Estate Agent Etiquette?

A

Aoileen

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Had 4 EA's out to value our property on Monday. Eventually decided which one to go for and now need to let the other EA's know that we won't be using them.

Any ideas what to say to them in the email? Will they expect me to give a reason why etc. etc.
 
Just thank them for their interest and tell them you have decided to go elsewhere. They don't need to know any more than that. The rest is your private business. I am assuming that you did not get them to do any actual work for you to date for which they might expect to receive payment.
 
Thanks Clubman!

We made sure that all valuations were free and without obligation before the EA's called out so its just really a matter of saying we won't be using them.
 
Aoileen
we recently invited 2 different EA to come valur our property-both said that they would be sending out written proposals of what their fees would be etc.. etc... Off we went for a long weekend and when we came back only one of them had actually responded in writing! To be honest we had decided to give the sale to the one that didnt reply before learning this. We then decided not to go with them in the end as their lack of interest in preparing a package for us didnt sit well in our minds!
Thankfully the girl that we chose to sell our property has turned out to be extremly efficient and is definatly getting the customers in the door.
I know its nice to be nice and fair play to you for wanting to contact them but maybe hold out for a few days to see if you hear back from them!

Good luck with the sale by the way!
 
Thanks for all the comments.

When I posted it was a few days since all EA's were out and we had taken everything into consideration before deciding who to go with.

I can't stress the importance of getting a few EA's out. Never just pick your local EA or one out of the phonebook and be content with that.

Apologies in advance for the long post but I do think its relevant to anyone deciding to put their property on the market.

EA 1: Very efficient. Noticed things other EA's didn't (ie interior wall that needs replastering to prevent putting potential buyers off). Very personable and I felt she would sell our house as if it was her own. She will be doing all viewings herself. Fees 1% + €350 approx for advertising. Sent us proposal of services provided in post the next day.

EA 2: A bit ditsy. She got my name wrong! I don't have a problem with it in general but if you are looking for business the least you could do is get the persons name right! Got the impression that she was a junior with little experience. Asked what fees were and was told 1% + €350 approx for advertising. Asked was this fee negotiable and she said: "well I'll do it for .85%". Alarm bells started to ring! Thats not negotiating! First thought in my head was that she would in no way negotiate a good price for our house if thats her attitude! Was told that different members of staff would be doing viewings and I just felt that they would hand people the brochure and tell them to look around themselves. Didn't get any proposal in writing either by email or post.

EA 3: 2 guys came out. Nothing wrong with them - I just didn't warm to them. Found them very very matter-of-fact and formal. Fees 1% + €650 approx for advertising. Both would do viewings themselves (together!). Felt they'd sell our house as a property and not as a home. Got proposal in writing back 2 days later.

EA 4: I told her I wanted a quick sale and didn't want to do anything to the property. She told me to paint everything white (even exterior walls!) and have everything as clinical as possible. She started giving me prices of throws, lamps etc that Dunnes Stores have at the moment! So basically she ignored what I was saying! Her fees were 1.5% non negotiable + €400 approx for advertising and she tried to convince me that myhome.ie had an exclusivity clause that meant if you advertised your property with them, you couldn't advertise on another website! She sent written proposal that night in an email and the next day in the post. When I emailed her to say we weren't going with her, she emailed back and asked why not! I haven't replied to her yet....................
 
Interesting summary - mirrors my own experiences in the past. Assume you're going with EA 1.

Why not just send them a copy of your last post (tell them which one they are)
 
Yes we are going with EA 1!

We had said before they all came out to us that we'd just go with whoever had the cheapest fees. What a silly thing to think!

Anyways, back to the decluttering and cleaning for me
 

Who will do the viewings if she is sick or goes on holidays?
 
What does that matter if they get you the best deal? Perhaps this matter of factness is exactly what you need?
 
ClubMan said:
What does that matter if they get you the best deal? Perhaps this matter of factness is exactly what you need?
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Having bought and sold a house 2 times I must say I find it a stressful affair. In my view I find it more than simply the 'best deal' - if you're talking purely about financial terms. As you're going to be in contact with he EA seller over a number of months and about a stressful venture it's so important to feel comfortable with the EA - to have a kind of empathy.

When I sold my 1st house I had 3 EA's come to the house. One of them was really a pompous ass and when he told him I was getting quotes from several EAs was very put out. He put together a very professional package but I really couldn't have put up with him over the months it takes to negotiate a sale. The woman I went with had a great manner and I'm sure she had that same great manner with the viewers as well.
 
Aoileen said:
EA 4: ......... she tried to convince me that myhome.ie had an exclusivity clause that meant if you advertised your property with them, you couldn't advertise on another website! ....
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For that reason alone she shouldn't get the job.

Email her back saying that you contacted myhome.ie (naming and quoting her) and myhome advised you to look elsewhere as she was obviously a dishonest swindling EA.

You could string her along by asking if she wished to clarify what she said then you may reconsider but that she would have to cc her reply to info@myhome.ie
 
she was obviously a dishonest swindling EA.
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Who would want an honest EA selling their property?

An interesting thread. Sometimes the person with whom you don't get on with might be the ideal person to sell your house. Buying stuff from Dunnes and painting everything white, for example, makes a huge difference at relatively little cost.
 
Painting everything white, might make a huge difference, but may create the wrong atmosphere. I would consider white a very cold colour. Also highlights any defects or marks on the walls.
 
Once your house is decluttered and tidy, and has pretty much neutral colours - nothing off the wall it should be okay. I wouldnt go to the expense of painting it white etc. Most buyers are savvy enough. I would think they are looking at the space, layout, aspect etc. With all those property programmes buyers are much more educated these days. White walls and Dunnes accessories wouldnt clinch a sale. Once your house is reasonably priced in this very competitive market it should sell.
 
Okay, maybe not pure brilliant white, but Orchid White (or any of those off white colours).

I would be more cynical and say that most buyers are looking at the superficial stuff like wall finish etc. Notice that show houses in new developments are never void of furniture etc. even if it's slightly bigger than dolls' house stuff.
 
I find it interesting that the EA you went with was given praise for suggesting you replaster the walls and the last EA was criticised for sugesting you paint the walls. One thing I would commend you on as an EA myself is that you are actually considering getting back to the losing parties, that puts you in the minority.

Email her back saying that you contacted myhome.ie (naming and quoting her) and myhome advised you to look elsewhere as she was obviously a dishonest swindling EA.
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She was wrong, but was she more misinformed than dishonest? What would she have to gain by lessening the properties exposure?


The vast majority don't want any work, and if its well presented it makes a huge differnece, so there is something to be said for the Dunnes throws etc.

To answer the OP, just send a letter, short and sweet thanking for their time, but you have decided on a differnet EA, no need for explainations.
 
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