Can I ask to see the other bids?

I’m not sure that many people would risk their reputation and livelihood to make 1% of a few grand more.

A lot of the time this stuff is paranoia on the part of the buyer; if I was an estate agent (heaven forbid) I think the first thing I’d do if a bid came in for something that had been on the books a while would be to notify everyone else who’d been sniffing around. It might just spur them into action.

On that basis, I don’t think it’s odd at all for a place to have no bids for months, and then a couple in quick succession.
 
Additionally, the ease of placing a new higher bid leaves room for spontaneous bids to go in very quickly. On your own part and on that of others. We've been guilty of that on our search.

Even worse, we've not been asked by any of the agents to provide proof of funds prior to bidding. So there is nothing stopping me bidding up a property even though I might have no intention to or have the means to actually buy it. Can easily result in another bidder overpaying by many thousand.

Definitely has pros and cons.

This is what I expect is going on, and I also think I have been too keen. So I'll just react and let the agent do some of the chasing, they have two bidders so let them chase both of us.

What I am just most frustrated about is that it just appears to be a numbers game, let the bidders dual it out until one wins. I know personally it can be hard to stick to the price set in your mind, and I imagine that the higher amount it goes over the more likely the purchaser is to pull out.

There are pros and cons to every system, I once lived in a place where blind bidding was the norm, had a friend who submitted a bid against 15 others and the highest wins, no additional negotiation and if winner fails to complete it just moves to the next highest.
 
I’m not sure that many people would risk their reputation and livelihood to make 1% of a few grand more.

A lot of the time this stuff is paranoia on the part of the buyer; if I was an estate agent (heaven forbid) I think the first thing I’d do if a bid came in for something that had been on the books a while would be to notify everyone else who’d been sniffing around. It might just spur them into action.

On that basis, I don’t think it’s odd at all for a place to have no bids for months, and then a couple in quick succession.

I agree with this and I guess when you want something you are only looking at it from your own perspective and pick apart why you aren't being successful. The agent may not think I am serious bidder for all I know. All I can do is react and try and make the situation work to my advantage.
 
It’s important to differentiate one’s bid not just on price.

e.g. not part of a chain, dealt with the estate agent before, wealthy family, etc.

Two bids can be the same number but not be equal
 
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