Zoopla Won't Change from Under Offer to Sold STC

Ramkin42

Hello everyone, 
I hope you can help me out here.
I made an offer on a property a month ago on condition that if the offer is accepted, it would be taken off the market. The estate agent (EA) emailed me to say offer is accepted and property is taken off the market. My mortgage was approved this week, a Building Survey that I paid for was completed yesterday, and I have instructed and paid a solicitor to do the conveyancing searches, etc.
I can see that the property now says Sold STC on the EA's website and on Rightmove. However, it still says Under Offer on Zoopla. When I questioned the EA about this he told me that Zoopla won't allow for a property to be changed from Under Offer to Sold STC until and unless contracts have been exchange. This seems very strange to me as, surely, once contracts are exchanged the property is no longer Sold STC but rather Sold! 
Does anyone know if this is really Zoopla policy or if the EA is telling me fibs to encourage gazumping? I've spent all this money now on mortgage advisor fees, building survey and conveyancing fees and the last thing I need is for someone to make a higher offer on a property. I'm so stressed out and I have no way of finding out if the EA is lying about Zoopla or not.  Could you please help? Does anyone know if this is indeed Zoopla policy? Does anyone have similar experiences?
Many thanks! 

Mickygg

You are worrying unnecessarily. Does it really matter what it says on zoopla? Nope. Some say sold stc some keep under offer. It says it’s taken so focus on more important things.

Doozergirl

They're the same thing!  

What on earth are you worried about?   The estate agent has no interest in selling a property twice.  When people see a house as 'under offer' or 'SSTC' it makes no difference - it's not available.  

Move on.  It matters not one iota.  

AdrianC

There is no formal definition of any of these terms.

"Under offer" can be taken to mean an offer has been accepted, and the buyer and vendor are working towards exchange.
"Sold STC" can be taken to mean an offer has been accepted, and the buyer and vendor are working towards exchange.
What do YOU think the difference is?

Whatever the flag on a random website, what matters is what happens if somebody phones the agent and says "I'm interested in 47 Acacia Ave". Does the agent go "Yep, I can show you that - it's under offer, but they might be up for an improved offer" or "Sorry, but I can let you know if the current sale falls through?"

If you're worried about that, then get a friend to phone the agent.

Ramkin42

Thank you for your replies. 
I'm worried because on both Zoopla & Rightmove it says that there is a difference between Under Offer and Sold STC. The difference, they say, is that Under Offer means the seller is considering an offer. But that once an offer has been accepted, it should say Sold STC. Both websites say that if a property is Under Offer, it implies that the seller is still looking for a higher bid and has not yet accepted the offer they were made, which in my case isn't true. So if someone looks at the property I'm buying and sees Under Offer, they will still be tempted to contact the agent and make a higher bid. I know that until we've exchanged contracts the property isn't sold. But I thought, from what Rightmove and Zoola say on their websites that once an offer has been accepted it should say Sold STC to let others who are interested in the property know that my offer has already been accepted, and not that the seller is still contemplating whether or not to accept my offer. 
I just want to know if the agent is telling the truth: Does Zoopla really not permit EAs to change a property from Under Offer to Sold STC until and unless contracts have been exchanged? 

steve866

I don’t see why Zoopla would have that rule, sounds like a blag from the EA. I am with the above posters though, most potential buyers see Under Offer or Sold STC we the same thing, in fact most probably filter them out when searching. 

AdrianC

Ramkin42 said:

I'm worried because on both Zoopla & Rightmove it says that there is a difference between Under Offer and Sold STC. The difference, they say, is that Under Offer means the seller is considering an offer.

That might be an hour or two... It's very unlikely to be much more than a day or so.

But that once an offer has been accepted, it should say Sold STC. Both websites say that if a property is Under Offer, it implies that the seller is still looking for a higher bid and has not yet accepted the offer they were made, which in my case isn't true. So if someone looks at the property I'm buying and sees Under Offer, they will still be tempted to contact the agent and make a higher bid.

So what is the agent going to say to that?

Look, whatever the flag says, some people will think "Well, it's open for a gazump". The flag is the least relevant thing here... The ONLY route to go from RM page to viewing to offer is via the EA. And whether that offer turns into a gazump is down to the vendor and the vendor alone. Perhaps they already viewed the place before your offer, and the flag has made them realise how much they loved it...?

I know that until we've exchanged contracts the property isn't sold. But I thought, from what Rightmove and Zoola say on their websites that once an offer has been accepted it should say Sold STC to let others who are interested in the property know that my offer has already been accepted, and not that the seller is still contemplating whether or not to accept my offer.

You are putting FAR too much emphasis on the website. Can I guess... FTB?

I just want to know if the agent is telling the truth: Does Zoopla really not permit EAs to change a property from Under Offer to Sold STC until and unless contracts have been exchanged? 

Is the agent telling the truth...? Are his lips moving? Then be suspicious.

Almost certainly the EA is waffling. Perhaps it's through ignorance, perhaps they see it as simply a white lie to get a worrywort off the phone. How on earth do Z/RM/Whatever even KNOW whether the solicitors have exchanged contracts or not? The EA won't even know until and unless somebody on one side or the other tells them...

When we bought this place, it didn't get any flags at all right up until it being pulled totally weeks after completion. That didn't mean the vendor was fishing for a gazump... It simply meant the EA couldn't figure out how to change the flag on RM. They said it was "company policy", but we all know that's almost as big a cop-out as "health and safety" or "data protection".

Does it even matter whether the EA is telling the truth or not? You aren't their client. You don't have to use the same EA when you sell in however many years time. If you're worried about them continuing to market, GET A MATE TO PHONE AND ENQUIRE.

eddddy

Ramkin42 said:

When I questioned the EA about this he told me that Zoopla won't allow for a property to be changed from Under Offer to Sold STC until and unless contracts have been exchange. 

• "Under offer" and "Sold STC" means exactly the same thing.

• The EA doesn't want you to be gazumped. They will discourage anyone that tries. It delays them getting their fee.

• You probably misunderstood the EA. A property is "Under Offer" or "Sold STC" until exchange of contracts. Then it is simply "Sold".

Scotbot

If you are worried about it get  a friend to call the agent and ask to view it. That will tell you whether or not the agent is still marketing it. 

Lokolo

eddddy said:

Ramkin42 said:

When I questioned the EA about this he told me that Zoopla won't allow for a property to be changed from Under Offer to Sold STC until and unless contracts have been exchange. 

• "Under offer" and "Sold STC" means exactly the same thing.

• The EA doesn't want you to be gazumped. They will discourage anyone that tries. It delays them getting their fee.

• You probably misunderstood the EA. A property is "Under Offer" or "Sold STC" until exchange of contracts. Then it is simply "Sold".

Doesn't matter whether to EA doesn't want the vendor to be gazumped, they are obliged to pass on any offers. So it can happen. And has happened to me.
OP, if you really are concerned, demand the estate agents remove them from online portals. They can do this. They usually don't because its free marketing of showing a house thats sold. Its a matter of who stands the ground the most. 

jaxkesa

My property changed to "Sold STC" on Zoopla at the same time as Rightmove as soon as I accepted an offer. Other properties I've saved have all done the same.
So sounds like your EA doesn't know what they are doing.