Agent won't allow viewing without sight of mortgage offer

Mutton_Geoff

I'm trying to help my sister out with a house purchase and she's just tried to book a viewing of a place listed with a Countrywide agent. They have told her (and confirmed in writing) that they will not let her view the property without sight of her mortgage in principle offer. She will be buying on approx. 50% LTV and we're in the process of a mortgage application whilst she steams ahead and views everything in her price range since she has some time pressures to move in somewhere.

I think it's extremely cheeky of the agent to block viewings without a MIP letter. I could understand they might want to screen her financial situation before passing an offer to the vendor but blocking a first viewing seems very short sighted.

Here we have someone that's got a large deposit, nothing to sell, decent full time employment, mortgage needed only around 3x salary and they won't even entertain her word. On principle my sister has discounted this property already. I wonder if the vendors knew what they are potentially missing out on.

I really dislike Countrywide PLC

Thrugelmir

Unfortunately time wasters exist in numbers. If the agent is spending their time doing the viewing. There needs to be weeding out.

steampowered

It might be easier just to get a DIP. You can get one online very easily. It doesn't commit you to using that bank.

gettingtheresometime

My son is looking at buying for the first time & one estate agent told him he had to see their mortgage adviser first

stator

Not unusual for one of those awful mega chains. Connells group force you to see their 'mortgage advisor' before they do viewings also. That's why I was boycotting them.

Mrs36

That surely is against the property ombudsman rules?

I would be posting the vendors a strongly worded letter letting them know about their agents conduct, in that scenario.

saajan_12

I agree it is unfair on potential viewers to demand MIPs before even viewing (and potentially on vendors unless they specifically requested this degree of checking).

However practically speaking, how is property selling in your sister's target area / property type / price range? If she is under pressure to move then it may be more tactical to provide a MIP (you can get one pretty quickly online these days). While it may hinder your negotiations to disclose your funds to the EA/vendor prematurely, if the alternative is to not view at all, surely there is no harm as you can always walk away if they don't negotiate.

smmeadow

What happens if you are a cash buyer? Will they want to see bank statements first? Very cheeky! I wouldnt be happy to be showing my bank statements willy nilly just to view a house

phill99

I would write the vendor a letter and put it through their letterbox. I'm sure the vendor would be interested to know how the estate agents filter viewings.


Estate agents really are the biggest shower of sh&t in the world.

ACG

A lot of vendors do not know what their agents are like. I come across iffy agents all the time. I am all for a free market but when they effectively hold people to ransom it is blackmail and they do need to be stopped.

The problem is that buyers do not want to risk losing a property and by the time they complete they can not be bothered so it just goes on and on. Until people complain en masse to trading standards it will just carry on...are you going to complain?

You could post a note through the vendors door and just ask if they are aware the agent is turning people away who are in a good position. The vendor may be aware in which case you have a choice of getting a DIP first or moving on to the next.

I write my clients a letter to give to the agents, it usually works but nor always.

mimiduck

"Estate agents really are the biggest shower of sh&t in the world."

Of course while many of them do things that should not be done however the principal of making sure the buyer is actually serious by seeing an MIP is not out of line.

You would be surprised how many people book a viewing and do not attend/cancel last minute or spend 1 hour with you and then for feedback they say 'sorry not buying anymore'. There are as many !!!!takers in the clients as there are in estate agencies.