Dodgy Estate Agents AGAIN

[mumof3]

ok, so I have a buyer for my house, who has gone into rented while we find a property to buy.

I search various independant EA sites, as well as rightmove, everyday.

One house that has shown sold STC for some time now, is now showing as back on the market. I rang the EA to enquire and he has said that it has been sold again and needs to be removed from the site. I questioned him as to why we hadnt been contacted when it came back on the market and he said, 1. it needed to be sold quick and 2. they gave exlusitivity to clients who have sold through them!!!!

Obviously I raged down the phone at him, as I feel as we should have been treated the same as everyone else on their mailing list, 'equally'.

With EA's playing unfair games like this is a joke. I feel that I'm never going to be in with a chance.

Has anyone experienced this and are there any EA's out there who'd like to comment.

Thanks

[googler]

Well, I don't disagree that 'people on a mailing list' should receive similar treatment to each other, but I'd suggest that an individual who has dealt with an agency before, and has actually transacted some business with them, is no longer a person on a mailing list, but is ... their 'client', for want of a better word..... and I don't see any problem with them telling their existing clients about new properties before the 'mailing list'....

[mumof3]

Thanks for your response googler, but I have to disagree with you.

If I marketed my house through an EA, who sold it to one of their 'exclusive clients', before contacting people off of the general mailing lists, I'd be peed off knowing I could of got a better price from someone off that general mailing list had they of contacted them. This is not having the house sellers best interests at heart.

[drhouse]

Originally Posted by mumof3

Thanks for your response googler, but I have to disagree with you.

If I marketed my house through an EA, who sold it to one of their 'exclusive clients', before contacting people off of the general mailing lists, I'd be peed off knowing I could of got a better price from someone off that general mailing list had they of contacted them. This is not having the house sellers best interests at heart.

I agree. Too many agents would simply not tell their seller that there were other people who might be interested. They should tell them and let them decide what to do. In my experience though if a house has fallen through sellers are very inclined to go with the first offer that comes along. There is no guarantee that a better (or other) offer will happen and they need that security.

[mumof3]

Originally Posted by drhouse

I agree. Too many agents would simply not tell their seller that there were other people who might be interested. They should tell them and let them decide what to do. In my experience though if a house has fallen through sellers are very inclined to go with the first offer that comes along. There is no guarantee that a better (or other) offer will happen and they need that security.

Thanks again for the responses.

If a house sale has fallen through, then yes, you would probably take the first offer after that, but shouldnt everyone on the mailing lists be given the chance to view that property to make the best offer. Being told it was back on the market and given the chance to view it, we may of made the best offer and the agent knows we have a buyer for our own property with no chain and are able to purchase another property without actualy relying on our house sell.

My main point in all this, is to simply say that all buyers should be contacted when a property meeting their critiria comes on the market, everyone should have the chance to view and make an offer, not just their own 'clients'.

[sand17]

Hi im having exactly the same problem, theres a house i really want and as soon as it came on the markeldnt t i rang and was told that they were too busy that week and couldnt show people round ( the house is empty and a bargain ) i arranged to view it the following week but then they rang to say it had been sold???? i left my details saying im very interested and could they ring me if it fell though. a month later it was back in the paper and rightmove at an even lower price! once again i rang up and was told its under offer! I feel like something really iffy is going on. even though the house is empty iv just put a letter through the door asking if the occupier wud consider more viewers, i hope that this way if the EA are being dodgy and saving this property for a builder or collegue then the owner might find out.

[mumof3]

Hi Sand17

This is clearly happening alot. I think you've made the right descision in putting a letter through the property door, you could also knock the neighbours doors and enquire about the owner, see if you can get more contact details. This is what we have resorted too, but look on the bright side, if you get any luck with this, you could always tell the owner that your happy to proceed without the agents!

We have also put letters through various properties that we like, (one's that aren't on the market) explaining the reasons as to why EA's aren't giving us the opportunity to view properties that are on the market and if there interested in selling their property in the not too distant future and would consider no EA's, to contact us. We have had several telephone calls from doing this, all happy do miss out the agents!!, so with abit of luck, in the next six months, we might get the right house with no EA fees!

[googler]

Originally Posted by mumof3

If I marketed my house through an EA, who sold it to one of their 'exclusive clients', before contacting people off of the general mailing lists, I'd be peed off

Assuming you as an owner/seller, your agent can't 'sell' it without YOU instructing them whether or not to accept an offer. If you instruct your agent to contact all possible leads before accepting any offer that you've received, then they'll have to do that. Maybe the seller in this case didn't make any such instruction, and when an offer came in, instructed the EA to grab it around the leg and not let go...

[googler]

Originally Posted by mumof3

My main point in all this, is to simply say that all buyers should be contacted when a property meeting their critiria comes on the market, everyone should have the chance to view and make an offer, not just their own 'clients'.

..but since the seller is the one paying the agent, not you, if the seller says 'accept the offer from Mr X', the EA is obliged to do so.

[mumof3]

Thanks Googler,

Ok, its up to the seller whose offer they accept, but how does the seller know he's got the best offer, is the EA hasn't shown all interested parties the property, knowing that the seller has accepted an offer and not been offered the full asking price from the people shown it so far?