Did estate agent scupper our house purchase

Irishpearce26

So im still a little confused. You had an agreed completion date agreed by both parties but you couldn't agree when to exchange? When did you want to exchange and when did they want to exchange?

An EA is not going to talk a seller out of a sale at the last minute it would cost them more to remarket and they don't care who is buying the property. 

rootless45

Irishpearce26 said:

So im still a little confused. You had an agreed completion date agreed by both parties but you couldn't agree when to exchange? When did you want to exchange and when did they want to exchange?

An EA is not going to talk a seller out of a sale at the last minute it would cost them more to remarket and they don't care who is buying the property. 

We wanted to exchange two weeks ago. They wanted to exchange end of June. We explained that would be tight for us because if they pulled out we'd have nowhere to live. They pulled out.

Irishpearce26

rootless45 said:

Irishpearce26 said:

So im still a little confused. You had an agreed completion date agreed by both parties but you couldn't agree when to exchange? When did you want to exchange and when did they want to exchange?

An EA is not going to talk a seller out of a sale at the last minute it would cost them more to remarket and they don't care who is buying the property. 

We wanted to exchange two weeks ago. They wanted to exchange end of June. We explained that would be tight for us because if they pulled out we'd have nowhere to live. They pulled out.

So it has nothing to do with the EA. If i were you i would look to exchange as its only 2 weeks away. Surely you are in the same predicament with your rental anyway. 

Edit - However what do they have to lose by exchanging now? 

rootless45

Irishpearce26 said:

rootless45 said:

Irishpearce26 said:

So im still a little confused. You had an agreed completion date agreed by both parties but you couldn't agree when to exchange? When did you want to exchange and when did they want to exchange?

An EA is not going to talk a seller out of a sale at the last minute it would cost them more to remarket and they don't care who is buying the property. 

We wanted to exchange two weeks ago. They wanted to exchange end of June. We explained that would be tight for us because if they pulled out we'd have nowhere to live. They pulled out.

So it has nothing to do with the EA. If i were you i would look to exchange as its only 2 weeks away. Surely you are in the same predicament with your rental anyway. 

Edit - However what do they have to lose by exchanging now? 

Intriguing idea. They have pulled out though. Are you saying we could still go ahead?

Irishpearce26

If you say you can exchange when they offered they are likely to jump at it. Unless they feel they can sell and have all conveyancing done by the end of July with another buyer.

rootless45

Irishpearce26 said:

If you say you can exchange when they offered they are likely to jump at it. Unless they feel they can sell and have all conveyancing done by the end of July with another buyer.

Well I've taken the risk and fired an email to the agents. Thank you. I suppose I might get clarity e.g. they changed their minds. It does all seem so silly.

Slinky

What is the sellers situation regarding their onward move? Is that what's driving their hesitation to commiting to exchange? Are they trying to align the exchange of your purchase with the exchange on their purchase?

rootless45

Slinky said:

What is the sellers situation regarding their onward move? Is that what's driving their hesitation to commiting to exchange? Are they trying to align the exchange of your purchase with the exchange on their purchase?

There is no chain either way. They are emigrating/returning home and staying with family.

warby68

Sounds more like uncommitted/undecided vendors. Exchange = commitment and they shied away.

Perhaps the agent seemed unhelpful because of the signals vendors were giving off ?

eddddy

It just sounds very much like the sellers have been gradually changing their minds about selling.

Hence, they were holding things up, not wanting to exchange etc.

Maybe they were secretly negotiating a higher offer from another buyer, maybe their 'life-plans' have changed.


What evidence do you have that the EA has done anything wrong?  If the EA is paid on completion, this is bad news for them as well. If they were paid in advance, that might explain why weren't particularly active in progressing the sale.