Can an Estate Agent have a 'fake' listing on Rightmove?

Yellowstone2

I recently asked about viewing a property that has been on the market for 2 years (according to the Rightmove listing) but was told by the EA that it was no longer available. When I pressed them about it (ie how long did it usually take them to update their available properties) they said that it was actually a 'holding' listing and the photos were a mixture of images from several properties in the same development (its a block of apartments). 

They said it ment that if one of the properties came onto the market, it could be marketed more quickly as this 'fake' listing kept their 'foot in the door'. (Thats assuming that the vendor would actually choose that particular EA to market their property!)

I don't actually see the point, if a property did become available the 'fake' listing would need totally redoing anyway with specific details about the property that is for sale. Isn't it more likely that having a property listed on Rightmove for 2 years without selling could actually put buyers off similar properties in the same development, thinking that they are poor investments that are difficult to sell! 
  

Cedartree123

The reasoning given by the Estate Agent sounds like absolute rubbish, and I can’t see it working. If you want views on Right Move it either needs to be a new listing, reduced, or to a lesser extent promoted. If there’s a holding listing that that described it will muck all of that about.

The only benefit I can see is directly to the estate agents. Essentially they are using a fake listing to get people to call their office and then get put on a mailing list for similar properties.  

jimbo6977

In much the same way as Recruitment Agents have dozens of non-existent jobs advertised as a means of data harvesting, so they can go out to employers and say, "look at my huge database!"

LegallyLandlord

This is weird. It takes no time to list on Rightmove. And the listing has all the stats eg location on map etc. I’d complain to Rightmove 

Jonboy_1984

Sounds like one of the locals to us, I enquired about 5 properties in a single call to be told all were actually SSTC, when pushed they claimed it the vendors requested it to build up lists of interested buyers if it fell through…but declined to add me to said lists…it was simply a way of trying to keep their company name in the spotlight.

Guess which estate agent is always named repeatedly as one to avoid when requests are made in the local Facebook groups to recommend an estate agent….

Ditzy_Mitzy

Might such adverts be bait for prospective customers?  I have heard of estate agents leaving up listings for good or bargain houses that have sold on the basis that said listings generate large numbers of enquiries.  I have rung up about houses in the past to be told 'that one's gone, but there's something else you might like...'.  

Countrysider

Agents have always done this in one form or another. You might have noticed that there's never any empty property listing space in their shop windows. 

When i enquired about a property advertised in their window i was told that "it's not available, but we keep it in the window to let people know the kind of properties we typically have available". 

I suspect it's to give the impression that they're a busy, successful agency. 

Yellowstone2

All interesting replies thank you! I'll definitely remember this. I've had viewings from several EAs in my area and this one is the only one who have had a 'fake' listing (or at least a fake listing of the types of property I'm looking for) 

I would have thought that their window and rightmove listings could be displaying 'sold STC' properties, which would give a better impression of 'this EA can sell properties' rather than have a two year old unsold listing on rightmove, which to me says the EA doent sell properties quickly (putting off vendors) or theres a problem with that particular property development (which would put off potential buyers)

This particular EA was the one that was more interested in getting me to meet their mortgage advisor than they were at showing me properties. I came away with no paperwork, or proof or a mortgage in principle. Just a ballpark amount that MA said I could borrow 'upto'. The EA then called me to say that they had booked me in to view several properties, all of which were just over the maximum that the Mortgage advisor had said I could borrow, so my info had been shared with the EA. 

I felt they thought I would be a pushover, being a first time buyer, and buying on my own. They never even asked me what kind of property I actually wanted! They just wanted me to see properties that they thought I could afford (at a push) I refused to go to any of the viewings that they had organised for me. 

I'm now on a steep learning curve from that experience, but feel that if I wanted to buy a property from that EA that my bargaining position would be weakened by the fact they know my financial situation.

Its a local EA that was bought out by 'Countrywide EA' but still trades with the name that it had when it was an independent EA (I guess as it was a well known trusted name in the area at one time)