Timewasters

farhad1965

I am marketing my house through estate agents and privately.

Recently we are getting more and more no shows for viewings, whether introduced through agents or private ones. We have had 2 in a week through one local agent not turning up and most of the private enquiries seem to be from odd people that either don't turn up as agreed or put the phone down when you ask their phone number and full name (a large %age don't even speak properly!)

Has anyone here sold privately?
What has been your approach to no-shows?
How long would you have your property with an estate-agent that does not bring you any viewers? (I have just asked 2 to stop marketing my property due to ZERO viewers in 4 weeks)

GreenB_2

For a start if you have apppointed more than 2 agents then that is part of the problem. Perople start looking around and see that you are advertising via lots of agents and they think either you a re desperate to sell or that you have a "problem" house. You are therefore likely to attract timewasters.

Is your area nice, is it popular, is your house nicely decorated and requiring no work doing?. Buyers have lots of choice at the moment so may change their minds if they see something that looks better.

Are there any "eyesores" in the area / road ? Is the property as described in the brochure / advert? Some people book viewings then drive up the road and decide they don't like something (maybe neighbours gardens that are tatty or houses with lots of bikes outside, or kids hanging around on street corners) and decide they are not going to waste thier time so drive/walk off.

farhad1965

Our house (a 4 bed semi with 2 bathrooms) is the best house in a street of 3 bed semis (agents say "its stunning") and has no problems itself, although the rear garden is smaller than average and that has resulted in all viewers loving the house but declining to place an offer on basis of the small rear garden. That is the single problem we face.

Having had no joy with 1 agent for 6 weeks, I asked 5 others to market it, to increase exposure. I have just terminated 3 of these and will soon get it down to 2.

We are in a nice and quiet area. No kids hanging around, no graffiti. No traffic or parking problems. Couple of other houses (neighbour opposite and a recently modernised one 2 doors from him) are on sale and have had viewers but no offers.

spottydog

farhad1965 wrote:

Having had no joy with 1 agent for 6 weeks, I asked 5 others to market it, to increase exposure. I have just terminated 3 of these and will soon get it down to 2.

We are in a nice and quiet area. No kids hanging around, no graffiti. No traffic or parking problems. Couple of other houses (neighbour opposite and a recently modernised one 2 doors from him) are on sale and have had viewers but no offers.

The property market is really slow at present so I'm not really that surprised that neither you or your neighbours have had any offers at present but I would deinfitely say that a house being marketed with more than 2 agents would prevent me from even looking at it as from my point of view if they're doing this there must be something wrong with the house. I've noticed in our area that houses seem to sit around for ages then suddenly one goes under offer followed by all the others within the next couple of weeks (as though seeing one house under offer prompts people to offer on the others rather than just sitting and thinking for a long time).

GreenB_2

As spottydog says the market is slow and certainly having lots of agents does set alarm bells ringing in peoples minds (also if they all advertise on rightmove and describe things differently it confuses people!). Also when I was looking to move if there were several properties for sale close by this also set alarm bells ringing (rightly or wrongly) as it appeared to me that people all wanted to move - why did they want to do this? Ther ust be something worng or happening in the area if everybody wants to move.

Ember999

farhad1965 wrote:

I am marketing my house through estate agents and privately.

Recently we are getting more and more no shows for viewings, whether introduced through agents or private ones. We have had 2 in a week through one local agent not turning up and most of the private enquiries seem to be from odd people that either don't turn up as agreed or put the phone down when you ask their phone number and full name (a large %age don't even speak properly!)

Has anyone here sold privately?
What has been your approach to no-shows?
How long would you have your property with an estate-agent that does not bring you any viewers? (I have just asked 2 to stop marketing my property due to ZERO viewers in 4 weeks)

I purchased my latest property from a vendor who had advertised both with 'Your Move' and privately on her local newspapers website. I found the property on the newspapers website. I phoned the seller, arranged a viewing, turned up and arranged a survey the following day. It took her just 4 days to sell this property to me privately when she had had this property on Your Move's website and in local agents office since May! She said they sent 'timewasters' (that's when they did turn up!) and they did apparently 'sell' it at one point, sadly, they didn't even check the so-called buyer could actually pay for it! so my seller was messed about royally. She was so pleased when I came along. I saw it, liked it and bought it. She is now arguing with Your-Move as they are trying to charge her a fee even though she sold it privately to me via a local newspaper website. By the way, I bought this property from over 2 hours drive away, so advertising on your local newspapers website does work!

frugal_dougal_3

farhad1965 wrote:

Has anyone here sold privately?
What has been your approach to no-shows?

No-showers are an occupational hazard when selling privately, and we all get them unfortunately.
When people make their initial enquiry to you it helps if you can come across as approachable but not over-friendly. Then try and engage them in some dialogue about the property such as whether they know that area very well.
If they request a viewing but are reluctant to give you a contact number, reassure them that you will not contact them unless you need to cancel the appointment.
I have found that most people will give a contact number if they see a good reason for it, and if they have been talking to you for a while they will find it harder to say no when you ask for it.

If they fail to show and you have their number you can then politely call them and ask whether they would like you to wait for them if they are still coming.

It's very tempting to be as rude as people who mess you around, but best not to.

farhad1965

I had a reply from the estate agents re the no show last night:

Thank you for your e-mail.

We have spoken with Mr N**** who advised that on arriving at the property he did not like its proximity to the council estate (half a mile away)and therefore did not view your house.

We did advise him that he should have knocked on the door to say that he did not wish to keep the viewing - we understand that he did not keep an appointment at another property through ourselves for the same reason!

In the meantime, we apologise for any inconvenience caused and please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of any further assistance.

GreenB_2

You know your reason now!

Half a mile is not that far away and unfortunately council estates (whetehr trouble free or not) put of buyers.

Not all potential buyers do their research first and to be honest when I was looking to buy anywhere within 1 mile of a council estate, industrial site or retail park was ruled out. Also we looked carefully at the planning applications on the local council website.

Many of our potential buyers were put off by two things - the fact that a guy in a house accross the otherside of the road is into motorcysles (he's not a hells angele or roudy person) but has 4 or 5 bikes outside and the other reason was because the garage was in a block behind the houses.

Conrad

farhad1965 wrote:

I am marketing my house through estate agents and privately.

Recently we are getting more and more no shows for viewings, whether introduced through agents or private ones. We have had 2 in a week through one local agent not turning up and most of the private enquiries seem to be from odd people that either don't turn up as agreed or put the phone down when you ask their phone number and full name (a large %age don't even speak properly!)

Has anyone here sold privately?
What has been your approach to no-shows?
How long would you have your property with an estate-agent that does not bring you any viewers? (I have just asked 2 to stop marketing my property due to ZERO viewers in 4 weeks)

The simple crux of the matter is you are priced to high. Property always sells if the price point is correct for the market conditions.
I own a mortgage brokers and work with many E/As, in private they will always tell u x house hasdnt sold due to price, there is no other reason. Ok presentation matters but again if your price reflects the standard of presentation you will sell. Simple really.

A house has just sold here with 2 buyers trying to outbid each other, yet the house opposite has been on for months without interest. Why? Price.

Many people tend to think thier house is better than others in the street / area, but this is never accurate as other houses may have other subtle advantages over yours. For example, often older people think thier home imaculate, but younger people might want to gut the whole place and start again as they dont like the clutter of older peoples wall paper design etc.

Price is everything.

lush_walrus

farhad1965 wrote:

I had a reply from the estate agents re the no show last night:

Thank you for your e-mail.

We have spoken with Mr N**** who advised that on arriving at the property he did not like its proximity to the council estate (half a mile away)and therefore did not view your house.

We did advise him that he should have knocked on the door to say that he did not wish to keep the viewing - we understand that he did not keep an appointment at another property through ourselves for the same reason!

In the meantime, we apologise for any inconvenience caused and please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of any further assistance.

Unfortunately, a lot of people book appointments, then drive to an area and realise things like an estate close by and are not even polite enough to knock on the door.

There is nothing an agent can do to stop this from happening, bar warning them that there is an estate near (which may stop those who will look without the warning) or stipulating that only local people can view (who presumably will know the area and the proximity of the estate).

But either way you are limiting your market.

I would advise that you take the good with the bad and accept that no shows will happen and be patient it is only ever a matter of one person wanting your house, but in less popular locations or houses the ratio of that one is increased.

Believe me agents dislike no shows as much as you do, it brings with it hassle, fear of loosing a property from their books and a worry that the next viewer they book in will do the same thing.