ftb - estate agents won't send us details of new properties

lost_lemon

Hi,
Has anyone else had problems being notified of new properties coming on to the market? We're ftbs with a substantial deposit and registered our details with a few local estate agents as we were finding that by the time properties were being advertised on rightmove they had already receive offers.

We've still found that we're not being notified by these EAs of properties which meet our requirements. Yesterday when viewing a property the agent said that the only way for them to provide this service would be if we met with their in-house financial advisor who would then be able to send suitable properties our way!! Another agent has "lost" our details 3 times but their in-house mortgage advisor keeps ringing up to arrange a meeting to organise a mortgage in principal with them. :mad:

We've met with a whole of market independent mortgage broker and would be looking to use them when we've found the right property.

Should we meet with the agents' brokers as well even if we've no intention of using their services? What have others done in this situation?

Thanks!

suziqqq

firstly do you have a dip from a mortgage lender some EA's may see you as a time waster if you do not have the funds in principle to buy. If not that should be your first step before you view anything. If you have then don't rely on EA's to pass details on, they have dozens of people on their books you need to keep going into the agents yourself and making yourself known
Good luck

Thrugelmir

There's no commitment to take a mortgage through the EA's in house adviser. So other than time it will cost you nothing.

ethank

I agree you need to be really proactive in your purchase. I spent a lot of time on Rightmove and would email agents once a week to ask what new houses had come in.

Kynthia

Once you've been searching a while and gotten to know a few agents they will start to think of you when a new property comes in. It takes a while and they need to know you are serious buyers, so pick one at each branch and network.

AdrianC

Thrugelmir wrote: »

There's no commitment to take a mortgage through the EA's in house adviser. So other than time it will cost you nothing.

^ This.

If the agents want to sell a mortgage to you, let 'em. You don't need to buy it.

pinkshoes

We were made to do this a few years ago by Connells EA. I went along with it, but refused to disclose any financial information to their broker, as the EA worked for sellers, not buyers, therefore it was not to my advantage to let them know my budget.

He was annoyed but got my point.

ACG

Send them an email or record a phone call saying something along the lines of "If I arrange to meet your mortgage advisor will you then include me in notification of new properties that come on to the market" Then report them to trading standards.

Phone call would be better as they are more likely to fall into the trap than putting it in writing.

I would also potentially take it to the local paper so that they get some bad publicity. People do need to start doing this or the agents will carry on doing what they are doing.

lost_lemon

Hi thanks for all the helpful advice. We put an offer in on another house last month (although the seller went with a higher offer) and the estate agent was great to deal with in that instance. Unfortunately that EA is relatively new to the area and hasn't the same amount of properties as these more established outfits who haven't been as easy to communicate with. If it makes us look keen will arrange to meet with their brokers like pinkshoes. How did you not disclose financial info? I'm thinking we only go as far as discussing price range and size of deposit.

ACG if I can get evidence will report. Did feel like we were being pushed into something we weren't comfortable with.

Thought it would be easier as a ftb but as there's not much on the market at the mo the EAs aren't as interested as we have no property to sell.

Thanks so much for helping me with my 1st post to these message boards