Estate Agents and Selling House.

bob_the_dinosaur

The first week is the worst week.
You find yourself pacing the carpet checking to see when the sign will be up, when will it be on rightmove etc, its totally natural.
All you can do is be as available as possible if you are having vendor led viewings and prepared to make yourself scarce if your agent does the viewings.

eidand

PasturesNew said:

Whichever agent you'd picked, you'd feel the same.  It's a fact we're mostly all disappointed when we don't get what we expected to be a rush and an offer PDQ. 

Sometimes people are desperate/waiting for a house just like yours to come up for sale at a price they can afford - and sometimes you're just one of many, the same, in the wrong area. 

Yesterday one came onto the market late in the afternoon... I was at the office 9am this morning when they opened, they already had a viewing booked in for it, so that seller's had two today, first day on the market. 
On the other hand ..... I've almost had agents begging me to look round some houses.... that had been on the market with 2-3 agents for six months ... and are still there three months later. 

Maybe somebody out there is disillusioned and refuses to do any viewings until theirs has sold (I did that after mine didn't fly off the shelves).... and you never know when "the call" will come. 

A week is no time at all really.  While some on my watch list are selling within 1-4 weeks, many aren't. 

A week is no time at all + it's half term for many, so they're putting house hunting on the back burner for a week. 

It might happen tomorrow....  or next week.  You'll get viewings. 

this right there, I had this today. House on the market for almost a year, phoned EA to book a viewing, told that sellers do not allows viewings until mine has sold. Also price is not debatable. You'd think after a year they'd be a bit more flexible, but nope. Hid their listing on RightMove so won't look at that house again, even when I am proceed-able.

PerplexedKat

SpiderLegs said:

This is ridiculous.

You have been on the market for a week and you’re already badgering the EA to drop the price?

I know it’s not a popular opinion in here, but maybe, just maybe, the EA knows what they are doing and needs to be left alone to get on with it.
perhaps not, but it’ll take more than a week to figure that one out.

It sounds like the actual problem here is your unrealistic expectation of how long it takes to sell a house. If you wanted it doing in a week you should have bunged it in auction for 50% of the value.

If I could get away with off loading it super quick at half price I would. Husband would divorce me though....

Correct with unrealistic expectations, but mine are to do with paying a few grand for a service that isn’t listening to what I’m saying. Buying and selling take time, understood, I’m not an estate agent so limited in my selling knowledge, but I detest liars and find it quite frustrating when they say one thing then do another!  Appreciate your post, I lack patience for sure! 

Marvel1

If you want to drop the price, then insist/demand it is.

steampowered

I wouldn't be too concerned about not having viewers in the first week on the market.

You could insist on the price being reduced if you would like to do so. But I don't think dropping the price when the property has only been on the market for 1 week is a sensible idea. If people are interested in the property they will view it, and if they think it is worth a lower price that's what they'll offer. 

PerplexedKat

Thank you to everyone who replied, they were much appreciated. My DH wants to wait until the end of the month before deciding to drop the price. Still no contact from the agent or requests for viewings so que cera cera, what will be, will be.  God forbid I ever have to sell another house, I will for sure never be so clueless! 

Crashy_Time

The agent wants to be seen as someone who "gets a high price", therefore they don`t want people on their books "panicking" and setting realistic prices that actually get buyers?!! Am I wrong? Amazes me that more EA`s are not out of business by now.

[Deleted User]

If you are still within 14 days since signing the contract then ask for a new contract for 4-6 weeks or you will move to another agent. 

You cant just have your cooling off period held to ransom.  There is no reason they couldn't put it on rightmove during their colling off period.  

If what you are saying is true then it sounds like you have been hoodwinked.  Not a good way to start a business relationship. 

If I was in your shoes I would look at the contract for the exact wording of the cooling off period.  It might be 14 days since you were given the contract to sign (how can you waive your rights before you have been given a contract that sets out your right??) or 14 days from the date you actually signed it

I would then email stating that you are within your 14 days cooling off period and you would like either a 4 week contract or your property removed from the market and the contract cancelled. 

SameOldRoundabout

eidand said:

PasturesNew said:

Whichever agent you'd picked, you'd feel the same.  It's a fact we're mostly all disappointed when we don't get what we expected to be a rush and an offer PDQ. 

Sometimes people are desperate/waiting for a house just like yours to come up for sale at a price they can afford - and sometimes you're just one of many, the same, in the wrong area. 

Yesterday one came onto the market late in the afternoon... I was at the office 9am this morning when they opened, they already had a viewing booked in for it, so that seller's had two today, first day on the market. 
On the other hand ..... I've almost had agents begging me to look round some houses.... that had been on the market with 2-3 agents for six months ... and are still there three months later. 

Maybe somebody out there is disillusioned and refuses to do any viewings until theirs has sold (I did that after mine didn't fly off the shelves).... and you never know when "the call" will come. 

A week is no time at all really.  While some on my watch list are selling within 1-4 weeks, many aren't. 

A week is no time at all + it's half term for many, so they're putting house hunting on the back burner for a week. 

It might happen tomorrow....  or next week.  You'll get viewings. 

this right there, I had this today. House on the market for almost a year, phoned EA to book a viewing, told that sellers do not allows viewings until mine has sold. Also price is not debatable. You'd think after a year they'd be a bit more flexible, but nope. Hid their listing on RightMove so won't look at that house again, even when I am proceed-able.

We had exactly the same. Beautiful house, overpriced and on for a year. Refused a viewing until ours had sold. When the agent rang back to enquire if we’d sold after our open day I informed her that we had indeed but had no interest in viewing as the vendor obviously wasn’t particularly easy to deal with. 

PerplexedKat

Husband called estate agent yesterday to discuss price and pictures. The office manager would like the opportunity to rectify issues in the relationship.  Owner of EA was not there to talk to direct but is coming to our house on Friday to retake a few pictures and talk to H face to face. I can’t find any details on the 14 cooling off period or waiver in our paperwork. 
 

Maybe we are over analytical about this process. Psychologically buyers want to feel like they get value for money. Sellers want to sell at the best possible price.  Over pricing doesn’t achieve any objectives! We felt pricing at xxx950, close in price to the house up the road would at least encourage viewings. But they stuck it on very close in price to the new build, crazy!  

No phone calls for viewings, we asked for any info on the amount of contact the agent has received but office admin (who colate info) not in til Monday...

Just wanted to say with regards to refusing offers, we understand offers come from buyers with cash, already sold, not sold etc, all offers will be considered. Whether the house comes off the market depends on the buyer status. 

Still annoyed about the situation but have  had to force myself to stop thinking about the new build being our perfect forever home as with the way things are it won’t be there when we have sold this property. Shame, was a nice house!