geary

mrstinchcombe wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance but why are you showing people around anyway? Surely thats an EAs job?

What exactly do people pay EAs so much money for? Taking a picture of a house and putting it in a shop window?

Yes, well the EA's presence - that would be nice! We sold our place last year, had around 10-15 viewings. Not one did the estate agent do, despite our requests, including when they kept trying to book viewings whilst we were at work and then asking us to do them.
I got really fed up on the umpteenth occasion that the agent rang and just said "can [main agent guy] not do it? Isn't that what we're paying for here" and she came out with poor excuse that he was already busy with other viewings. :mad:
It was particularly galling as I we went with this agent because they were local and he was really enthuasiatic and I thought he'd do a good job of showing people round.
Which I'm sure he would have done, had he ever set foot in the house again!!
Next time - DIY.
Some of the viewers we had were quite rude, one in particular who demanded to know exactly what we had done to the property to make it worth the asking price - and this wasn't done in a nice chatty way, rather an interrogation.

Melissa177

If I was selling a house, I would like to be there.. Although it's not always convenient, admittedly.

I cannot believe any parent would let their kids run riot in someone else's house. Although clearly some do...

ooobedoo

I would worry about people going through my underwear draw when I'm not there....I mean, It must happen?????

Ms_Piggy_2

mrstinchcombe wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance but why are you showing people around anyway? Surely thats an EAs job?

What exactly do people pay EAs so much money for? Taking a picture of a house and putting it in a shop window?

In theory yes - but as many EAs work 9-5 and many prospective buyers also work 9-5, I'll show people round in the evening if it means I'm more likely to get a sale. Also, as the owner there are bound to be questions I can answer but the EA can't.

Redbedhead

Ms_Piggy wrote: »

In theory yes - but as many EAs work 9-5 and many prospective buyers also work 9-5, I'll show people round in the evening if it means I'm more likely to get a sale. Also, as the owner there are bound to be questions I can answer but the EA can't.

I have to admit, one of the reasons we selected our estate agent was because they worked till 7pm and both Saturday and Sunday.

We both work (my H in London) so it isn't often practical for us both to see a house during the day. Often I have managed to see a house on my own during the day, then if it passes me, we both see it another time.

I also agree with the comment that you are paying your agent to sell the house, so they should generally be doing the viewings. We did tell our agent we were not happy to do viewings. My home is very personal to me, I put a lot of effort in to renovating it. I appreciate it isn't to everyones tastes but I would rather have that told to me in a careful manner by an EA rather than by a viewer going 'God, that is a horrible colour / room / wallpaper'

foreversummer

Unfortunately I was around when the estate agent showed a family around my old house, and I nearly asked them to sling their hook!

Even if I was in the room, the mother continually referred to me and my family as 'these people'. "And where are 'these people' moving to?", and "How long have 'these people' been here?"

She also proceeded to ask the estate agent about other properties they had on their books quite in earshot of me and then spent a good ten minutes or so discussing these in my kitchen! I felt this was rather disrespectful and something that I would not do when viewing.

I so nearly asked them to move along as they were obviously not interested, but bit my lip. The family never even acknowledged me when they left.

All part and parcel of selling I suppose.

Foreversummer

Bargain_Rzl

Doozergirl wrote: »

Fact is, it shouldn't really bother you who buys it unless you're moving next door!

Or if you care about your current neighbours...

HugoSP

Some people are just rude.

We have fortunately been very lucky. The first house we sold went to the 2nd person who viewed it after the had been back 3 times. They were very pleasent and fully appreciated that it was someones home. The first person was polite an respectful but we could tell that the house wasn't for her.

The second house was part of a house swap (we bought our buyer's house) so we didn't have the viewings from all and sundry.

I don't know what I would do given the issues raised. I would like to think that I would be more business like about it, but my temper may get the better of me

Rude vendors are their own worst enemy IMO. I have heard of people who would not deal with a rude vendor even though they offered the highest price. Partly because they just hacked them off and partly because they still regard their neigbours as friends, and would not wish said idiot on them. In general people with no regard for other people lose out in life big time - and they're too thick to realise it.

I secured a house at a lower offer simply because the vendor didn't like the highest bidder. The difference was some 10% of the highest bid!

My sister secured a fantastic house in the country at a lower offer because the elderly gent, who was ex army/WW2, liked them and especially warmed to their little girl. He had in effect decided that he wanted them to live there and not the brash red braced stockbroker who was putting in a higher offer

On a similar note, we looked at a brand new Landrover some years ago at the local dealership and the salesman pointed our children in the direction of the play area where there was lots of lego etc. When we finished our meeting with him we called the children over. Before they left the area they tidied all the lego away etc. The salesman commented that he wished more of his costomers' families were like that.

We didn't get the vehicle in the end but I hope that it made his day to be dealing with some nice people, as opposed to high earning no manners scum!