How would you handle this .....

lisssa

Hi

My house has been on the market 5 weeks now , offer was made on Saturday which I accepted but has subsequently already fallen through due to my buyers buyers not being able to get a mortgage and then on weds the people who wanted to buy mine decided to just take there's off the market.
Anyhow the estate agents have been ok during the last 5 weeks, although I always feel they are not being entirely honest with me - either that or they just make me feel very uncomfortable with their sales / negotiating patter.
They did however offer to change a couple of the house photos and yesterday whilst I was at work (they keep a key) someone came round( I believe it was the manager ) and took some photos.
The front of my house is almost directly onto a foot path - it's very quiet but also quite remote.
I got home late last nite to find the kitchen light left on, blind totally up so people could see directly into my kitchen and the kitchen window had been left unsecure - pushed closed but the handle had not been locked back into place.:( Luckily no one had got in / nothing missing but pretty scary all the same !

Am I angry yes - however I am nervous of ringing and complaining in the fear that they just won't push my house sale ( I've now found somewhere I love but can't make an offer until I've sold ).

I have a challenging job , manage a large team of people, have to make difficult decisions on a regular basis , yet when dealing with estate agents I feel totally out of depth and over whelmed and feel ' guilty' when even asking the most simple of things. Feel daft even writing this, but it's just how I feel !

Just interested in how people would handle it , there is part of me that thinks well no harm done, all they can do is apologise and it won't change anything, and was just a genuine mistake - however , then there's the 'it could have been very different and I could have come home to find my house burgled.
'

Any help with how to deal with estate agents / approach this whole process gratefully received !

Thanks

quidsy

What is it exactly you want from them? Just to tell them that they left your house compromised?

If yes then call up, speak to manager & tell tham that in future their staff is to have more respect for your property & to leave it as they found it.

I personally would never allow them to have keys but thats me, I know too many people who have come home to missing ipads,. cameras, even a passport that was in a knicker draw, once where the agent had just left people to wander round unescorted in their home.

Do you want them to be more agressive in their marketing? If so, call up, speak to manager & tell them. You pay them. They are your "staff".

So just deal with them in the same way you would your staff.

How would you deal with an incompetent member of staff who put the "companies" possesions at risk? or who wasn't putting their all into a "project".

Be the manager you are. Good luck.

Freecall

Personally I would put it down to experience. If you challenge the agent they will no doubt deny it and simply view you as a moaner.

As you say, no harm done. I entirely sympathize with your anger I am sure that I would feel the same but at the end of the day it is a speedy house sale that matters not relieving your frustration on an agent who probably won't even understand the reason for your complaint.

Mojisola

lisssa wrote: »

The front of my house is almost directly onto a foot path - it's very quiet but also quite remote.

I got home late last nite to find the kitchen light left on, blind totally up so people could see directly into my kitchen and the kitchen window had been left unsecure - pushed closed but the handle had not been locked back into place.:( Luckily no one had got in / nothing missing but pretty scary all the same !

That's completely unprofessional and not acceptable. I would be complaining in writing and asking for the keys back.

Find out how quickly you can get out of the contract with them and interview some new EAs.

TBagpuss

I would contact the agents and let them know how the house was left and that you are extremely concerned. See what their response is, and then decide how to proceed.

If they are defensive, deny it or are otherwise stroppy then I would immediately get the keys back and follow up with a formal complaint, and look to et out of the contract asap.

If however they appear genuinely concerned, apologise, and check with you that nothing is missing or damaged then I would probably treat it as a one-off mistake and leave it at that.

getmore4less

Do the pictures have the window open?

Can't think why they would bother opening a window.


edit:
or taken from the outside through the open window?
(thanks Jen)

Jenniefour

Assuming you're absolutely certain it wasn't anyone else just give them a call and tell them what you found when you got home. Ask them to take great care when they are doing viewings. How you handle it will, to some extent, affect how they respond.

Also wondering why they would open a window! And put on a light in daytime. Were they trying to get a good shot of views from that window?

My experience of giving keys to agents has been good - mindful about security and keeping an eye on viewers who are in the property. And means you won't miss out on any potential viewings.

Hopefully, they will respond well and apologise. Remind yourself they are ordinary mortals - I'm sure you've dealt with a lot worse in your own work!

bigadaj

I'd speak to a manager, and make a complaint. It's not very professional and they should apologise and if nothing else can stop this happening to soemone else.

I'd also use this as an opportunity to see how they respond, if they handle it well it would give me some comfort. If they are short and full of excuses I'd take my business elsewhere, though I'm used to arguing contracts in my job so it may be different for other people, estate agents aren't known for being dodgy for no reason, there's little to their job apart from customer service so if they can't supply that they shouldnt be in business.

lisssa

Thanks for all your responses.Just for info the reason why they opened the window was to take a photo of the kitchen , where the internal door is, it was difficult to get a full view of kitchen .
Anyhow, spoke to the manager and it was him that had visited my house, initally he was hesitant when I explained that window was insecure, but then give him his due he was very apologetic and said he always tried to take great care, but no excuses he was in the wrong. So more than happy with that.
Im not entirely convinced by them because when I mentioned I had found somewhere and said i was keen to get my house sold asap, he started talking about well the people that wanted yours still want it and I know they have viewings set up. I stopped him in his tracks when I told him its now off the market. He then came out with the usual sales patter of oh we will spend the rest of day ringing round trying to get people to view over weekend - in my view shouldnt they have already done that anyway.
Have decided to see what happens over next week or so and then decide whether to stick with them or move agencies - by then they will have ad 8 weeks and where I live the market is moving pretty fast.


Thanks for all your comments and quidsy your right I do need to assert myself more, Ive got to take the emotion out of it ( like in the work place) and realise I am paying them for a service and am their customer not me theirs !

getmore4less

classic opend window took picture from outside and pushed it closed then forgot once back inside.

Easy done much better to leave it open so you can't forget on the final external visual check it's obvious.