Querying estate agents fees

Red-Squirrel_2

rosamundie wrote: »

I see nothing wrong with querying the price I am paying for a somewhat inferior service.

The time to worry about the price is before you sign the contract and accept the terms.

kingstreet

Regularly posted on MSE;-

"I shouldn't have to pay all my EA fees because I sold my house to the first person who saw it and the EA didn't have to do much"

v

"I shouldn't have to pay all my EA fees because it took ages for my EA to find me a buyer and there were loads of fruitless viewings."

No win situation, really.

mije1983

• You asked an agent to find a buyer for your property, and you would give them 1.5%.

• Said agent found buyer.

• Buyer purchased property.

• Now you don't want to pay?

What work the agent did or didn't do is neither here nor there. You engaged their services to introduce a buyer, which they did. Contract fulfilled.


If you thought 1.5% was unreasonable then the time to change it was BEFORE you agreed to the contract. Then you could have asked them to put a clause in that said they would only get paid if they took 20 pictures of the property, printed 100 brochures, take 50 phone calls, show 10 people around the property (can you now see how ridiculous that sounds!)


If anything, you should be offering them more than 1.5%, as they got a buyer without the need for all that extra time and expense. :rotfl:


To be honest, with all your questions about job and family, you sound like a nightmare seller! What business is it of yours about a buyers family?

need_an_answer

Would your paths have crossed with this buyer if it were not for the fact that Hamptons introduced you?

Whether or not they subsequently tracked you down by social media is irrelevant without Hamptons they would not have known you had the property for sale that they wished to purchase.

AnotherJoe

rosamundie wrote: »

I really believe that an agent's job is to do basic due diligence before showing a prospective buyer a property - that is, find out if they are a cash buyer or need to get a mortgage, if they are in rented and some very basic idea of their circumstances to save people's time being wasted. This really only requires a basic conversation.

Of course it doesn't. Unless they take it on face value, in which case its worthless and they might as well not bother

Why would the fact they are in rented accommodation be relevant? What do you think covers "their circumstances"?

How would "a simple conversation" validate all that you want to know? How many steps back in their family tree do you go to determine if they are worthy of buying?

rosamundie

Of course it is important that estate agents find out some information about someone who applies to visit your house with a view to buying it. That's their job - otherwise, why not just stick a `for sale' ad in the local paper and leave your door open for anyone who might like a view.
This is why people use a high street agent rather than an online one.
Are you people for real?!

rosamundie

I don't need to see their family tree.
Agents are paid handsomely for doing due diligence in showing people around people's homes and it is only fair that there is some expectation that these people are serious about making a purchase.
If a buyer is in rented accomodation it shows that they have sold their house and can proceed quickly.
You are either very unsavvy or are an under employed estate agent. I suspect the latter.

rosamundie

Wow. So many estate agents on this thread!

hazyjo

Don't you love it when a newbie comes on and starts showing off or trying to get a reaction lol :laugh:

For the record, I'm not an EA and I don't think many on here are.

Moved 8 times and have never been asked what my job is and would be surprised if an EA did ask!

david1951

rosamundie wrote: »

Wow. So many estate agents on this thread!

No, just a few people that understand contract law.

You clearly don’t.