Estate Agent doesn't like our surveyor

Davesnave

It's not only agents who have these negative thoughts, but most people in the business don't verbalise them.

Some years ago, when our solicitor asked who our agent was, my reply was met with, "Oh, him, he'll be snapping at our heels like a Jack Russell."

From my POV, that was a definite plus point for the agent.

martindow

Maybe the agent's motive is to push you into using their 'recommended' surveyor so they get a cut of the fee? Their unsubtle efforts to persuade you to do this have raisde doubts over faults in the house.

This may be less suspicious than it seems. You can't rely on an estate agent being straightforward - their only interest is making money on the sale.

princeofpounds

It is quite possible you have appointed a fairly conservative surveyor. Surveyors can be over-conservative, sometimes, because there is only downside for them if they make a mistake.


On the other hand, they might just be trying to steer you to use their pet surveyor for a commission.


As pointed out, remember the EA works for himself first and the vendor second. The surveyor works for you.


However, 'never had a sale go through' is almost certainly hyperbole, unless the sample size is small. Possibly the EA was burnt on one transaction and is thinking removing business from the surveyor is revenge.


I would ask your family friend, if you know them well, why they think the EA is saying this. He may well know.


But I would also have an independent mind from both parties.

Missus_Hyde

martindow wrote: »

Maybe the agent's motive is to push you into using their 'recommended' surveyor so they get a cut of the fee? Their unsubtle efforts to persuade you to do this have raisde doubts over faults in the house.

This may be less suspicious than it seems. You can't rely on an estate agent being straightforward - their only interest is making money on the sale.

My sister was in a similar position with the house she's just bought. Actually the EA she uses are absolutely fine, but do have their own set up with "pet" mortgage brokers, solicitors, surveyors etc., from whom they presumably receive a cut if they refer customers. As my husband is a retired structural engineer and has always surveyed any properties my sister's been interested in buying, naturally he would do the structural survey for her, rather than the EA's surveyor. As it happened the house was perfectly sound for a Victorian terrace of that age, so the EA weren't trying to hide anything; it was more of a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" scenario.

She presented my husband to them as a fait accompli and although they were a tiny bit miffed there was nothing they could do about it. (She used her own solicitor as well, but was happy to use their broker, for convenience)

sheramber

I wonder if the EA has a recommended surveyor?

looknohands

I didn't ask estate agent wether he did but can see they do from their website.
I've kept everything independent from them, broker, solicitor, survey as seems a bit weird putting things like this in their hands as they want the sale to go through so could cut corners.

Our surveyor is insured so if there is if a dispute were to arise it would be fine,
however the estate agent seemed convinced that surveyors say a lot of things to cover their backs incase of dispute after survey.

marksoton

sheramber wrote: »

I wonder if the EA has a recommended surveyor?

Do bears shi.... You know the rest..

Davesnave

looknohands wrote: »

however the estate agent seemed convinced that surveyors say a lot of things to cover their backs incase of dispute after survey.

Well, they do.

For example, they might say that the consumer unit is old and recommend an electrical inspection, or that houses in the area have experienced problems with drains, so suggest a drain survey. And if they see wooworm holes, they won't necessarily suggest those are historic, even if they are, but instead they'll point you to a timber & damp specialist.

But this is all faily understandable. Surveyors are like the GPs of the property business and others are specialists. Like GPs they may also say things face to face and off the record that they won't put into the notes.

cloo

Yes, go with your surveyor... I always say in house selling buying, ignore the agent (they'll say/do anything to push the sale through), listen to solicitors and surveyors!


Either EA is hiding something, but for your sake I hope it's just that they're trying to push 'their' surveyor.


Surveyors do cover their back, so if anything worries you, do ask for clarification from them - especially easy as you know them. Older properties, especially, will almost always bring up a long list of potential problems, but most of these will be minor and possible to deal with over time, and/or can be left for a bit without it causing problems.

looknohands

Thanks, I'm expecting things anyway, it's a 100 year old house after all. However it seems well looked after. He can't survey it for a week and we've already paid valuation and instructed solicitor, but I guess loosing a couple of hundred quid is better than buying a property that will fall into a hole! Am actually interested to see what he finds now after the EAs call, will report back!