Annoying estate agent tactics

[Chunketh]

So we went to see a house on Saturday, open house, first viewing slot. We liked it but want a second viewing.

The vendors have had an offer accepted on the property they are moving to...so understandable that they are in a hurry.

We call up today to see if we can arrange a second viewing to be told that its moved to best and final offers by Wednesday, so no, we cant have a second viewing.

Anyone else experienced these kind of pressure tactics? Any suggestions on how to deal with them? Like my other half says, shes spend longer examining a new pair of boots before purchase!

I'm toying with the idea of putting a decent offer in, subject to a second viewing just to see what they do....

[Bruce Banner]

13 minutes ago, Chunketh said:

So we went to see a house on Saturday, open house, first viewing slot. We liked it but want a second viewing.

The vendors have had an offer accepted on the property they are moving to...so understandable that they are in a hurry.

We call up today to see if we can arrange a second viewing to be told that its moved to best and final offers by Wednesday, so no, we cant have a second viewing.

Anyone else experienced these kind of pressure tactics? Any suggestions on how to deal with them? Like my other half says, shes spend longer examining a new pair of boots before purchase!

I'm toying with the idea of putting a decent offer in, subject to a second viewing just to see what they do....

By decent, do you mean higher than you otherwise would have offered? If so the EAs tactic has been successful.

Sounds like the EA might have it earmarked for himself, or a mate. I would be tempted to make contact with the EAs group CEO and query the tactic.

[Chunketh]

Just now, Bruce Banner said:

By decent, do you mean higher than you otherwise would have offered? If so the EAs tactic has been successful.

Sounds like the EA might have it earmarked for himself, or a mate. I would be tempted to make contact with the EAs group CEO and query the tactic.

No, just the same offer that I would have made otherwise. I get that the vendors are in a hurry, but we are in rented so flexible.

Surely its more likely that the sale will fall through with people being time pressured like this?

[ebull]

17 minutes ago, Chunketh said:

So we went to see a house on Saturday, open house, first viewing slot. We liked it but want a second viewing.

The vendors have had an offer accepted on the property they are moving to...so understandable that they are in a hurry.

We call up today to see if we can arrange a second viewing to be told that its moved to best and final offers by Wednesday, so no, we cant have a second viewing.

Anyone else experienced these kind of pressure tactics? Any suggestions on how to deal with them? Like my other half says, shes spend longer examining a new pair of boots before purchase!

I'm toying with the idea of putting a decent offer in, subject to a second viewing just to see what they do....

1. Offer what you would have done anyway

2. After / if you are successful and after waiting a week or two so other buyers are lost, create a spurious reason you need to look around [you're doing a special widget womble bat survey personally].

3. Then think about if you want it. Decision time can be anytime before exchange.

4. You'll probably need to "instruct" a solicitor. Use compareandconvey who have a no completion, no fee policy and then drag your feet with the forms and anti money laudering proofs the solicitor will want. Read the in structions carefully about rights to cancel. CCA applies so 14 days is statutory anyway.

Basically be as fk u to them as they're being to you.

Make sure you get good at smarmy two face to beat the EAs at their own game. No need to lie, just omit and delay when needed. Don't tell anyone [except the missus and only then if she can keep her gob shut] what you're doing.

[Chunketh]

2 minutes ago, ebull said:

1. Offer what you would have done anyway

2. After / if you are successful and after waiting a week or two so other buyers are lost, create a spurious reason you need to look around [you're doing a special widget womble bat survey personally].

3. Then think about if you want it. Decision time can be anytime before exchange.

4. You'll probably need to "instruct" a solicitor. Use compareandconvey who have a no completion, no fee policy and then drag your feet with the forms and anti money laudering proofs the solicitor will want. Read the in structions carefully about rights to cancel. CCA applies so 14 days is statutory anyway.

Basically be as fk u to them as they're being to you.

Make sure you get good at smarmy two face to beat the EAs at their own game. No need to lie, just omit and delay when needed. Don't tell anyone [except the missus and only then if she can keep her gob shut] what you're doing.

As much as its not in my nature to behave that way, I like it  thanks

[stuckmojo]

2 hours ago, ebull said:

1. Offer what you would have done anyway

2. After / if you are successful and after waiting a week or two so other buyers are lost, create a spurious reason you need to look around [you're doing a special widget womble bat survey personally].

3. Then think about if you want it. Decision time can be anytime before exchange.

4. You'll probably need to "instruct" a solicitor. Use compareandconvey who have a no completion, no fee policy and then drag your feet with the forms and anti money laudering proofs the solicitor will want. Read the in structions carefully about rights to cancel. CCA applies so 14 days is statutory anyway.

Basically be as fk u to them as they're being to you.

Make sure you get good at smarmy two face to beat the EAs at their own game. No need to lie, just omit and delay when needed. Don't tell anyone [except the missus and only then if she can keep her gob shut] what you're doing.

Good plan. 

Dealing with a vendor's estate agent at the moment. Never a truer stereotype was ever created. Bunch off utter wankstains. 

 

[Bruce Banner]

18 minutes ago, stuckmojo said:

Good plan. 

Dealing with a vendor's estate agent at the moment. Never a truer stereotype was ever created. Bunch off utter wankstains. 

 

The direct lies and total assmanship that came out of the vendor's EA when we last bought were unbelievable. I had to shut down all verbal contact and conduct all proceedings via email. We won, thanks in no small part to our solicitor being family and willing to put in effort above and beyond the call of duty.

[stuckmojo]

1 minute ago, Bruce Banner said:

The direct lies and total assmanship that came out of the vendor's EA when we last bought were unbelievable. I had to shut down all verbal contact and conduct all proceedings via email. We won, thanks in no small part to our solicitor being family and willing to put in effort above and beyond the call of duty.

Good point. I have to talk to them this afternoon and I am dreading it, knowing it will test my patience. 

[Aidan Ap Word]

3 hours ago, ebull said:

1. Offer what you would have done anyway

2. After / if you are successful and after waiting a week or two so other buyers are lost, create a spurious reason you need to look around [you're doing a special widget womble bat survey personally].

3. Then think about if you want it. Decision time can be anytime before exchange.

4. You'll probably need to "instruct" a solicitor. Use compareandconvey who have a no completion, no fee policy and then drag your feet with the forms and anti money laudering proofs the solicitor will want. Read the in structions carefully about rights to cancel. CCA applies so 14 days is statutory anyway.

Basically be as fk u to them as they're being to you.

Make sure you get good at smarmy two face to beat the EAs at their own game. No need to lie, just omit and delay when needed. Don't tell anyone [except the missus and only then if she can keep her gob shut] what you're doing.

 

3 hours ago, Chunketh said:

As much as its not in my nature to behave that way, I like it  thanks

You are right to be concerned about your role as an honest person in this.

Please bear in mind that any extra information above the legal and transactional minimum that is suggested above could significantly impact your resources for caring about the people close to you in the future. So please consider this in the balance of your own behaviour.

The EA and the vendor will have no quarms about thieving from your future in order to feather their own nests.

[longgone]

11 minutes ago, Bruce Banner said:

The direct lies and total assmanship that came out of the vendor's EA when we last bought were unbelievable. I had to shut down all verbal contact and conduct all proceedings via email. We won, thanks in no small part to our solicitor being family and willing to put in effort above and beyond the call of duty.

You use the sevices of a solicitor to negotiate ?

Are things that bad buying a overpriced house nowadays.

[Bruce Banner]

1 minute ago, longgone said:

You use the sevices of a solicitor to negotiate ?

Are things that bad buying a overpriced house nowadays.

The assmanship started after my offer was accepted on the understanding that contracts would be exchanged in 2 weeks, irrespective of the vendors purchase. The EA proceeded to add the transaction to the vendor's chain. I said a lot in a short space of time, slammed the phone down and started playing hardball via email with the able assistance of my (family) solicitor.

[longgone]

5 minutes ago, Bruce Banner said:

The assmanship started after my offer was accepted on the understanding that contracts would be exchanged in 2 weeks, irrespective of the vendors purchase. The EA proceeded to add the transaction to the vendor's chain. I said a lot in a short space of time, slammed the phone down and started playing hardball via email with the able assistance of my (family) solicitor.

So where would the vendor move to if their purchase is on the go slow ?

[Bruce Banner]

5 minutes ago, longgone said:

So where would the vendor move to if their purchase is on the go slow ?

Short term rental, hotel, relatives? Not my problem, my offer was conditional on fast exchange with completion 2 months later, I needed it all done and dusted in 3 months. They were unsure about it but in the end agreed in exchange for an increased offer, I'm pretty sure the EA told them to accept and he'd string us along until their sale completed, complete lying toad. After catching out the vendor's solicitors on a lie, we gave them 2 days to confirm that they would stop stalling and agree to exchange as agreed. We eventually exchanged on time and completed 2 months later. 

When we moved in we felt that we had just emerged from a sewer.

Never, ever, trust an EA and make sure everything is in writing.

[Aidan Ap Word]

26 minutes ago, longgone said:

So where would the vendor move to if their purchase is on the go slow ?

 

5 minutes ago, Bruce Banner said:

Short term rental, hotel, relatives? Not my problem, my offer was conditional on fast exchange with completion 2 months later, I needed it all done and dusted in 3 months. They were unsure about it but in the end agreed in exchange for an increased offer, I'm pretty sure the EA told them to accept and he'd string us along until their sale completed, complete lying toad. After catching out the vendor's solicitors on a lie, we gave them 2 days to confirm that they would stop stalling and agree to exchange as agreed. We eventually exchanged on time and completed 2 months later. 

When we moved in we felt that we had just emerged from a sewer.

Never, ever, trust an EA and make sure everything is in writing.

Strongly agree with this.

[Bruce Banner]

16 minutes ago, Aidan Ap Word said:

 

Strongly agree with this.

When I discussed it with an EA I knew socially, he said that this kind of "misunderstanding" is very common. Misunderstanding? There was no misunderstanding, the only problem was that the perfectly clear verbal agreement was not worth the paper it was written on. 

[longgone]

26 minutes ago, Bruce Banner said:

They were unsure about it but in the end agreed in exchange for an increased offer

The money shot ?. did he emotionally attach you to the house in the sales patter.  

i would of gone with my original  but stipulated the exchange time, they are on the hook then completion day can be forced afterwards.  nah bother.  

[Bruce Banner]

4 minutes ago, longgone said:

The money shot ?. did he emotionally attach you to the house in the sales patter.  

i would of gone with my original  but stipulated the exchange time, they are on the hook then completion day can be forced afterwards.  nah bother.  

I think they would have backed out, it needed the increased offer to get the deal agreed (except it wasn't) because the vendors were understandably nervous about possibly having to move out with nowhere to go.

It was the exchange date that the EA tried to weasel out of. Complete and utter lying scumbag, and the solicitors were in on the act too.

[“Nasty Piece of work”]

Best for everyone (except the EA) is to put a letter through the door, detailing your offer and ability to move fast.  By far the best thing you can do is cut the EA out of the loop.

[Wayward]

Walk away.  These tactics only work in a sellers market. Not good time to buy. 

[Buzzardo2]

Annoying Estate Agent tactics....?

Breathing. Existing. Lying.

End of.

 

Happy New Year.

 

B2

 

[jiltedjen]

have your total figure in mind. Only do a final offer, make it clear that it is a final offer. And subject to contract and the house being removed from the market straight away. 

stress that your chain free, and you dont want to be messed around.

have an offer in principle ready.

Either you get it or you dont.
dont get emotionally involved, wait until contracts have been signed and you are legally tied to buying it. 

really you should of looked around and got a good feel for it on your viewing, taken pictures etc, and you would get a full survey anyway. 
going for lots of viewings is a bit annoying if you have people walking around your home. 

umming and arring only makes you seem like a time waster.

end of the day its going to be a home, you either want it or you dont. 
Even if you overpay, if your going to be there for 20 years chances are inflation will eat away what you overpaid anyway. 

Estate agents lie loads, they always have other people interested and offers being put in, half the time they dont.
but you just put in one strong serious final offer. and either you get it or you dont. move on if you dont, no use getting stressed or upset about it.

[Kosmin]

9 minutes ago, jiltedjen said:

really you should of looked around and got a good feel for it on your viewing, taken pictures etc, and you would get a full survey anyway. 
going for lots of viewings is a bit annoying if you have people walking around your home. 

umming and arring only makes you seem like a time waster.

"I want a second viewing" means "I want to make an offer, but I just want to check I'm not making a terrible mistake." Typically people go for a second viewing with another person (who may be able to spot different things, and at least can offer the chance to discuss afterwards) or at a different time of day.

[jiltedjen]

just go with a camera, should of gone with 3 people, to have a good look around.
survey will pick up anything serious anyway, rest of it is basically size and layout and area considerations. 
i even took a laser measure to mine to check some important measurements. 

decorating you can re-do.

imagine your selling and you have offers on the table at about what you looking for, and you get someone asking for a second viewing who as far as you know are just time wasters. If they really do have a lot of interest why would they deny a second viewing? 

might be an estate agent tactic, might not be.

i just think you should whip your final offer out, being strong and serious, make it clear you like it and its worth X to you. no pissing about. no time wasting. 

you might get out-bid anyway. they might just not accept your offer. either way its done then.

and even if you do that, and they say no, and you move on.

you might get a call a few weeks later asking if your still interested (happened to me), hence why you just go boom, get your final offer in. and forget about it. its out of your hands anyway. 

its horrible that life is like this, you get more time to buy shoes as you said. but thats how it is. 

you could do a lot of asking youself 'how much will be offer etc? how can we decorate it? what work in involved, then bright eyed put an offer in, all excited about your new home, and they said they had an offer 15% higher. 

some people even put their houses on sale below what its worth on purpose, as they know the buying frenzy will force someone to go a bit nuts, put in an offer over asking straight away, (at what its actually worth), and then its done. 

[Kosmin]

3 hours ago, jiltedjen said:

just go with a camera, should of gone with 3 people, to have a good look around.

Why would people want to view a property with you without knowing whether you want to buy it?! People might accompany you for a second viewing, but most people don't want to follow their friends round for loads of viewings. That's why it's common practice to have a second viewing with someone who wasn't at the first viewing.

3 hours ago, jiltedjen said:

imagine your selling and you have offers on the table at about what you looking for, and you get someone asking for a second viewing who as far as you know are just time wasters.

I think every time I've sold, someone who came for a second viewing made an offer, and every time I went for a second viewing, I made an offer. Time wasters (people who just like looking round houses) are more likely to go to lots of different viewings. Why would they want to go back?

[Habeas Domus]

Get a mate to phone them up and ask for a viewing, then you will find out if the Wednesday thing is just a lie to get you to make an offer.