Vendor present at the viewing

Section62

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Then we'll have to agree to disagree. My experience of viewings in London as well as speaking to two estate agents this morning tell me it's absolutely NOT the norm for the vendor to be there.....

As I said, don't rely on EA's as a guide to what is normal. They will tell you whatever they think you want to hear.

They are salespeople, they work on the basis of creating empathy between you and them.  They know they won't get that empathy (and a sale) if they tell you your expectations are unreasonable or misplaced.

I'm familiar with the London property market. Whilst there are more properties owned corporately, or by people living overseas (and therefore less likely to be present at a viewing) there is no great difference between London and what happens elsewhere in England when it comes to owner/occupiers.

RoisinDubh_2 said:

....If they are using an EA then they should trust that EA to vet the buyers and to feed back to them what the buyer is like and how serious they seem, IMO. Otherwise, why use them?

People with prior experience of the property market wouldn't place that level of trust in an EA.

Like Davesnave, I have some experience with the spectrum, and appreciate some of the difficulties involved. I can certainly understand how traumatic and confusing the property buying process can be for some people. I don't know you, so wouldn't presume to know how you are individually affected. But my advice to anyone, ASD or not, is not to make the mistake of thinking an EA is your friend, and never believe they are a reliable source of information.

RoisinDubh_2 said:

I absolutely do not want them there.

Fair enough, but as has already been said, you have to be assertive and make that absolutely clear prior to the viewing. And if on arrival that isn't the case, then be assertive again and ask for them to leave.

RoisinDubh_2

Section62 said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Then we'll have to agree to disagree. My experience of viewings in London as well as speaking to two estate agents this morning tell me it's absolutely NOT the norm for the vendor to be there.....

As I said, don't rely on EA's as a guide to what is normal. They will tell you whatever they think you want to hear.

They are salespeople, they work on the basis of creating empathy between you and them.  They know they won't get that empathy (and a sale) if they tell you your expectations are unreasonable or misplaced.

I'm familiar with the London property market. Whilst there are more properties owned corporately, or by people living overseas (and therefore less likely to be present at a viewing) there is no great difference between London and what happens elsewhere in England when it comes to owner/occupiers.

RoisinDubh_2 said:

....If they are using an EA then they should trust that EA to vet the buyers and to feed back to them what the buyer is like and how serious they seem, IMO. Otherwise, why use them?

People with prior experience of the property market wouldn't place that level of trust in an EA.

Like Davesnave, I have some experience with the spectrum, and appreciate some of the difficulties involved. I can certainly understand how traumatic and confusing the property buying process can be for some people. I don't know you, so wouldn't presume to know how you are individually affected. But my advice to anyone, ASD or not, is not to make the mistake of thinking an EA is your friend, and never believe they are a reliable source of information.

RoisinDubh_2 said:

I absolutely do not want them there.

Fair enough, but as has already been said, you have to be assertive and make that absolutely clear prior to the viewing. And if on arrival that isn't the case, then be assertive again and ask for them to leave.

I just find it baffling that despite the fact that:

- almost all the agencies own websites say vendors must leave for the viewing
- I have been to 40+ properties and have not had a vendor present until now
- none of the friends or colleagues who have viewed flats recently have had vendors there
- the EAs I spoke to this morning seemed genuinely confused I would even ask this question

I'm somehow supposed to believe that a vendor being present is somehow the norm and that the EAs are just telling me what I want to hear? What grounds are there for me to believe that versus masses of evidence to the contrary?

fiveacre

Who are you trying to persuade exactly?

Is it the "norm" i.e. does it happen on every viewing - no
Do unexpected things sometimes happen on viewings - yes
Are vendors sometimes present at viewings - yes
Does it affect the desirability of the property - no
Is your reaction proportionate to the event - no

Another way of thinking about it - what is within your control here and what isn't? You can't directly control the actions of the vendor, so your options are to take action yourself by saying something at the time or, manage your reaction to the outcome so that it doesn't negatively affect your life going forward.

GixerKate

Can I ask, what do you want from this thread?  You asked a question and got many (many) responses with the huge majority stating that your response to the situation was in the wrong.  You have argued with everyone on the thread and got down-right aggressive with people who have disagreed with you.

You've stated it made you feel very uncomfortable and horrible but you put all responsibility on everyone else for your reaction and keep waving around the term 'disrespectful'.   Have you thought that perhaps you need to adjust your perspective?  You do realise that the vendor having a mask on is pointless don't you?  You are in his home where I'm pretty sure he has touched a few things!

I do know London and I viewed and bought a property with the vendor sitting in a chair in the living room.  Did it put me off, no, why would it, it was his home at that point and it was great meeting him and getting the history of the property.

Speaking as someone who has come out the other side of selling and buying a property during COVID, if you are getting so anxious just viewing properties I'm not sure how you are going to handle the actual process of buying, it is very stressful in normal times and in my experience it was absolutely awful during lockdown.

Jumblebumble

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering if I'm being unreasonable here. I went to a viewing today and to my surprise, the vendor was there, working from home during it. This really annoyed me immediately and I felt SO uncomfortable, especially given the Delta variant being on the rise! I think even there weren't a pandemic, it would have still been weird and uncomfortable because who wants the vendor sitting there looking at you when you're trying to look for damp and ask questions to the EA and whatever else? I considered just leaving and then decided to stay and look in case the place was nice, but my discomfort and anxiety meant I really just wanted to get out ASAP. 

The agent has asked me what I thought and I told her I have no interest because of the above. I felt awkward and uncomfortable and I felt I was put at risk. She said I could have asked the vendor to leave....really?? Was it really on me to ask someone to their face to leave their own home? I shouldn't have been put in that position, IMO.

Am I being unreasonable here or am I right?

I fear you are going to be very unhappy in 19 days time if the roadmap goes as planned

swingaloo2

GixerKate said:

Speaking as someone who has come out the other side of selling and buying a property during COVID, if you are getting so anxious just viewing properties I'm not sure how you are going to handle the actual process of buying, it is very stressful in normal times and in my experience it was absolutely awful during lockdown.

That will be a whole other thread or 2

RoisinDubh_2

GixerKate said:

Can I ask, what do you want from this thread?  You asked a question and got many (many) responses with the huge majority stating that your response to the situation was in the wrong.  You have argued with everyone on the thread and got down-right aggressive with people who have disagreed with you.

You've stated it made you feel very uncomfortable and horrible but you put all responsibility on everyone else for your reaction and keep waving around the term 'disrespectful'.   Have you thought that perhaps you need to adjust your perspective?  You do realise that the vendor having a mask on is pointless don't you?  You are in his home where I'm pretty sure he has touched a few things!

I do know London and I viewed and bought a property with the vendor sitting in a chair in the living room.  Did it put me off, no, why would it, it was his home at that point and it was great meeting him and getting the history of the property.

Speaking as someone who has come out the other side of selling and buying a property during COVID, if you are getting so anxious just viewing properties I'm not sure how you are going to handle the actual process of buying, it is very stressful in normal times and in my experience it was absolutely awful during lockdown.

I argued with people who were rude and making ridiculous assumptions about who I lived with (!!!) and other pointless, irrelevant things. 

Not sure what the vendor having touched things has to do with anything...I didn't touch anything in the flat, and the biggest covid risk is and always has been droplets and aerosols, so of course a mask makes a difference! As does opening the windows, which he also hadn't bothered to do. 

Why was the buying process awful during lockdown?