Conflicting messages from estate agent and solicitors

michael1234

I would certainly agree that EA's are a devious bunch and generally not to be trusted. However, unlike the conveyancer, their time is free (once the seller has already agreed their fee). They have a vested interest in the sale going ahead (plus or minus at any price regardless of their typical commission based fees). Therefore they will do a fair amount of chasing up and down the chain and can be good for that. If you are deliberately rude "I will only talk to my solicitor..." you are also being rude to the buyer/seller that they represent. I would always be pleasant and provide information they request unless there is a good reason not too.

W0rryW4rt

I believe my estate agent was acting in good faith and he was as confused as I was when I told him more enquiries had come through rather than a suggested completion date. My understanding was that the discussion of dates had come to him directly from the buyer’s solicitor- I don’t think he would have got involved otherwise. 

I am most perturbed really by the idea that the solicitor seems to have discussed dates on the phone with my estate agent but then sent through enquiries.
i do understand that conveyancers have so much to do and they don’t need to be constantly interrupted by anxious buyers and sellers…but this turn of events seems very odd to me.

Grumpy_chap

W0rryW4rt said:

Thank you. The irony is that when I was chasing my solicitor last week, I was told that I can also chase information via my estate agent…by the solicitor’s office. 

That probably means you were making contact with a high frequency and not actually allowing them to do their job.

Lorian

Buyers pre-budget nerves?

Smalltownhypocrite

Why are you talking to the EA? they really have nothing to do with it. They are a complete 3rd wheel to the process of completion.

W0rryW4rt

Lorian said:

Buyers pre-budget nerves?

I hope not!

W0rryW4rt

Smalltownhypocrite said:

Why are you talking to the EA? they really have nothing to do with it. They are a complete 3rd wheel to the process of completion.

The estate agent contacted me a few weeks ago to say the buyer’s solicitor had mentioned they were pretty much ready to start suggesting dates. That’s really the only reason he was involved in the discussion. I realise now that I should have just thanked him for the update and waited for it to come through the solicitors. 

jimi_man

Smalltownhypocrite said:

Why are you talking to the EA? they really have nothing to do with it. They are a complete 3rd wheel to the process of completion.

This is just not true.

OP just to give you my perspective having bought and sold within the last month.

Once the enquiries were completed, then the solicitors contacted us and told us to liaise with the estate agents to sort out a completion date that was equable to both sides. It's a lot easier for estate agents to do this since then can just call the sellers/buyers and do the whole thing very quickly rather than solicitors going back and forth with each other then liaising with their clients.

Once we had done this and it was agreed then we let the solicitors know and they organised the Exchange of Contracts day (the week before).

The other point about estate agents is that where you have one party with a poor set of solicitors (the people who we were buying from), by keeping the EA in the loop, they can chase the sellers and get them to chivvy them up a bit, which they did.

The third point is then solicitors can't or won't contact people up or down the chain to get updates/info, whereas Estate agents can and do. 

A decent firm of estate agents can make the whole process a lot easier.

Finally don't feel guilty about contacting the solicitors often. You are paying them a lot of money - several £thousand - which gives you the right to ask a load of questions when you want to. 

EssexHebridean

jimi_man said:

Smalltownhypocrite said:

Why are you talking to the EA? they really have nothing to do with it. They are a complete 3rd wheel to the process of completion.

This is just not true.

OP just to give you my perspective having bought and sold within the last month.

Once the enquiries were completed, then the solicitors contacted us and told us to liaise with the estate agents to sort out a completion date that was equable to both sides. It's a lot easier for estate agents to do this since then can just call the sellers/buyers and do the whole thing very quickly rather than solicitors going back and forth with each other then liaising with their clients.

Once we had done this and it was agreed then we let the solicitors know and they organised the Exchange of Contracts day (the week before).

The other point about estate agents is that where you have one party with a poor set of solicitors (the people who we were buying from), by keeping the EA in the loop, they can chase the sellers and get them to chivvy them up a bit, which they did.

The third point is then solicitors can't or won't contact people up or down the chain to get updates/info, whereas Estate agents can and do. 

A decent firm of estate agents can make the whole process a lot easier.

Finally don't feel guilty about contacting the solicitors often. You are paying them a lot of money - several £thousand - which gives you the right to ask a load of questions when you want to. 

But the flip side is that a poor firm can not only make things harder, they can even derail transactions completely. 

jimi_man

EssexHebridean said:

jimi_man said:

Smalltownhypocrite said:

Why are you talking to the EA? they really have nothing to do with it. They are a complete 3rd wheel to the process of completion.

This is just not true.

OP just to give you my perspective having bought and sold within the last month.

Once the enquiries were completed, then the solicitors contacted us and told us to liaise with the estate agents to sort out a completion date that was equable to both sides. It's a lot easier for estate agents to do this since then can just call the sellers/buyers and do the whole thing very quickly rather than solicitors going back and forth with each other then liaising with their clients.

Once we had done this and it was agreed then we let the solicitors know and they organised the Exchange of Contracts day (the week before).

The other point about estate agents is that where you have one party with a poor set of solicitors (the people who we were buying from), by keeping the EA in the loop, they can chase the sellers and get them to chivvy them up a bit, which they did.

The third point is then solicitors can't or won't contact people up or down the chain to get updates/info, whereas Estate agents can and do. 

A decent firm of estate agents can make the whole process a lot easier.

Finally don't feel guilty about contacting the solicitors often. You are paying them a lot of money - several £thousand - which gives you the right to ask a load of questions when you want to. 

But the flip side is that a poor firm can not only make things harder, they can even derail transactions completely. 

Indeed. However that argument pretty much applies to anyone in the housing chain: estate agents, solicitors, mortgage brokers, surveyors. 

In this case there is no information to suggest that the OPs estate agents are a poor firm - (though they appeared to have been tarred as such by this thread!)

As someone said upthread, keep them onside and use them for your advantage.