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Estate Agent Trouble
pablog_2
Posts: 20 Forumite
I've been with my estate agent three weeks. They take a one off fee at the beginning. I don't have a lot and am not likely to make a lot on the sale so I chose for the cheapest option. :doh:
I own a share of the property with the housing association owning the rest and then charging rent. Therefore they need to approve the buyer (their new tenant).
The estate agent firstly uploaded not very good set of photos, they didn't have a long shot of the block of apartments and enclosed blurred mistake shots of the pavement. I sent in my own pics of the outdoors and they put them up immediately. I asked for their other pics and the schedule for the housing association but it took three emails and a phone call until they understood what I wanted and its importance.
I also asked them if they will take my spare keys as when their manager had come to value my property, I let him know that I work away half the week - and I didn't want to miss a viewing. They said that they charge if they do a viewing for me which was not explained to me beforehand. Therefore unless I pay, I'd miss a few viewings that had been requested for the weekend. I asked to speak to the manager about it. The agent said she was sending the pics as she talked to me on the phone and would also ask the manager to call. But the pics didn't appear until the next day and the schedule was not attached and the manager never called.
I had one viewing a few days in. She didn't fully understand the housing association needed to approve her and so that was the only thing that put her off. I emailed the estate agent and suggested they add more about that situation to their listing. I sent them the wording and the link to the housing association web page explaining it. They changed the wording on their site immediately after I sent it to them.
A few days later I asked why an estate agent sign wasn't put up. They said it will be done soon. It wasn't put up until the third weekend that my flat was for sale. I have no idea if this is normal or not.
A second viewer was arranged in that time, but she didn't turn up.
They emailed me and asked for a house viewing for a time that I said I would be away with work. I said I could try to get away from work early by taking some annual leave time. To make it worth it as it was for a Sunday, I suggested making it an open house for the afternoon. The estate agent agreed. Next day I asked them if they were gonna put it on the website listing, they said they had but I assured them I couldn't see it. I was also worried that they hadn't put my full address but they said they just wanted people to arrange it thru calling them. I wondered how that would be possible if they were closed weekends. Also not helping was the lack of sign outside my house.
It took from Monday to Thursday from me requesting an open house viewing till they had it properly advertised on the website listing, with my address. I emailed on Friday to ask again if I could get the PDF of the schedule that they still hadn't sent me in order to print them out for people coming to the open house. As it got nearer to 5pm on the Friday evening and I received no reply, I called them.
The lady I spoke to said I was disturbing her from working on my file. I wondered doing what and she said she was getting confirmations about who would attend the open house. She said they always arrange who is coming, in order that they have their details to obtain feedback. This is why they hadn't wanted to put my address on the listing. Also it took so long to list the open house because it takes time to do alter the site. I wondered why previous changed were made instantly then? I also offered to get details of people who turned up. I also asked again about the sign. She said it is outsourced by people who only do it at weekends but she wasn't happy when I said their website says that their own staff do the signs - and its the third weekend of my flat being for sale.
I asked about the schedule, and she says they can't access it on their system as they have had IT problems since last week. I expressed that all of these things don't seem particularly difficult to manage and that they seem unprofessional. I asked to speak to the manager like I asked 10 days previous and she said he's the one and only manager and that he is off sick and should be back on Monday. I have been asking for him a lot in that ten days and no one mentioned he was off. They just said they'd ask him to call me. The person I spoke to said I was shouting at her, but I wasn't. My voice wasn't raised and I did not swear. But she literally just repeated "you are, you are, you are, you are" and then she put the phone down.
I was pretty flabbergasted and felt very bad about them being my estate agent. I checked their website again and it clearly says they provide "Full colour schedules, Professional photography, for sale boards erected by our own staff, and good customer service". I feel extremely short changed by them and their attitude to me.
Shortly after the phone call, the agent emailed me, told me the name and time of the original lady who requested to view on Sunday, and two others with their names and times. She also said could I take the details of anyone else who turns up. No schedule to print out, and certainly no apology.
Only the one pre arranged viewer arrived at the open house. She seemed to like it but I can't help noticing that she doesn't seem to me to fit the criteria of the housing association, but I could be wrong.
Only one guy turned up otherwise and he wasn't really understanding the fact that it was a share of the property. I tried to explain and wrote the housing association details on a post it note for him.
Really my post here is asking if I should be upset at the estate agent so much with their generally shoddy treatment of me. Am I expecting too much? Is it bad to ask them not to say things are going to be done then blatantly not do it, or for them to communicate and tell the truth to me? It seems that now they have my money and I am not a well off person selling a terrific property and am only selling a measly quarter share - that I simply do not matter to them.
I have an extremely bad feeling that my flat will take forever to sell and am just really upset about the whole thing. Ok maybe it's always like this. I just have paid upfront, and have literally no choice but to continue to deal with these people.
Is there any advice? I feel pretty intimidated about even contacting them now.
Thanks very much for listening and for any advice you may have.
I own a share of the property with the housing association owning the rest and then charging rent. Therefore they need to approve the buyer (their new tenant).
The estate agent firstly uploaded not very good set of photos, they didn't have a long shot of the block of apartments and enclosed blurred mistake shots of the pavement. I sent in my own pics of the outdoors and they put them up immediately. I asked for their other pics and the schedule for the housing association but it took three emails and a phone call until they understood what I wanted and its importance.
I also asked them if they will take my spare keys as when their manager had come to value my property, I let him know that I work away half the week - and I didn't want to miss a viewing. They said that they charge if they do a viewing for me which was not explained to me beforehand. Therefore unless I pay, I'd miss a few viewings that had been requested for the weekend. I asked to speak to the manager about it. The agent said she was sending the pics as she talked to me on the phone and would also ask the manager to call. But the pics didn't appear until the next day and the schedule was not attached and the manager never called.
I had one viewing a few days in. She didn't fully understand the housing association needed to approve her and so that was the only thing that put her off. I emailed the estate agent and suggested they add more about that situation to their listing. I sent them the wording and the link to the housing association web page explaining it. They changed the wording on their site immediately after I sent it to them.
A few days later I asked why an estate agent sign wasn't put up. They said it will be done soon. It wasn't put up until the third weekend that my flat was for sale. I have no idea if this is normal or not.
A second viewer was arranged in that time, but she didn't turn up.
They emailed me and asked for a house viewing for a time that I said I would be away with work. I said I could try to get away from work early by taking some annual leave time. To make it worth it as it was for a Sunday, I suggested making it an open house for the afternoon. The estate agent agreed. Next day I asked them if they were gonna put it on the website listing, they said they had but I assured them I couldn't see it. I was also worried that they hadn't put my full address but they said they just wanted people to arrange it thru calling them. I wondered how that would be possible if they were closed weekends. Also not helping was the lack of sign outside my house.
It took from Monday to Thursday from me requesting an open house viewing till they had it properly advertised on the website listing, with my address. I emailed on Friday to ask again if I could get the PDF of the schedule that they still hadn't sent me in order to print them out for people coming to the open house. As it got nearer to 5pm on the Friday evening and I received no reply, I called them.
The lady I spoke to said I was disturbing her from working on my file. I wondered doing what and she said she was getting confirmations about who would attend the open house. She said they always arrange who is coming, in order that they have their details to obtain feedback. This is why they hadn't wanted to put my address on the listing. Also it took so long to list the open house because it takes time to do alter the site. I wondered why previous changed were made instantly then? I also offered to get details of people who turned up. I also asked again about the sign. She said it is outsourced by people who only do it at weekends but she wasn't happy when I said their website says that their own staff do the signs - and its the third weekend of my flat being for sale.
I asked about the schedule, and she says they can't access it on their system as they have had IT problems since last week. I expressed that all of these things don't seem particularly difficult to manage and that they seem unprofessional. I asked to speak to the manager like I asked 10 days previous and she said he's the one and only manager and that he is off sick and should be back on Monday. I have been asking for him a lot in that ten days and no one mentioned he was off. They just said they'd ask him to call me. The person I spoke to said I was shouting at her, but I wasn't. My voice wasn't raised and I did not swear. But she literally just repeated "you are, you are, you are, you are" and then she put the phone down.
I was pretty flabbergasted and felt very bad about them being my estate agent. I checked their website again and it clearly says they provide "Full colour schedules, Professional photography, for sale boards erected by our own staff, and good customer service". I feel extremely short changed by them and their attitude to me.
Shortly after the phone call, the agent emailed me, told me the name and time of the original lady who requested to view on Sunday, and two others with their names and times. She also said could I take the details of anyone else who turns up. No schedule to print out, and certainly no apology.
Only the one pre arranged viewer arrived at the open house. She seemed to like it but I can't help noticing that she doesn't seem to me to fit the criteria of the housing association, but I could be wrong.
Only one guy turned up otherwise and he wasn't really understanding the fact that it was a share of the property. I tried to explain and wrote the housing association details on a post it note for him.
Really my post here is asking if I should be upset at the estate agent so much with their generally shoddy treatment of me. Am I expecting too much? Is it bad to ask them not to say things are going to be done then blatantly not do it, or for them to communicate and tell the truth to me? It seems that now they have my money and I am not a well off person selling a terrific property and am only selling a measly quarter share - that I simply do not matter to them.
I have an extremely bad feeling that my flat will take forever to sell and am just really upset about the whole thing. Ok maybe it's always like this. I just have paid upfront, and have literally no choice but to continue to deal with these people.
Is there any advice? I feel pretty intimidated about even contacting them now.
Thanks very much for listening and for any advice you may have.
0
Comments
-
No advice at all?
0 -
Please get hold of your contract with the agent.I've been with my estate agent three weeks. They take a one off fee at the beginning. I don't have a lot and am not likely to make a lot on the sale so I chose for the cheapest option. :doh:
.......
.......
Really my post here is asking if I should be upset at the estate agent so much with their generally shoddy treatment of me.
yes, but
a) you went cheap and
b) you paid upfront removing most of the EA's incentive
Am I expecting too much? Yes.
Is it bad to ask them not to say things are going to be done then blatantly not do it, or for them to communicate and tell the truth to me? It seems that now they have my money and I am not a well off person selling a terrific property and am only selling a measly quarter share - that I simply do not matter to them.
As above.
Whether or not you are well-of is irrelevant. They are running a business that makes its money by signing sellers up and receiving their fees at that point. Thereafter, everything they do costs them money with no prospect of a future return.
It may be a 'terrific property' but it is Shared Ownrship. There is a very reduced maerket for this kind of property. Who seriously wants to buy 25% of a house.....?
Read it.
Find the part relating to either
* cancellation, or
* the length or term of the contract,or
* any fees you might have to pay forwithdrawing from their maketing, or
* any reference to fees /penalties if you appoint another(eg more traditional/professional) eagent0 -
Read you contract and put a complaint in on each area they have failed in.
Obviously if it says a sign will go up but no timescale then you dont really have a complaint if it eventually goes up. If it says within 5 days you have cause to complain
Likewise the other stuff.0 -
They didn't leave me a copy of the contract, so it's taken me some time to get a copy. They eventually sent me a photo of their copy on their desk.
It doesn't mention time scales etc of the individual things they are going to do, just that they have sole selling rights until it can be terminated (after 6 weeks then after 28 days notice). So since they haven't agreed to do stuff in the terms of business even if it is implied by their website - then they can just treat me like they want I guess.
Ok yeah sorry I got the cheapest deal. It looked great on their site.
My poor little 25% share isn't that brilliant I agree but since I have no way of buying the remainder of the flat I don't have a lot of choice.
It sure helps people who can't afford an entire mortgage, then they end up with quite a desirable apartment.0 -
Sole selling? They really saw you coming!
Well at least it's only 6 weeks - If/when you switch, stick to this or 8 weeks. Do not get pushed into an 18 week contract!
28 days notice is long though - next time insist on 2 weeks notice.
Give your written notice (make sure you send it to the address specified on the contract) asap.
* It's a 6 week minimum contract.
* you signed up 3 weeks ago
* you have 3 weeks to go
* you have to give 4 weeks notice
* if you cancel in writing today, the earliest you can leave is at the 7 week point.
* each day you delay locks you in to them for longer.0 -
I just hope it sells before then. One person is interested.
I can't really afford to go with anyone else after shelling out upfront for these lot.
My main point is that they really shouldn't be allowed to be that bad?0 -
With a traditional agent you won't have to pay them
I can't really afford to go with anyone else after shelling out upfront for these lot.
a) if they don't find you a buyer
b) until you receive the money from the sale
and if they get a higher priced sale (which they are more likely to do than your cut-price, pay-in-advance-really-don't-care-what-it-sells-for agent) then you'll have the money to pay them!0 -
Well I cant really go back in time and make a better decision.
And unfortunately I already have a destination for any money I make selling my share in the property.
I was asking about whether or not the estate agent should be or is allowed to behave in such a manner. Undoubtedly I will be seeking help from the ombudsman after the sale.
I guess I just wondered if there was something I could do in the meantime, given that I cant reverse the fact I went with this estate agent in the first place.0 -
"given that the agent is so carp?"Well I cant really go back in time and make a better decision.
no but you can go forward and make a better decision now.
And unfortunately I already have a destination for any money I make selling my share in the property.
but if you make more money from the sale tan you currently expect, you'll have a bit left over to pay the EA!
I was asking about whether or not the estate agent should be or is allowed to behave in such a manner. Undoubtedly I will be seeking help from the ombudsman after the sale.
No, should not. But that's life!
I guess I just wondered if there was something I could do in the meantime, [STRIKE]given that I cant reverse the fact I went with this estate agent in the first place[/STRIKE].
Yes, write and cancel today. Dump them and move on. By all means then also complain to the ombudsman.0
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