Estate Agent messing us around

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foxylady

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I recently seen a house I was interested in purchasing and tried on several occassions to get a viewing of the property only to be told that the sale might not be going ahead due to an illness in the family.

Now today when I checked their website to see if it had in fact been taken off the market I see a sale agreed sign on it. has this happened to anyone else and is there anything you can do about it.
 
Looks like the old selling a house to a friend at a good price trick. Drop a letter in the letter box explaining your attempts to view the house.
 
Was it on Daft?
Some estate agents just mark the houses Sale Agreed in Daft when they become unavailable for some reason. It probably makes it easier to re-activate then when it does become available. They may be telling the truth.

You could always call around and ask the people is it for sale, if there is a sign outside. Or ask the neighbours.
 
Estate agent messign us around

Its still on daft but on myhome and their own website it states sale agreed. I would have thought his practice of selling to your friends was long since over
 
LOL ...Unfortunately not , still alot of people out there with property portfolios , taking risks and looking for bargains from their estate agent "friends"
 
It's entirely possible that the owners of the house are messing the estate agent around as well.
 
I know this is a generalisation but I don't trust estate agents. I had 2 bad experiences when I was selling one house and trying to buy another house in the height of the Celtic Tiger (if that means anything).

Regarding the sale of my old house: I had viewings and assumed that no-one was interested because the estate agent didn't communicate that anyone was interested in 2nd viewings etc. Then one evening someone who had viewed my house knocked on my door offering the asking price. He said that he told the estate agent that he was willing to offer the asking price but that piece of information never got back to me. I never found out why the estate agent didn't tell me that because I just dumped him.

Regarding the attempted purchase of a house I was interested in (didn't end up buying it and am very happy with the house I eventually purchased - so things do happen for a reason!): I viewed a house, really fell in love with it and offerred the asking price The estate agent rang me the next day saying that the buyer had accepted my offer. So I began visualising myself in the house you know yourself! The estate agent took my deposit cheques a day or so later (don't know if this was cashed didn't check at the time). Then I got a phonecall saying that the house was being sold to someone else. I was really heartbroken at the time and I know the buyer probably weren't contractually bound to me but emotions do run high when you see a house that you want. I knocked on the door of the people who owned the house a week or so later (I was viewing a house a few doors down from them because I liked the area). I know I sound like a stalker and am even laughing to myself because even doing that doesn't sound like something that I would do. They knew nothing about my offer! I didn't bother ringing the estate agent because I was just so sick of them all by then.

As I said it worked out in the end but only because I got myself in the right frame of mind to view more houses. I just wouldn't trust them! Be careful. Moving house can be stressful and some people like me can make speedy decisions without thinking them through. I've learned so much from those two experiences. Good luck.
 
I dont really trust them either as this wasnt the first time they have acted the maggot. We also put an offer on another house and the ea just said out straight they wouldnt accept that without even asking the sellers and sure they have a higher offer anyway. Have since found out there are no offers on the Property. ireland could learn a lot from other countries who use a much more structured systme for property purchasing
 
I was selling a house and one day got a knock on the door from a man, asking why I hadn't responded to his offer. I had never even been informed by the estate agent that there was an offer. I agreed to his offer on the spot.
 
If you're putting in an offer - do it in writing and cc it to the house owner.
 
Jessica Derm said:
I know this is a generalisation but I don't trust estate agents. I had 2 bad experiences when I was selling one house and trying to buy another house in the height of the Celtic Tiger (if that means anything).

Regarding the sale of my old house: I had viewings and assumed that no-one was interested because the estate agent didn't communicate that anyone was interested in 2nd viewings etc. Then one evening someone who had viewed my house knocked on my door offering the asking price. He said that he told the estate agent that he was willing to offer the asking price but that piece of information never got back to me. I never found out why the estate agent didn't tell me that because I just dumped him.

Regarding the attempted purchase of a house I was interested in (didn't end up buying it and am very happy with the house I eventually purchased - so things do happen for a reason!): I viewed a house, really fell in love with it and offerred the asking price The estate agent rang me the next day saying that the buyer had accepted my offer. So I began visualising myself in the house you know yourself! The estate agent took my deposit cheques a day or so later (don't know if this was cashed didn't check at the time). Then I got a phonecall saying that the house was being sold to someone else. I was really heartbroken at the time and I know the buyer probably weren't contractually bound to me but emotions do run high when you see a house that you want. I knocked on the door of the people who owned the house a week or so later (I was viewing a house a few doors down from them because I liked the area). I know I sound like a stalker and am even laughing to myself because even doing that doesn't sound like something that I would do. They knew nothing about my offer! I didn't bother ringing the estate agent because I was just so sick of them all by then.

As I said it worked out in the end but only because I got myself in the right frame of mind to view more houses. I just wouldn't trust them! Be careful. Moving house can be stressful and some people like me can make speedy decisions without thinking them through. I've learned so much from those two experiences. Good luck.
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Consider this scenario, the guy who knocked at your door reckoned he had a better chance of getting a good price by telling you a white lie. If he had gone through the EA then he risked a bidding war, but going through you directly he had a chance of a soft sale and sounds like he may have gotten one as you didn't even bother to corroborate his story. Why would you trust a stranger more than an EA?

But at least you recognise that you are generalising.
 
foxylady said:
I dont really trust them either as this wasnt the first time they have acted the maggot. We also put an offer on another house and the ea just said out straight they wouldnt accept that without even asking the sellers and sure they have a higher offer anyway. Have since found out there are no offers on the Property. ireland could learn a lot from other countries who use a much more structured systme for property purchasing
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Such quotes as 'don't call me unless it's above 'x' amount are not all that rare. Also quotes such as ' thats a ridiculous offer, I told you what I wanted and you said it was worth 'x' amount. Don't assume that vendors will entertain any offer, and some will even drop their EA for 'entertaining' low offers. nothing is cut and dried and no EA would walk away from an offer that might cut ice with a vendor.
 
1, EA did not tell her 'We got an offer of X, but wait a while I hope to get more.'
2, What are the changes of a random stranger being an EA :)

I have heard, seen and been subject to some sharp practice (I reckon cost me 40K) by EAs. For instance, at the moment there are two houses in my road which have gone up for sale in the last 2 or 3 months months, both are asking close to 50% off the top of the market. Once is an exector sale, house is ok shape but is dated etc. The other has been done up and is asking 50K less than the first. Now, what I don't understand is that house two is not being advertised (internet etc) at all, appart from the sign outside...
 
"Now, what I don't understand is that house two is not being advertised (internet etc) at all, appart from the sign outside... "

I don't understand what your point is?

Is it that EA is not trying? In which case won't the clients have something to say about it?
Or is it perhaps that some vendors, remarkably, still don't get the fact that houses are hard to shift and are holding out? Or that maybe they are not trying hard enough? Or that they won't spend the money on advertising?

From the perspective of a ( admittedly former) property solicitor, and from my dealings with most of the larger EA's, I have a major issue with the stories being peddled in this thread. I don't believe in the conspiracy theories, I comprehend incompetence and the occasional stupidity of all parties to a transaction, and I definitely don't understand the concept of an EA trying not to sell a property.

And, personally, if I was selling a house and I had interested viewers, I would be very surprised if my EA did not cop that I was expecting some offers. I would be very irritated to have those same people knocking on my door and sending me pp letters.

mf
 
Towger said:
1, EA did not tell her 'We got an offer of X, but wait a while I hope to get more.'
2, What are the changes of a random stranger being an EA :)

I have heard, seen and been subject to some sharp practice (I reckon cost me 40K) by EAs. For instance, at the moment there are two houses in my road which have gone up for sale in the last 2 or 3 months months, both are asking close to 50% off the top of the market. Once is an exector sale, house is ok shape but is dated etc. The other has been done up and is asking 50K less than the first. Now, what I don't understand is that house two is not being advertised (internet etc) at all, appart from the sign outside...
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Some people simply get annoyed at being told about low offers, it is better to tell them but you do risk their wrath and the loss of business/reputation.
Regarding your theory, why would an EA not want to sell a proprty? Explain the reasoning for being in the business of sales and keeping your best products out of sight?
The main party involved is the vendor and don't be surprised about the logic that some people use when selling their home.
 
I told the estate agent that I wanted a quick sale and that I would be more than happy if I got the asking price. The man offered the asking price officially and then offered it again when he knocked on my door. He wasn't really getting a soft sale then I don't think? Maybe he had someone else in mind to buy my house but all I wanted was the asking price and someone had already offered it. I don't know why the EA didn't tell me about this...maybe just inefficiency and maybe it was just bad luck that I then had another bad experience very shortly afterwards when I was trying to buy the other house after that. I know not all EA are like this because I have heard of some good stories too. Honesty is always the best policy I think.
 
How do you know that he offered it officially if you just dumped the EA rather than questioning him about what happened?
 
I take your point Mr Man. Never thought of it that way and I always wondered why the EA didn't tell me. Who knows. I took the quick and easy option to try to ensure less hassle for myself as the process is stressful enough as it is.
 
MF1. I can name and shame two well known EAs for this practice, but Brendan values his house and I do mine.
 
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