Just want to moan about Estate Agents

selectcase

Cant the EA ask the vendor to show you around on sat afternoon? I cant believe some ea could be so off hand in the current market

merlinthehappypig

Strapped wrote: »

Ha, you're not looking in Devon are you Merlin? I moved down here from the SE, where I worked weekends in an EA (Sat and Suns) - I have been offering my services around here but most EAs seem to shut Sat lunchtime. Crazy! (And I agree with Beedeedee, I would often spend a Sat am or pm with the same set of clients, ferrying them round everything I could possibly show them!) Although sometimes, you're right, there are vendors who don't *really* want to sell - and the agencies seem quite bad at addressing this issue. I could never see the point of having those timewasters on the books, and it got really embarrasing never being able to make appointments. (I had one vendor, in winter, who wouldn't let anyone view after dark and was always busy at weekends :rolleyes: )

Actually we live on the Devon/Somerset border now. The agents in Devon/Somerset aren't great and some do shut early on Saturday and most all day Sunday. These particular lot are in Herefordshire/Shropshire/Staffordshire and Pembrokeshire. Perhaps it's better in more urban areas.

slipp_digby

poppy10 wrote: »

6 months from now they will be begging for your business - sit back and relax for a while.

unfortunately these arrogant t***s will even then think the world owes them a living.

the golden rules of being an estate agent:-

i) avoid doing viewings, hopefully the vendor will be gulible enough to do this for you even though its what you are being paid for
ii) book multiple viewings at the some time to save your valuable time while pretending there was a "mix up over the times" (also adds to the competitive element and creates fear of loss)
iii) dont print the particulars out in time for the viewings in the first couple of weeks. why should you, it might sell straight away and you will be left with piles of paper
iv) know **** all about the house you are trying to sell, instead make appropriate cooing noises and agree when the prospective purchaser finds anything they like
v) decribe things creatively "the house benefits from a small entrance hall" (otherwise know as a door frame).
vi) when people register their details, only send them details of houses at the end of the month when the monthly sales figures are low (i would suggest about 6-8 of the wrong type of house to thoroughly p*** off the prospective buyers)
vii) turn up looking about 17 years old in a jaguar
viii) make up a complete lie about why the vendor is selling and their circumstances: emigrating*/leg fell off*/divorce* (*add together for effect if needed).
viii) hint that an offer is "imminent" and create a phantom "other couple" who are "very interested"

To think these people are sucking up my air. At least !!!!!! Turpin wore a mask.

Rant over.

sundropstar

Hi, I am selling my house at the moment and when I have a viewing I have to get the 2 kids and the dog in the car and find us all something to do for an hour. Therefore, it is better for me for the viewings to be in a particular time frame, and try to ask the agent to make that possible if someone asks for a specific time.

However, I do want people to come and see my house and if the agent advised me that they needed that time then I would be happy for them to come round them.

I think it's just a bit of give and take. Unfortunately, some agents can't be bothered to relay a message properly. Good luck anyway.

Strapped

slipp_digby wrote: »

unfortunately these arrogant t***s will even then think the world owes them a living.

the golden rules of being an estate agent:-

i) avoid doing viewings, hopefully the vendor will be gulible enough to do this for you even though its what you are being paid for
ii) book multiple viewings at the some time to save your valuable time while pretending there was a "mix up over the times" (also adds to the competitive element and creates fear of loss)
iii) dont print the particulars out in time for the viewings in the first couple of weeks. why should you, it might sell straight away and you will be left with piles of paper
iv) know **** all about the house you are trying to sell, instead make appropriate cooing noises and agree when the prospective purchaser finds anything they like
v) decribe things creatively "the house benefits from a small entrance hall" (otherwise know as a door frame).
vi) when people register their details, only send them details of houses at the end of the month when the monthly sales figures are low (i would suggest about 6-8 of the wrong type of house to thoroughly p*** off the prospective buyers)
vii) turn up looking about 17 years old in a jaguar
viii) make up a complete lie about why the vendor is selling and their circumstances: emigrating*/leg fell off*/divorce* (*add together for effect if needed).
viii) hint that an offer is "imminent" and create a phantom "other couple" who are "very interested"

To think these people are sucking up my air. At least !!!!!! Turpin wore a mask.

Rant over.

Ha, you've met my former colleagues then?

simonjstone_2

have you ever thought that agents are very busy, and they get plenty and i mean plenty of people who arnt in any sort of position to proceed phoneing and demandind viewings. some places have tenants in requiring 24 hours notice, some have kids, some are on holiday, some have daily lifes and scedules to work around and if you were truely interested in buying a house then maybe you would make the time to view at a suitable time.
another point of getting the vendors to do it. in many cases agents want to do the viewings as they know how to sell houses as is there trade. I imgaine it is a very difficult job as, people want everything for nothing, when they are selling they make up an imaginary number and think they will get it. let it be that they have a difficult job with amazingly personal issues to workwith. not all agents are like you say.

beedeedee

If you are instructing an EA to sell your property, you are quite at liberty to only accept viewings from those who are actually in a position to proceed.
If you have your house on the market - it should not matter whether you are on holiday or at work - or out walking the dog/kids or whatever, your house should be available for accompanied viewings at any time, if you are seriously trying to sell.

chriz1000

Any Estate Agents will bend over backwards to get a property on there books, but as said above a lot don’t really care about perspective buyers until they actually produce an offer.
What they seem to forget is that in a few years time you will possibly be selling your house, no doubt you will remember your experience as a buyer and choose a firm you had a better experience with.

Canucklehead

BrandNewDay wrote: »

I used to work at a real estate agent's in Beverly Hills, years ago. I answered the phones on the weekends. People would get stroppy because they'd call and want to talk to an agent right then and I had to explain that the agents weren't at their desks because they were out showing houses. Saturdays and Sundays were their busiest days for showing houses. This was in the days before everybody had a cell phone, so the only thing to do was put them through to the agent's voice mail.

One agent told me that she made a very good living, but she did it by being completely available, seven days a week. Her home was destroyed in a big earthquake, and she STILL went and showed homes that very day. The clients weren't interested in her problems.... they were interested in buying million-dollar homes, so she borrowed some clothes from her mom and got out there.

I would totally expect EA's to work harder on weekends. Especially if their income was dependent upon commission. (In the US, they get 3-6% commission, and no base pay.)

Good afternoon: My sister and BIL have their own real estate business on the east coast of Canada....7 days a week availability is the key to their success... property selling/buying is a very different beast in North America...EAs I have met in the UK don't seem to believe me when I describe how it works across the pond...lessons to be learned;)

HTH

Canucklehead

beedeedee

Quite right! Everyone should be working to fulfil the successful buying and selling of houses 24/7. That to me, should be the normal state of affairs. It's stressful enough without being unable to view at weekends. How ridiculous is that??