Purple Bricks seem odd (from a buyer's perspective) - is this normal?

pinkteapot

Viewed a house at 3.30pm yesterday (Sunday), arranged via Purple Bricks. Didn't think PB would be open when we got home to feed back to (have since realised their phone lines are 24/7). Woke up this morning and the house has gone Sold STC overnight?!

I'm staggered that PB advised the vendor to take an offer without even checking on our feedback? Any high street EA would have rung around other viewers to let them know a good offer had been received and see if they might offer more.

We're not in a fast-moving market area.

Can anyone who has sold with PB tell me how it works? Are you just informed there's an offer then you accept/decline through the website or something? Do PB advise on negotiating?

Reason I'm asking is: So many houses up here are sold through PB that we'll probably have to deal with them. If that means basically dealing with a vendor rather than an EA we'll have to be prepared for weird behaviour like this when the right house does come along!

I suppose it could just have been a vendor who got an offer at the price they wanted so simply accepted it. Just seems odd - I can understand cancelling further viewings - it's the not checking in with existing viewers that has irked me!

spadoosh

No they wouldnt.

If you get an offer thats agreeable for you house you take it. Whats the point in ringing around a load of people who so far have not committed to anything other than viewing the property.

Id say what youre expecting is weird behaviuour.

If you like the house, put your money wear your mouth is, that simple. Theyre obliged to pass on your offer, if it beats the existing offer theres a possibility itll be accepted.

AlexMac

Yes; I don't know about PB, but if a house is sold STC it just means they've accepted an offer;

Usually, it's not actually sold...

till both sides appoint solicitors and the Estate agent issues the "memorandum of sale" (usually emailed out) with the agreed price,,

searches, surveys, mortgage offers.... which can take weeks (or sometimes months)

Exchange... then a week or (many) more later

Completion.

Its courteous to stop marketing when sold STC, but not everyone does that. So it's good that PB stop viewings when offers are accepted..

But, if you fancy gazumping the buyer (if there really is a buyer!); make an offer, maybe direct to the sellers (as I said, I don't know how PB works) stressing your viability as buyers (sold your property? / not in chain?/ in funds/ flexible on timing / solicitor ready to act / mortgage agree in principle or confident of getting one...)

Of course if they do that to their buyer, they might do it to you next week...?

WeAreGhosts

Doesn't really matter who the EA is. If I were the seller I would've asked for feedback from you after your viewing. There's every chance you could've put in a higher offer/been in a better position.

If you do want to put in an offer, you still can. It's not a done deal, yet.

pinkteapot

I've bought and sold several houses before. When buying, EAs have always contacted me for viewing feedback (I don't wait around for that - when we like a house I go back ASAP, some super-keen agents get me before I get a chance). When selling, when I've received and am considering offers, if other people have viewed in the meantime I've always said "What did Mr X think of it?" and the EA has usually checked in with them already.

As I said, cancelling future viewings is one thing - I've had viewings cancelled because an offer's been accepted. And if I'd viewed this house days ago and not bothered going back to them then I'd understand too. But we left the house late afternoon on a Sunday and that evening they accept an offer?

Might just be that I'm used to things only happening during normal agent opening hours as with a high street EA first thing this morning would have been the first chance to get back to them.

Like I said, just wanted to understand from PB sellers how the system works as it'll be useful to know for other houses on with PB.

[Deleted User]

If you don't pay for it, there's no such thing as "PB advised the vendor to take an offer". Someone submits an offer on an online form, you click a button to accept/decline/negotiate and the property is automatically marked SSTC if you accept.

Despite their adverts, they don't really fulfil all the roles of a traditional estate agent in the basic package which most vendors would use. The contact is really between you and the vendor, so feedback, messages or an offer could still be put in and the vendor would still see it as usual.

[Deleted User]

I'm not familiar with how PB works, but maybe someone else viewed after you and offered asking price there and then?