Seller's estate agents.

REDDDRAGGON

So I am in the process of buying a house from a couple. Had a viewing, made an offer. Everything has gone relatively smoothly.

I've let my parent's deal with a lot of the liaison with the seller's estate agents because I've been doing a lot of travelling recently. They asked for the seller's phone number, but the estate agents refused. My parent's having bought and sold over 10 houses in their lives have always had direct contact with the sellers of the houses they were buying, so thought nothing of it.

So anyway, I needed a couple of measurements yesterday so I could buy some furniture, so I nipped round the house yesterday evening and the guy was in and was quite happy to give me his number and pass on my number to his girlfriend, and got the measurements I needed after a 5 minute visit. No problem. I told him about the estate agent's refusal to give us their number.

Later in the evening I get a phonecall from the girlfriend. She didn't seem to have had a problem with my visit yesterday. Going on to tell me that she had instructed their estate agents to pass on her details to me, as she had enquired if I had been wanting any of the furniture. (The Estate agents kept contacting me while I was in France, even after telling them multiple times to direct any queries to my parents, needless to say I gave up answering the phone). The Seller later in the call proceeded to say they were the worst estate agents she had dealt with and won't be using them again!

This morning while at work, I get a phone call from the Estate Agents getting a bit arsey about me visiting yesterday. Apparantly the seller didn't like me visiting like that, and the estate agent proceeded to tell me a me a story about the seller expecting family etc. And that I must go through them.

This all sounded a bit queer to me, after the phonecall I received from the seller last night. To be honest it sounded like a lot of BS! I was very polite when I visited and it's been over 6 weeks since we started the ball rolling and this was the first contact I had with the sellers. All other communication through the Estate agent had felt like Chinese whispers....

Is this normal Estate Agent behaviour, protecting their "patch"?

Procrastinator333

Sounds like the Estate Agents are being idiots. The sellers estate agents are nothing to you. You are not paying them, they work for the vendor. If the vendor thinks they are the "worst estate agents", I would be inclined to just start ignoring all calls from the EA. Every time anything comes up, just txt / call the vendor direct. Cut the EA out of the loop and then ignore them. Sounds like the vendor would be happy to do that as well.

I would also say, Estate agents will never want people to talk direct. But that is very different to actually doing everything possible to stop it happening like they are. They like to control the flow of information and "manage" both parties. Not everyone likes to be managed though.

Dan-Dan

Can be , yes , Estate Agents are a funny bunch, but why isnt this sort of thing (furniture to leave etc) going through your solicitor?

AlexMac

Yup. After all, if they let you talk direct, it might fracture the delicate mystique, mystery, expertise and craft of Estate Agenceria.

Look at it from their point of view- after all, it's a highly skilled, highly regulated and honorable profession; it's not as if anyone with a tight suit, gelled hair and a Mini-cooper can be an agent is it...

oh... hang on a minute?

REDDDRAGGON

Dan-Dan wrote: »

Can be , yes , Estate Agents are a funny bunch, but why isnt this sort of thing (furniture to leave etc) going through your solicitor?

They were asking if I wanted anything. The house when it was up for sale was going to come with nothing. This is the first house I've bought, but I wouldn't have expected it to go through a solicitors anyway.

DRP

REDDDRAGGON wrote: »

They were asking if I wanted anything. The house when it was up for sale was going to come with nothing. This is the first house I've bought, but I wouldn't have expected it to go through a solicitors anyway.

if you're paying for any of their stuff, then it would be wise to make sure your solicitor knows and it goes through them - it can be written into the contract, so no funny business.

Dan-Dan

as DRP says....

To be honest , i`m a little bias , i made contact with my buyers and sellers , and by god do i wish i hadnt , my broker (a very good man who uses the mortgage board on MSE) advised me not to communicate directly , and i wish i had listened , to be honest

The_White_Horse

estate agents are generally lying scumballs - and they do nothing at all. they get paid more than the conveyancers who actually do all the work.

its a shame sites like RightMove and Zoopla haven't done away with them altogether. Instead, its just another platform for them to stick a picture on and make thousands.

REDDDRAGGON

DRP wrote: »

if you're paying for any of their stuff, then it would be wise to make sure your solicitor knows and it goes through them - it can be written into the contract, so no funny business.

I agree. But surely they need to ask me if I want stuff first before it gets passed to the solicitors?

FWIW I don't want any of the stuff anyway.

DRP

REDDDRAGGON wrote: »

I agree. But surely they need to ask me if I want stuff first before it gets passed to the solicitors?

FWIW I don't want any of the stuff anyway.

You're right - i meant that after agreeing to buy their stuff then this should be finalised with your solicitor.

Usually there is a pro forma in your pack from the solicitor that gives details of any items included in the sale and prices etc. This will form part of the contract.

millysg1

IS it a mobile number she gave you? If so I would text them today saying

"Ive just heard from your estate agent and I am so sorry to hear how uoset you were at me visiting. If I knew you had family visiting then I would of more than happy to rearrange. ect etc"

So they know what the estate agent said to you and you can find out for yourself if they really said that!