Agent offered 10 minutes for house viewing!

pokusmaximus

We have sold our property and recently arranged to view a property to buy, 3 bed semi, which was in need of a fair amount of renovation/updating. We were later advised by the agent the property was to be sold by a best offer/sealed bids arrangement, and because there was a lot of interest in the property, viewing times would only be 10 minutes. I contacted the agent and requested a call from the branch manager as we were not happy with such a short viewing time. No call from the manager and so we cancelled the viewing as I don't believe 10 minutes is an adequate time period to properly view a property, particularly one in need of renovation. This does appear to be a rather dubious practise by the agent; has anyone else been offered/subjected to such short viewing times?

Tiddleshalifax

Before our house sold, we were offered 15 min viewing of a house similar. We viewed and didn’t offer because we didn’t like it but we wouldn’t have before a further longer viewing 

Cakeguts

What don't they want you to have time to see?

Section62

pokusmaximus said:

 No call from the manager and so we cancelled the viewing as I don't believe 10 minutes is an adequate time period to properly view a property, particularly one in need of renovation. This does appear to be a rather dubious practise by the agent; has anyone else been offered/subjected to such short viewing times?

Yes, as well as only being allowed to view alongside other potential buyers (also not ideal).  Covid has also had a genuine impact on how flexible some people can be over viewings.

But if the agent has lots of interest, they will probably take the view that commission from a sale to someone who doesn't mind a quick in/out viewing is little different to any other commission, and the property will likely go for a higher amount to someone less  interested in checking the place over carefully. Generating a 'buzz' seems to be what it is all about at the moment.

Flugelhorn

reckon you can tell in 10 minutes if you like it or not, if you like it then ask for second viewing 

oystercatcher

Once you are in for the 10 minutes how are they going to get you out? If I was interested I would fob them off with "Just a minute" until I felt I had looked properly. However in 10 minutes you may well have looked thought "Yuck" and gone !  If it really was interesting but needed work then you get the experts in after the offer is accepted and once you have seen the report adjust offer or pull out if there is more work needed than expected.

Thrugelmir

 If it requires renovation/updating then there'll be plenty of interest from those with budgets to fund major works.  As what's already there is likely to be rearranged during the rebuild. 

lisyloo

I think it's a good idea to narrow down the interest.
People who are genuinely interested can have another viewing.

NameUnavailable

It would of course be subject to a survey later on, don't see the problem myself. Check it out enough to see if you want to offer or not then if the offer was accepted you go back to look again, instruct surveyors etc.

lookstraightahead

Just stay in there as long as you like. 

How ridiculous, it takes me longer to decide what tonic to have with my gin. 

lookstraightahead

lisyloo said:

I think it's a good idea to narrow down the interest.
People who are genuinely interested can have another viewing.

Not if everyone decides to put in offers. Massive risk of it all falling through.

The agent is basically setting up pressure for people to offer after one viewing. So people will offer, then pull out if it doesn't suit them later down the line.

just sums up the stupidity of the current climate.