Do you deal with estate agents by email?

dander

Just curious really - I'm trying to sell and buy for the first time in nearly 20 years and the world is changed. Never occurred to me to do anything other than pick up the phone to speak to estate agents - both in terms of buying and selling. But I've just noticed a few odd comments about people emailing agents to ask for viewings or maybe even emailing an offer. And my agent sends me email confirmations of every viewing, which surprised me. So I'm wondering - do people tend not to talk directly to agents any more?

Keep_pedalling

We just sold our house, and every viewing arranged within our agreed time slots was confirmed with a text and e-mail, but they did call if a potential buyer wanted to view at time we had not pre agreed to. Feedback was also buy text and email, but serious offers did involve a phone call.

I suppose we could have insisted on a phone call but frankly that would have been a right pain for us. 

youth_leader

I did email my EA.  The last email I sent I was expressing doubts about the buyer's offer, and I had marked it strictly confidential.  Unbeknown to me she did contact the buyer and told him of my doubts - and he withdrew.  Made me very wary of writing to her again.

eddddy

dander said:

And my agent sends me email confirmations of every viewing, which surprised me. 

That just sounds like good business practice to me. You arrange/agree something verbally on the phone, then confirm it with a follow up email. 

I frequently do that, and I'm pleased when others do it.

It's not a message meaning "Please only contact me by email in future".

When it comes to more important things, like making offers - I might make the offer by phone and confirm it by email, or I might decide to just send it by email.

It depends on things like how much I trust the estate agent, whether there are important conditions attached to the offer, and whether a particular estate agent gets on my nerves when I phone them.

NameUnavailable

I think it's a bit of both. Emails to confirm viewings etc. but a phone call is more immediate.

If you're looking for a property it still pays to get to know some of the local agents - the very best places in a hot market won't even make it to Rightmove etc., before a keen buyer has already been contacted by the agents and made their offer.

People deal with people at the end of the day. .

BobT36

Why not? Phone requires both people to be there and available at the time, e-mail doesn't. 

RHemmings

I would say that most communications I had with estate agents are by email. 

uralmaid

When we were selling our last house we had a lot of problems with the buyers.  Although I did speak regularly with our excellent estate agent, I also emailed him when I was concerned about any aspect.  It is good to use emails if asking questions as you can then always refer back to them if needed, rather than relying on memory of what was said in a conversation.

MobileSaver

dander said:

Just curious really - I'm trying to sell and buy for the first time in nearly 20 years and the world is changed. Never occurred to me to do anything other than pick up the phone to speak to estate agents

I've bought/sold a couple of properties over the last decade and all contact with both the estate agents and the solicitor has been entirely via email; I've never met any of them in person and as far as I can remember have never spoken to any of them over the phone...

bobster2

dander said:

Just curious really - I'm trying to sell and buy for the first time in nearly 20 years and the world is changed. Never occurred to me to do anything other than pick up the phone to speak to estate agents - both in terms of buying and selling. But I've just noticed a few odd comments about people emailing agents to ask for viewings or maybe even emailing an offer. And my agent sends me email confirmations of every viewing, which surprised me. So I'm wondering - do people tend not to talk directly to agents any more?

My recent experience...

As a buyer - mostly by phone (e.g. arranging viewings etc).

As a seller - mostly by email (e.g. viewings, documents, clarifying things) - except discussing details of offers which was done on the phone.

Lorian

Recent experience as a buyer estate agent via WhatsApp and solicitor via email.  Both are time displaced and more effective on everyone's time. Obviously I would verify and verify again instructions from either regarding payments.