What should you expect from an EA

moneyistooshorttomention

00ec25 wrote: »

the EA cannot force a person viewing your property to provide feedback

there are countless posts on here from people trying to sell bemoaning the lack of any feedback at all from their viewers, it is not the EA's fault. Viewers rarely give feedback, fact. It is of no benefit to them to do so.

No - they cant force viewers to give that feedback indeed.

They can/should ask and then tell the vendor. From my own recent experience of selling last house - then I expect them to be checking out the body language/making mental notes of anything the viewer says/etc - and transmitting that information to me. I was certainly quite amused (and interested) to be told what the EA had picked up non-verbally too:rotfl:. This culminated in the EA telling me as soon as my eventual buyer had viewed my house for the first time that they would be the one buying my house - though the viewer hadnt told them so. EA had been watching them like a hawk and had realised they would be:rotfl:. EA also told me why they wanted my house and what the competition was like from other vendors on their books and what the buyers parents thought of my house (though they hadnt said) and I was given the general indication of how much money/housebuying experience the buyers parents had. My EA didnt quite go as far as telling me what the buyer had had for dinner last night - but it was quite a comprehensive summary.

EA's should also keep an eye on other "links in the chain" and ask for proof of the buyers funds (how much/where from). I knew exactly how much the deposit was that my buyer put down and where it had come from and who was giving them a mortgage for the rest.

BucksLady

Surrey_EA wrote: »

Somebody's had a bad experience then...?! :A

I'm sure he's not the only one either

davidmcn

Hutch100uk wrote: »

I understand it doesn't benefit the viewer but it benefits the seller. Which is why the agents should push for it a bit more.

"Push a bit more" how, exactly? If the EA phones me the day after a viewing (typically during my working hours), leaves a voicemail, and I don't bother calling back - what do you think their next step should be?

PhilE

Surrey_EA wrote: »

Somebody's had a bad experience then...?! :A

No s##t Sherlock.

googler

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

For your next viewing, consider recording devices around the house.
Might be enlightening.

Ever considered a career in Industrial Espionage...?

G_M

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

Secret Squirrel?

as long as they don't find your secret rabbit...

Hutch100uk

Well it's fair point that pushing for feedback isn't always worth it. Obviously people lie in their feedback and I've had a few of those already.

I've been doing my own viewings so usually think I can tell if its positive or not. I do however think that people who are searching for a property (and selling one of their own) should expect to give feedback - don't think its unreasonable.

I think the bottom line here is that EA's do NOTHING more than an online agent would.

I was really just trying to find justification for their fees - still don't have any!

Hutch100uk

davidmcn wrote: »

"Push a bit more" how, exactly? If the EA phones me the day after a viewing (typically during my working hours), leaves a voicemail, and I don't bother calling back - what do you think their next step should be?

stop them viewing any more properties!!

wantonnoodle

Hutch100uk wrote: »

stop them viewing any more properties!!

But from the perspective of the EA, that is counterproductive. From what I've seen online, very few people return calls where they have received a message asking for feedback, or if they do, its vague and non specific. If an EA stopped them viewing properties, they would likely have no buyers, and therefore no chance of getting commission. Following that, they would likely lose a lot of sellers and go out of business pretty fast.

googler

Hutch100uk wrote: »

I think the bottom line here is that EA's do NOTHING more than an online agent would.

Disagree ...

You can trot out the line about everybody looking online exclusively, but I had a grandstand view of my high street in recent times, and I'd say 75% of the foot traffic passing by the EAs would stop and look. Anyone moving more than a few miles will travel to where they want to move to in advance to check out districts etc., and they will look in on the local agents, no doubt.

Online agents may well value properties from afar based on sold prices, but you need to know more than that. A good local agent should know what's sold, but also what hasn't sold in their area. If they know, for instance that two houses of a particular type sold a few months ago for £X, but that the other two which went on more recently at £Y (higher than £X) haven't moved an inch, that tells them not to market them at £Y. A centralised online agent wouldn't have a clue about this, nor any impression of how the condition and presentation of these houses varied, which can also affect asking and selling price. They'd only have access to the sold prices on zoopla and other sites.

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