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Tygermoth
Posts: 1,413 Forumite
I am getting rather irritated with EAs leaving desirable properties on RM as click bait*. You look at them, think ok thats a house i can go for and when you call up 'sorry its sold' literally two seconds before you called.....
but while you are on the line 'we will just take your details'
In March i called the agent about a lovely house - really nice location, realistically priced - and they advised it had sold just that morning and they took my details and promised to call if it came back on or had similar.
I was doing a different search yesterday and it was still there. I called up as it never has gone to sold on property bee and asked if I could view - he advised sorry its 'just' sold. Just? i said, it sold in March didn't it? Did the sale fall through? If it did, why wasn't i called as agreed?
Cue a massive fluster and the biggest load of BS you have ever heard.
In the end he blamed it on Rightmove and said they had asked them to update the details a number of times since March and it had not been done.
I was so irritated, i really liked that house.
Dropped a line to RM to ask what their update turnaround time is - if they come back with a reply thats says 'well, its not months' I think i may have to drop the EA in it. I don't like being bs'ed and lied to and blaming a third party company is just not on.
*to be fair, you do get wise and spot the click bait after a while - its just par for the course - this one got me though as i REALLY liked the house- maybe that's why i am grumpy about the whole thing.
but while you are on the line 'we will just take your details'
In March i called the agent about a lovely house - really nice location, realistically priced - and they advised it had sold just that morning and they took my details and promised to call if it came back on or had similar.
I was doing a different search yesterday and it was still there. I called up as it never has gone to sold on property bee and asked if I could view - he advised sorry its 'just' sold. Just? i said, it sold in March didn't it? Did the sale fall through? If it did, why wasn't i called as agreed?
Cue a massive fluster and the biggest load of BS you have ever heard.
In the end he blamed it on Rightmove and said they had asked them to update the details a number of times since March and it had not been done.
I was so irritated, i really liked that house.
Dropped a line to RM to ask what their update turnaround time is - if they come back with a reply thats says 'well, its not months' I think i may have to drop the EA in it. I don't like being bs'ed and lied to and blaming a third party company is just not on.
*to be fair, you do get wise and spot the click bait after a while - its just par for the course - this one got me though as i REALLY liked the house- maybe that's why i am grumpy about the whole thing.
Please note I have a cognitive disability - as such my wording can be a bit off, muddled, misspelt or in some cases i can miss out some words totally...
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welcome to the world of Estate Agents"It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"
G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP0 -
They're all at it. Curious now...got a link to the house?0
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Link....
Then we all call, at 10.00am onward. Bags the appallingly inappropriate Scottish accent....
Mind you, if we are all offered a viewing, maybe it is your dodgy accent....0 -
*to be fair, you do get wise and spot the click bait after a while - its just par for the course - this one got me though as i REALLY liked the house- maybe that's why i am grumpy about the whole thing.
It's far worse when the totally perfect, sought-for-years property really was sold in those two days when you were busy, sorting out someone else's problem.........
Seven years. Like Linda Maitland, I'm still not over it!
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Yep, I've experienced that too. Very annoying. Mainly the lower-quality, staffed-by-teenagers agents. The smaller and independent ones, and the ones specialising in high-brow properties, don't seem to do this.0
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Dropped a line to RM to ask what their update turnaround time is - if they come back with a reply thats says 'well, its not months' I think i may have to drop the EA in it. I don't like being bs'ed and lied to and blaming a third party company is just not on.
EAs can choose to update their RM listings instantly, if they want to. For example: https://www.10ninety.co.uk/rightmove-real-time-datafeed/
Although, there may be only one person based in the EA's head office who does this, and a senior manager at the EA might have to authorise RM changes etc - so the process might take longer.
If I were you, I'd express my frustration to the EA, but I'm not sure it's worth starting a war over. They may get more properties that you're interested in. They might call you first if they like you. They may not call you first if they don't like you.0 -
I've been in that situation too...not with the property just being on RM but in the EA window too....the one I was interested in has been there since September, completed last December and was only taken off last week after my 3rd inquiry about it.frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!
2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend0 -
Yep, I've experienced that too. Very annoying. Mainly the lower-quality, staffed-by-teenagers agents. The smaller and independent ones, and the ones specialising in high-brow properties, don't seem to do this.
Not necessarily. About a year ago I walked past a high-end estate agent in Islington and spotted my friend's very expensive and beautiful house for sale in the window. They had exchanged weeks before and were moving that weekend... It wasn't even marked STC or similar.
It was about 11pm so I couldn't go in and say anything.0 -
What irritates me is you don’t just ring up and book a viewing, well I don’t.
As we are looking across three counties, we generally don’t know the area – So before I bother a seller and the agent I check EVERYTHING, street view, local schools, and google earth from all angles. Check out where the sun will be (don’t judge me - my current rental house is so dark I long for a sunny house) crime stats, look for local parks for the walking of the mutt, broadband speed as we need superfast connection due to our jobs. As we live a distance away we need to travel some distance to if we want to view.
So in most cases I have done more background searches than the FBI to get to a decent short list and settle in to call every agent – So it’s a bit frustrating that when you do call they then say they sold (ages ago)
such a waste of time. GrrrrrrPlease note I have a cognitive disability - as such my wording can be a bit off, muddled, misspelt or in some cases i can miss out some words totally...0 -
What irritates me is you don’t just ring up and book a viewing, well I don’t.
As we are looking across three counties, we generally don’t know the area – So before I bother a seller and the agent I check EVERYTHING, street view, local schools, and google earth from all angles. Check out where the sun will be (don’t judge me - my current rental house is so dark I long for a sunny house) crime stats, look for local parks for the walking of the mutt, broadband speed as we need superfast connection due to our jobs. As we live a distance away we need to travel some distance to if we want to view.
So in most cases I have done more background searches than the FBI to get to a decent short list and settle in to call every agent – So it’s a bit frustrating that when you do call they then say they sold (ages ago)
such a waste of time. Grrrrrr
Well I wouldn't get caught more than once by that. Why don't you phone up first to find out if it's still available, then do your research, then make an appt if it's of interest still?Make £2024 in 2024
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