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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think thar estate agents do very little

15 replies

goldensambo · 05/10/2012 18:29

Evening all I'm really sure I'm not but AIBU? Put an offer for a house to estate agents yesterday. Got an email back saying they would put the offer forward and get back to us today. Had a telephone call as I was leaving for work at 2.30 saying we need to financially qualify you before putting the offer forward. I replied that they had already emailed saying that they had put the offer forward? They said we can't until we qualify you. So I said I can give you the mortgage offer from my bank as I am unavailable to do this now. Got to work emailed to say I was unhappy that they had not put my offer forward when they said they had and would like a reply by close of business. Just got an email stating the vendor had rejected my offer as they could not recommend that it being accepted due to them not being able to financially qualify me. AIBU to be really pissed off?

OP posts:
evilkitten · 05/10/2012 18:39

I don't think you're being unreasonable. I don't really see that it's up to the estate agent to decide whether you're suitable - and I'd be uncomfortable with weakening my bargaining position by showing the estate agent a piece of paper showing that I'm good for a mortgage of x when I've just offered x-20% on the house.

Are you certain that the agent has passed your offer on to the vendor? Consider writing a short letter to confirm your offer, together with any useful information (i.e. cash buyer/no chain etc.), and putting it through their door.

quoteunquote · 05/10/2012 18:42

I would put your offer in writing, and post it through the door, with your contact details,

we have a couple of "player' estate agents around here, it is quite possible that the vendors do not even know about your offer.

Original poster
goldensambo · 05/10/2012 18:44

Evilkitten the house is empty....x

OP posts:
Original poster
goldensambo · 05/10/2012 18:49

Jesus you think they would be falling over themselves.

OP posts:
YouMayLogOut · 05/10/2012 18:51

YANBU to be annoyed at your specific situation. However YABU to generalise about all estate agents saying they "do very little".

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 05/10/2012 18:54

YANBU to be pissed off in this instance, but Estate Agents vary hugely. Some are crap but some are very efficient. Either way, they are never working on behalf of the buyer, so don't be too surprised when they are crap at putting offers forward that won't be high enough to give them the cut they were hoping for.

Original poster
goldensambo · 05/10/2012 18:55

So what should I do????

OP posts:
eggsandwich · 05/10/2012 18:58

Hi all, from what I understand, its the estate agents who work on behalf of their vendor's and have a duty to only put serious offers to their vendors once they can be certain and have proof of deposits, mortgage eligibility, and affordability (income). I think you will find they all require financial proof or should do. Just imagine accepting an offer on your house only to find out that the prospective purchaser isn't able to get mortgage as their income isn't enough.

IamtheZombie · 05/10/2012 19:13

My late MIL's house has gone on the market this week. The Estate Agents have explained to DZH that if a potential buyer asks for a second viewing or puts in an offer, at that point the Agents will ask for proof of the potential buyer's status. That is information we as vendors need in order to make an informed decision on whether or not to accept an offer. Obtaining that information is part of the service for which we are paying.

Original poster
goldensambo · 05/10/2012 19:17

If you read my OP I do not have a problem with providing information to confirm my financial position.

OP posts:
MadBusLady · 05/10/2012 19:20

I've not been asked about proof of seriousness Confused I'd probably tell one who did to stick it TBH and find another house. Why should I show some randomer who doesn't have any kind of confidentiality relationship with me my private papers?

I think it's a con. They're looking to see whether your AIP is more than what you've offered. The AIP is a pointless document anyway, you can have an apparently cast-iron one and still be turned down at the application stage, so it doesn't really tell them anything.

betterwhenthesunshines · 05/10/2012 19:21

So; re-submit the same offer with £50 more (or less!), but with written confirmation that your mortgage arrangements are in place. There are under obligation to put forward every offer you make. We have always had a written confirmation back from the agent as well.

MadBusLady · 05/10/2012 19:23

YANBU to be cross with the strange back-and-forth from them, anyway.

I think they have screwed up somehow at their end. Clearly somebody didn't know they were supposed to ask you for documentation if they said they were putting the offer forward. And then they get all stroppy with you when you query the inconsistency and the whole deal is "rejected"? Maybe they'd sold the house already or put another later offer forward first, and they wanted to brush you off.

IamtheZombie · 05/10/2012 19:25

goldensambo, then surely all that is required is to provide the information as soon as you can and ask the Agents to re-submit your offer.

MadBusLady, my late husband and I bought this house 20 years ago. We were cash buyers. Even back then we had to provide proof of our status. I don't think it's a new phenomonen.

MadBusLady · 05/10/2012 19:27

I'll check with DP, but I don't think we had to do that on House 1 or 2 (and they were in different cities). Weird.

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