To Think Estate Agents Don't Give A Flying Toss After You Have Signed Up With Them????

[Ticklemonster]

I live in a sought after area. We have 150 (yes 150) people looking for a house like yours, was the sales patter. So why are none of these 150 beating a path to my door? Bah Humbug

I meant about selling yourself for 50p

Errrrrrrr Ok make that 25p then...

But wasn't Rightmove set up by estate agents and only accepts ads from associated estate agents - ie. no private vendors.
The websites which allow private sales have much less marketing etc so don't get the hits.
Our agents are charging 1% which is tiny in this area, but they found us a no-chain buyer and haven't been too irritating so far...the bloke that showed around the buyers was fab but since we had the offer we are now dealing with an incredibly young chap who seems to forget that he works for us, not the buyer.

Ticklemonster - who decided on the asking price? Did you get more than one valuation? If you live in a sought-after area and no-one is coming to view, then perhaps your asking price is too high. It is not in the Estate Agents interest not to sell your house - they aren't going to get a fee if they don't are they? They will also want to do all they can to protect their reputation in a very competitive market. Have you actually asked them yet what is going on? If you think asking Mr Ticklemonster to "put a rocket under them" is going to improve the situation, I'd suggest with all respect that it probably isn't.

Bloody HELL, UCM £6k to sell a house for £268k? They was robbed.

I know Foxtons charge 2.5% and I thought that was MASSIVE.

Would you accompany viewings too though? That was the big one for us - I didn't want to be in the house when people went round - I hate doing the "and this is the...er...well, it's clearly the kitchen, you nob".

Yes, Hunk, it was a couple of really good friends. But I suppose split down the middle, only 3 grand each. I was still disgusted and nearly gave up my day job to become an Estate Agent again. LOL.

The viewings could be done at weekends when you are there, and in my opinion, you don't need to point out the obvious, unless it's something like, this bed flips up to reveal a secret room with whips & chains etc....

Always better to have people viewing your house when you are there anyway in case they nick the kettle or something.

I work a Sunday, so I'm not there then, and Saturdays are precious so I don't want to waste them waiting for people who may not turn up.

I am not unusual in wanting someone else to do viewings for me - and I prefer going round places with an agent - I always feel the need to compliment people on their titchy bathrooms or foul decor otherwise.

However, not everyone is like me - I think there's probably a market for people who want to do something in the middle of "pay shedloads for a flashy git" and "market it myself with a badly-spelt ad on a website in the arse end of the web".

I know what you mean, really I do.

So I guess Estate Agents will always be part of life, like party bags

I feel a bit down now. Wanted to change the world, told me parents that when I was 2.

TISEM-That was my wording - I agree not very sensible, dh will be polite and firm with them. It is on for far too much money - I think dh and I were too stunned to disagree because we didn't think it had gone up that much and I suppose we got caught up naively in thinking "omg all that extra money". It was after the EA left that we began to think it was on for too much. I did raise the issue with them the next day but they insisted it would sell at that price "because of the presentation". The lounge has a blue carpet and a nasty 70's fireplace!!

Here's how lazy estate agents have become:

I was recently looking round a property with my parents in law which was on the market for over 800k. Commission on that would be over 16k. For that amount the agent could not be bothered to:

a) turn up on time
b) bring the printed property details
c) come armed with information about the lease
d) get off his mobile phone during the viewing

grrrr.

Also Foxtons wind me up with their extraordinary levels of illiteracy. Their ads have taken to saying "this property holds an enviable location..." Holds a location? That is not English and it appears in almost every other ad of theirs.

Oh and "hallway, leading unto bedroom..."

Ugh

Ours was really good. A not far off start up, professional and supportive. Our move got quite challenging with batshit buyers, and they were really good in chasing up the various issues.

I'd recommend going for a newly or recently formed company rather than flashy established set-ups.