Buyer wants to meet us

Delphblue

I guess I too would be very suspicious if a seller refused to meet - I think that because we bought the house from family, I've never had any experience of buying a house from a stranger - it would never occur to me to ask to meet the seller. We've arranged a meeting for this week. Hopefully it'll be very straightforward. There was no issue with the survey, so I can't see any reason they might want to talk about the price. Just have to wait and see now

davidmcn

whodathunkit wrote: »

What about when people want to view in working hours?

Then the EA does it, as the OP explains. That's the norm in Scotland too.

Does it really make sense for the sellers to go and hide somewhere while punters are shown round a house by someone who hardly knows anything about it? It seems much more disruptive, especially if they don't turn up on time (or at all).

whodathunkit

poet123 wrote: »

The EA does not come with them generally. Few people view in working hours, evenings and weekends are favourite.

Sorry, that seems really strange. It means that you'd have to be alone in your home with a stream of strangers passing through just to save the EA from doing the work you're paying them to do! I'm the last person to be neurotic or over cautious but is sounds downright dangerous to me.

davidmcn

whodathunkit wrote: »

Sorry, that seems really strange. It means that you'd have to be alone in your home with a stream of strangers passing through just to save the EA from doing the work you're paying them to do! I'm the last person to be neurotic or over cautious but is sounds downright dangerous to me.

But it's not work you're paying them to do, because you've already agreed a fee which reflects the level of service you're getting.

Why do you think it would be dangerous (or any less dangerous if the EA were doing the viewings)? They're not merely a "stream of strangers", they're prospective buyers whose details the EA has on file before they arrange the appointments with you (and will follow up after the viewings).

poet123

whodathunkit wrote: »

Sorry, that seems really strange. It means that you'd have to be alone in your home with a stream of strangers passing through just to save the EA from doing the work you're paying them to do! I'm the last person to be neurotic or over cautious but is sounds downright dangerous to me.

It is the norm up here. I have never had a viewing of an occupied house that wasn't done by the vendor. Maybe we are more reluctant to give the EA a key?

Anatidaephobia

It was almost always the seller who showed us around their house when we were viewing houses last year. EA's showed us around a few unoccupied houses, and one furnished house where it was unclear whether or not anyone actually lived there but we didn't bother to ask because we weren't interested in the house.

The best viewings were always the ones where the seller showed us around! They were able to give us useful information about their houses whereas the EA's never knew anything helpful. However, if we had bought a house where we hadn't met the seller, I'm not sure if I would've requested a meeting mainly because, being a first time buyer, I wouldn't have been sure of the etiquette. Good to know that it's a completely normal/acceptable thing to do.

Riggster

If I was buying a house for ££££££, I'd want to meet the vendor too. Perfectly normal, get the bread machine and coffee on and assure them how wonderful the house is, and what a shame it is you have to move...

whodathunkit

davidmcn wrote: »

But it's not work you're paying them to do, because you've already agreed a fee which reflects the level of service you're getting.

Why do you think it would be dangerous (or any less dangerous if the EA were doing the viewings)? They're not merely a "stream of strangers", they're prospective buyers whose details the EA has on file before they arrange the appointments with you (and will follow up after the viewings).

I just think that showing prospective buyers round property is what EAs are supposed to be trained to do, whether the vendors are in or not. They're supposed to be salespeople, not just appointment makers - what are you paying them thousands of pounds to do if they don't do the most basic bit?

Re safety; at various times and in various geographical areas I've registered as a prospective buyer and I've never been asked for ID or any proof of anything. If an EA were present for viewings, at least there'd be another person in the house when the mad axeman gets his chopper out!

Torry_Quine

poet123 wrote: »

The EA does not come with them generally. Few people view in working hours, evenings and weekends are favourite.

I did the viewings myself when we sold and the appointments were made with me so we came to a mutually convenient time.

whodathunkit wrote: »

Sorry, that seems really strange. It means that you'd have to be alone in your home with a stream of strangers passing through just to save the EA from doing the work you're paying them to do! I'm the last person to be neurotic or over cautious but is sounds downright dangerous to me.

Certainly when we sold we were told that the price didn't include them doing the viewings which would be over and above if we wanted our solicitor to do them. So we weren't paying them to do it.

It was our home and it makes more sense than a stranger telling someone the amenities etc.

I would be very surprised if buying a property not to meet the seller unless for a very good reason such as after the death of the owner.

Anatidaephobia

whodathunkit wrote: »

I just think that showing prospective buyers round property is what EAs are supposed to be trained to do, whether the vendors are in or not. They're supposed to be salespeople

I see where you're coming from and that would perhaps be the ideal situation but, in my experience, EA's are rubbish. Do they actually get any training to teach them how best to show a house to potential buyers?

The EA's who showed us houses couldn't tell us much more about the house than was in the property brochure - and they didn't even do it well. EA's alternated between being virtually invisible (essentially unlocking the front door and saying "off you go" then disappearing and providing no further help) or being OTT in their attempts to get a sale (constantly pushing for a sale, one even spent the entire viewing bragging about his sales record). Their answer to almost everything we asked was "I don't know, you'd have to ask the seller".

Sellers were not necessarily amazing at showing their houses either - some of them clearly felt awkward about it - but they always had helpful information about their house and tried to answer our questions.