To be sick of dealing with Estate Agents?

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

Just found out we have lost out on a house we were hoping to buy, after EAs made it seem like it was ours, outright told us ours was the highest offer, etc. I don't understand why our offer wouldn't have been taken and when we asked they just say "the seller decided to take another offer". We have no chain, sent proof of deposit, mortgage in principle, etc. We even increased our offer slightly, despite being the higher offer already. I'm actually devastated, it was a gorgeous house on my favourite street in our town.

I didn't want to go in to meet their financial advisor until the offer had been accepted and I think that is the reason we didn't get the house as they hinted that next time they wanted to see more of us as "didn't get to know us" properly. I feel like I don't even need a financial advisor as work in accounts myself so I don't need hand holding to work out which bank is going to give me the best deal on a mortgage in return for hundreds of pounds.

AIBU to just be sick of dealing with EAs now? Weve looked at multiple properties over the past couple of years and I feel like you never get an honest answer with anything from them.

[SloeSloeQuickQuickGin]

The seller is under no obligtation to take yours, or any offer, nor explain themselves to the EA. The seller might just not have liked you and want their home to go to someone else.

The EA wont givea scooby whther you meet thir financial advisor or not, so long as they get a sale.

[Elphame]

They are not allowed to disadvantage you for not seeing their FA but it's proving it that is the issue. You may of course have just lost out to a cash buyer who didn't need a mortgage. I'd favour a purchaser who didn't need a mortgage over one that did.

Despite being an IFA myself I've seen in house advisors just to play the game... You don't have to take up their advice and if it wastes their time well so be it! And if you know your stuff it can be quite fun to make them squirm.

[happygardening]

A few years ago I sold my mother’s home, by the time we completed I could have quite cheerfully murderded the EA. They were a bunch of lying through their teeth, cheap suit glad tell you black was white when it clear to even my dogs it’s was was black, manipulative shits. I am pretty robust but I nearly had a nervous break down so traumatised was I by the whole thing, I will never buy and sell again.

[MaggieFS]

How devastating, especially when you had mortgage in principle and therefore no need to see an adviser. Sadly there are no rules against it and as pp said EAs ultimately just want a sale; max value, quickest time, least hassle.

If you do want answers, I know it’s not the done thing, but nothing to stop you knocking on the door and asking the owner directly ‘just so you know for the next time you’re ready to offer’. Worst they can say is no.

[littleredlipstick]

I am so fed up with our estate agents who tell us one thing one week then something completely different the next.

People further up the chain get told information at the beginning of the chain days before we do.

The people buying our house found out10 days after we did that the 1st house in the chain had pulled out. We found out from the people we are buying from and contacted the estate agents.

[pilates]

First rule in life, never trust an Estate Agent. You need to take what they say with a pinch of salt. Remember they are acting for the seller and, if someone comes along in a better position than you, (without a mortgage) they will advise them to accept.

[Decemberqueen]

We were looking for a house to buy. Cash buyers (inheritance-type scenario). Enquired on a couple THE DAY AFTER they came on the market only to be told they had been sold. The EA admitted they had been sold to 'pre-qualified' buyers. They get buyers to see their mortgage advisor who pre-quals them for a mortgage. A nice little backhander is involved, I believe. Then they let those buyers see the house first, so they get first dibs.

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

Thanks for the replies, glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels this way, misery loves company and all that

I hate that there's no real accountability, or proof of what they have or haven't done. Like a previous poster mentioned, they're not supposed to disadvantage people, but there's no proving it. They could have not passed my offer to the seller if they wanted to, or especially our increased offer. My DSis has recently bought a house and they did use a financial advisor and the person who recommended them got a £100 voucher or something, so for all I know there may be a similar set up in the EA office.

I didn't meet the seller themselves, it was a deceased estate so EA did the viewings. DH's Aunt lives on the same street and we asked if they knew the seller but she doesn't unfortunately as we thought we may be able to get in touch that way.

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

Also I know there's a possibility that we could have lost out to a cash buyer but I feel like if that were the case wouldn't they just have said? There would be no reason not to just tell us that.

I'm judged disappointed and feel like I've been led on but then messed about, they arranged a viewing for us this morning, at their request, why do that just to accept a different offer?

[coffeecow]

I’m an estate agent - I promise we aren’t all evil 🙈 It’s a shame really because I work with a bunch of really lovely people who just want to do right by people but unfortunately a lot of Estate Agents are in the wrong job and end up giving us all a bad name. Hope it all works out OP!

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

Thanks coffee. We've lost this one definitely but hopefully there will be another one just as lovely come up soon!

[ChampagneCommunist]

Also, bear in mind that if you use their "recommended" lawyer (who aren't usually solicitors, just Licenced Conveyancers at a call-centre type operation, often at the other end of the country) the EA will get paid for that referral.

They can earn up to £375.00 for this type of referal

[Greyhorses]

We got screwed £600 by an estate agent (which we have still not paid as I refuse too )

Lying disgraceful profession who account to nobody in my experience!

We dealt with 3 different ones selling ours and all were as bad as the one before!

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

We've dealt with a few too as been looking for a while now and they're all the same.

I feel like I want to make a complaint about them to their head office because I genuinely do not feel we have been treated fairly but then feel like I can't because what if another house comes up with them but they've blacklisted me

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

I posted a note through the door, just saying we were sorry they didn't go with our offer but if anything goes wrong with the current one then to give us a call. I included my phone number and the offer amounts we made. Did I do the wrong thing? I just wanted to make sure they knew what we had offered.

[Bluntness100]

They will know what you offered, legally agents need to pass it on. I also doubt they give a shit if you meet with their advisor or not.

The seller will most likely have went with another offer. Could be someone they know. Could be linked to the purchase of their next house, could be someone upped their offer at the last minute.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

We offered the asking price on a flat and it was rejected because the EA wanted his mate to buy the flat. It came back to bite him later though, when the friend was no longer able to proceed.

I wouldn't go with EAs who have branches nationwide. Smaller local ones are much more focused on doing a good job in my experience.

[kitkatsky]

Many years ago when my parents were trying to buy a house they couldn’t match the offer of the highest bidder but the vendor sold to them anyway. The reason in that case was because other buyer wanted to turn house into a physio practice and they wanted it to remain a family home. Obv that’s not the case here, but vendors not always interested in highest offer.

If it’s your dream street I’d put notes thru all other letterboxes asking them to contact you if they’re considering selling. You might need to make an asking price offer but it’d show commitment

[ForalltheSaints]

We should adopt Scottish law on house buying unless someone can do better. It would be a step forward.

[JustHope]

They will know what you offered, legally agents need to pass it on. I also doubt they give a shit if you meet with their advisor or not.

It’s certainly disappointing OP but there are many reasons why you didn’t get this property. It’s not all about shady deals, those days are long over. Bottom line is the agent has no control over which offer the seller decides to accept. My PIL recently sold their house and didn’t accept offers from people they didn’t warm to. The agents were tearing their hair out.

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

An update for anyone who may be interested, although you probably won't believe me!

We got the house! The seller contacted me a couple of hours after putting the letter through.

Basically my gut feeling was right, the seller had never been given our second offer and the EAs had "strongly dissuaded" (her words) from accepting our offer. The offer they had accepted was taking a mortgage through their IFA. Maybe that's a coincidence, maybe not. But at least we got accepted for the house

Just keeping fingers crossed all goes through smoothly now!

[londonrach]

Yanbu. One ea told us we needed to pay £100 to get first choice on flats in london. We declined and left london. Ea are awful!

[Roussette]

Surely the EA is going against a code of practice here? That sounds really dodgy.

I have no faith in them... a house sale from 20 years ago still rankles! The owner of the Agency sold our house to his brother for what was probably a reduced price after convincing us the market in the area was flat and we'd be lucky to get another buyer. Basically now ... I don't believe a word they say!

[danteswaistcoat]

When i worked in an estate agents they would manipulate things to make sure the buyer who was arranging mortgage tbrough them got the house

[ComeTheFuck0nBridget]

Oh wow Roussette that's awful! Did you make a complaint or anything after?

I think there is just no accountability at all, they can get away with doing all these underhand things but in this situation for example, they were taking thousands of pounds from the seller. It's not on at all.