Purpose of EA?

smcqis

What’s their full role?

obviously to sell the house, but do they not represent your best interests and fight your corner in the process of selling and buying?

money for nothing if it’s just sell your house and take a few calls to pass on msgs

anselld

They work for you, but you need to instruct them rather than let them decide what to do.
However, first and foremost they represent their own interest in achieving a sale.  Sometimes they might need to be a bit pushy with their client to make sure a sale happens.

hazyjo

They liaise with all parties and can often hold a chain together.

eddddy

If you're planning to sell your property, ask 2 or 3 or 4 EAs to come and do a market appraisal.


And ask each of them what value you would get in return for their fee.  If they can't justify their fee and 'sell themselves' to you, they probably won't do a very good job of selling your property either.



(When an EA comes to do a market appraisal of your property - you should treat it as a job interview. The EA wants you to hire them. You need to decide if they are worth hiring and worth their fee.)

NameUnavailable

Their job is to sell your home and get you the 'best' price - in inverted commas because the best price might not be the highest price.

They will give a free appraisal and valuation, they will advertise your property and will have a list of buyers they can market to straight away. They may even have a buyer waiting for just your type of home.

Post sale they should work to communicate up and down the chain and keep it all together.

If you think selling a property is just posting a few details on Rightmove you're wrong.

smcqis

Our EA sold quickly but you would think they are working for the buyer as they are encouraging us to move into temp accommodation at my parents (which we mentioned at start as possible option) or the buyer might pull out. We have sale agreed on another one month ago so i dont want the hassle and expense of moving twice changing addresses, taking kids away from friends 

NameUnavailable

So you told the EA that you would move into temp accommodation to help with any sale and now you are going back on your word and blaming others for being unhappy?

Why did you offer that as an option if you never intended to go through with it? I can understand the buyers being unhappy especially if they are trying to beat the SDLT holiday.

smcqis

The EA told us at the time our buyer did not want to wait indefinitely for us to find another house but up to a month may be acceptable of a wait. It’s been 12 weeks now. 

We said if we don’t find anywhere else in that time we would move into rented. I said there may be the possibility of temp accommodation but would depend on circumstances at the time. I’m thinking of going back and saying if not sorted by July holidays, then I think she has reason to start getting annoyed. She can’t say im going back on my word when she be in same position 

Irishpearce26

smcqis said:

Our EA sold quickly but you would think they are working for the buyer as they are encouraging us to move into temp accommodation at my parents (which we mentioned at start as possible option) or the buyer might pull out. We have sale agreed on another one month ago so i dont want the hassle and expense of moving twice changing addresses, taking kids away from friends 

The EA works in favor of themselves. They want the sale done asap so they can get paid. EAs (majority) don't care for either the buyer or seller just the aim of getting their payment from a quick sale. However you did say that moving into temp accommodation was possible so why is it now an issue?

goodwithsaving

EAs often get a bad word, and buying in a different area I have definitely noticed a particular agent I refuse to have anything to do with. However, my agent for my sale is wonderful. For me, it's worth the money to have someone I can phone if I feel like I'm breaking from the stress, he deals with my buyer's mortgage broker and solicitor and serves as support I would otherwise lack.
Not all EAs are bad and I really do think many work hard for the money.

AdrianC

smcqis said:

money for nothing if it’s just sell your house and take a few calls to pass on msgs

You don't HAVE to use one...