Can't agree completion date...

Flugelhorn

good points @pinkteapot - EAs are probably better at this and doing quite a bit of "chain management" at present

re long exchange time - definitely not ideal if it can be avoided - we exchanged beginning March 2020 to complete at the end of April 2020 -(not our idea) - the world turned into a very different place in those few weeks 

trakky14

I have to agree, in our experience the only people who get anything moving is the EA...the solicitors in my experience wait for information to come to them. 

If the EAs want their commission they will get things agreed, I've found them much more useful! You do need to prompt them though! 

Tiglet2

I agree with others that the EA can help keep everyone calm and can manage everyone's expectations.  Solicitors don't consider 'chasing' to be their job and it isn't.  You are paying them to do the legal bits, not spend hours phoning everyone to keep the chain in place.  Just don't think that EAs have authority over completion dates.

carly_8889

I've actually been quite happy with our EA, she seems to be trying to get things on track and bring a dose of reality to the situation I.e. we aren't even exchanging yet, let's see where we are when that happens. Feeling a bit calmer today.

carly_8889

Sorry all, just a quick question with regards to the etiquette of things as we have never sold before now.

Our Vendor's EA is chasing me for an update regarding exchange and whether our buyer's solicitor is ready, as our Sales Progression lady is off for the rest of the week. I've left a message with our solicitor but haven't heard back. Is it an absolute no no to call our buyer's solicitor directly? I don't mind roping someone else at our EA into it if that's the done thing but it seems silly if I'm allowed to call for an update myself.

So much for staying out of it...

UnderOffer

carly_8889 said:

Sorry all, just a quick question with regards to the etiquette of things as we have never sold before now.

Our Vendor's EA is chasing me for an update regarding exchange and whether our buyer's solicitor is ready, as our Sales Progression lady is off for the rest of the week. I've left a message with our solicitor but haven't heard back. Is it an absolute no no to call our buyer's solicitor directly? I don't mind roping someone else at our EA into it if that's the done thing but it seems silly if I'm allowed to call for an update myself.

So much for staying out of it...

I’d be very surprised that your buyers solicitor would even talk to you, please don’t call, you are not their customer. Just wait for your buyers to return from holiday. 

carly_8889

Perfect, thank you.

Flugelhorn

I used to get terribly busy at this stage of purchasing and primed my receptionist at work as to who I would speak to (no mobile signal so had to be the landline) - I found that EAs usually sorted themselves out and phoned solicitors - not sure it speeded things up but certainly kept them occupied