Cutting out the middle man ?

I'm looking to buy a property & feeling that the estate agent is keeping the guideline price artificially high.

The house originally came on the market in August @ 355k and we offered 340k. The estate agent didn't come back to us until 6 weeks later saying that the sellers had dropped their price to 345k including furniture.

I then dropped my offer to 330k excluding furnishing. She flatly refused this offer saying that she wouldn't even tell the sellers about our offer.

Four weeks later, she's now come back to us saying that the seller would accept an offer of 335k.

I feel the estate agent is dragging out the process in the hope that another buyer may enter into the picture. With the slowing market I'd like to get this house for as good as price as possible.

Would I be able to approach the seller directly to work out something ?
If I lowered my offer again I think the estate agent would tell them not to deal with me. I think the sellers are looking for a fairly quick sell at this stage and may be more willing to negotiate than the estate agent.

Thanks in advance, John

Knock on the sellers door or get someone else to do it on your behalf & give them a good story to tell so you can deny any part in it - just in case the EA really gets anal about the situation.

Don't automatically assume that the EA is acting on their own. Most will be in touch with the seller on a regular basis and will discuss tactics/options. There is probably more true in this case as a price drop "offer" has certainly being discussed with the seller.

Write a letter to EA and copy same to seller offering 330,000 and state that your offer stands for four weeks but drops by 2,500 for every week you have to wait on a decision.

Hi Tyler,

I'm loosing confidence in estate agents and I'm a vendor - like what you've said - I don't know if he is communicating clearly to people interested. After 6 months of having house on market with this particular EA he came and said to me that some people commented that bathrooms were a bit dated (at which I wasn't insulted) and he asked me would I put in new bathrooms. My reply was that I'd rather take a drop in price than tearing the place to pieces. I don't get this guy at all after that and am now wondering if he was commuincating to any potential purchasers properly. I think will take house off market for a while and try sell ourselves at least you have direct liason with viewers.