Vendor present at the viewing

RoisinDubh_2

amyr said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

amyr said:

Totally unreasonable. It's their home!

In terms of the pandemic concerns - most vendors will leave the house a few minutes before viewers arrive, having been breathing and living in the house all day up until that point. It really makes no difference.

Would have been interested in the reaction you got if you had left...

Yes, their home that they're selling! I have now viewed about 40 properties and not once was the vendor there....it's sort of obvious that when you're selling a one bed flat, you don't sit there taking up half the living room so they can't even look properly. Isn't it?

Think of it differently. Not everyone working from home has the liberty to log off part way through the day - the vendor accommodated you anyway. I'd say that's a positive? 

Having a vendor at the viewing is often a good thing. Someone to ask questions to direct with no estate agent guff, plus first hand knowledge of the area and neighbours. 

It might not be your preference to have a vendor there, but certainly not vastly unusual or erroneous.

Well this is the 43rd place I've viewed and the first time the vendor has been present, so I'd beg to differ. 

lookstraightahead

You asked a question and have three pages of responses.

I would say almost everyone thinks you're being unreasonable. You have your answer.

RoisinDubh_2

swingaloo2 said:

Blimey, what an over reaction to something which is not at all unusual. 
Just out of interest, why did you decide to go and view a 'cramped' one bed flat with an agent who was not in your bubble, during a pandemic?

I work from home and I'm selling my flat, someone wants to come and look at it.  How dare they have the audacity to want to come in and have a look around, especially during Covid. Who knows what they may be bringing into my home.  How disprespectful, what sort of buyer is this!

The agent was wearing a mask, the vendor wasn't. 

Why even use an estate agent, then, if you're going to be sitting there during the viewings? I've viewed a few places with the vendors, directly with Purplebricks, and that's fine. They were there to show me around just like an EA would. Today I felt like I was in the way. How disrespectful is it to have a buyer spend an hour getting to a viewing and then feel uncomfortable and rushed because someone is working from home there? 

So many people with the attitude the vendor is doing buyers a favour by 'letting them' view....what??

swingaloo2

Having just looked at your other thread it seems that a couple of weeks ago you were going to view more flats when your dad had moved closer to you so he could accompany you on viewings. 
So you would have been happy to have 2 different household and an agent go into someones property during Covid.

RoisinDubh_2

swingaloo2 said:

Having just looked at your other thread it seems that a couple of weeks ago you were going to view more flats when your dad had moved closer to you so he could accompany you on viewings. 
So you would have been happy to have 2 different household and an agent go into someones property during Covid.

It's not just covid though, is it? I think even if there were no pandemic, it would still make me extremely uncomfortable to try to view a one bed flat with the owner just sitting there! It's weird and uncomfortable! Either do the viewing yourself or !!!!!! off and let the EA do it...it made me feel SO uncomfortable and as if I was in the way.

comeandgo

I always show prospective buyers, it allows  me to weed out FTB and any people I don’t like.

Skiddaw1

I can see it would be a little crowded to try to view a one bedroom flat with both EA and vendor present however. If I had been the vendor I'd have popped out for a quick walk around the block if at all possible- either that, or arranged with the EA that I'd conduct the viewing.

annieb64

Not always possible to go for a walk. As well as our house we are trying to sell my father's house. The agent will do the viewings but my 80 year old stepmother  lives there so I expect she will usually  be present.

Skiddaw1

Quite understandable in your case @annieb64 . I wouldn't have a particular issue with a vendor being present under general circumstances but as I say, vendor, EA and prospective buyer in a one bedroom flat would be a bit on the overcrowded side I'd imagine. It would certainly make it harder to get your eye in (or I'd find it so anyhow).

swingaloo2

Try to think of the 40+ people who have been inconvenienced by having you look round during the pandemic. 

You really are making too much of a fuss about it, yes you found it a little annoying that the vendor was there but you are potentially going to hand over a lot of money so you have every right to ask as many questions of the vendor or the agent as you wish.