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Original poster

To accuse our estate agents of lying?

67 replies

Aspenn17 · 27/11/2017 11:40

We have a baby on the way and are trying to sell our house before she arrives. Our estate agents have been fairly average so far, but this morning we were supposed to have a viewing. I was working from home so went at sat in the car to make a couple of calls so I was out of the way for the viewing. My car is literally metres from our house parked on the side of the road. Estate agent turns up, alone, goes into the house for 5 mins and then comes out again alone and leaves. Bit weird I thought, husband calls the office and the same Estate agent says there was a viewing, they didn't like it etc. I go into the office to confront him and say very politely 'this is awkward but I saw you go in and leave alone, if they cancelled, why not just tell us they cancelled?' He swears blind that he showed a couple around and I must have missed them. I KNOW what I saw, there was no one with him but it's my word against his. What do I do? How can I prove him wrong? Can we terminate the contract?

OP posts:
Itsonkyme · 27/11/2017 11:42

How very odd Confused

munkynutts · 27/11/2017 11:42

Tell them youve been testing out a baby cam and you actually have it on film

munkynutts · 27/11/2017 11:42

Tell them youve been testing out a baby cam and you actually have it on film

Brandbrandbrandy · 27/11/2017 11:43

How utterly bizarre!

lurkingnotlurking · 27/11/2017 11:43

Take it up with his manager

ICanNeverThinkOfAGoodUsrname · 27/11/2017 11:44

Really odd and it would make me want to change agents, if possible, it's not like they've been fantastic and this is just a blip.

VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 27/11/2017 11:45

Is there any possibility you could have missed them while you were on the phone?

I'd be demanding the manager of the agency speak to you, and prove the appointment took place. That could include phoning the people they claim viewed the house whilst you're there, and the manager asking them to confirm the time of the appointment, and asking for feedback in the house and the agent who showed them around. Then you can hear how the call goes.

TempletonTreeThorpe · 27/11/2017 11:59

so odd!

Original poster
Aspenn17 · 27/11/2017 12:00

There is no way I could have missed them, I was literally metres from the house and I watched him go in and out again, I wasn't looking at my laptop or anything at any point. Thats what I was thinking of doing Vivienne, asking him the make the feedback call whilst I was there... just feels so confrontational!

OP posts:
Original poster
Aspenn17 · 27/11/2017 12:02

The only reason I can think that he lied was because there were a couple of cancellations earlier in the week and maybe he thought another one would piss us off. Or maybe the viewing never existed and they wanted to look better. Just not sure where we stand on braking our contract with them if it's my word against his...

OP posts:
Tinty · 27/11/2017 12:04

Hmm will he suddenly come up with a much lower offer for your property that apparently everyone else looking at your house doesn't want it? (has he got a friend who is interested in your house and is going to try and get it cheaper for them).

I would get a friend to call the agents and see if they book them in to see it or if the agents say it is under offer.

I can't see any other reason for the pretend viewing than that particular person (not the estate agents as a whole), is trying it on in some way.

CremeFresh · 27/11/2017 12:05

I'd change agents. I'm not sure whether the contract you sign is for a set period of time but I'd certainly look into it.

QuimReaper · 27/11/2017 12:17

It sounds to me like, as you say, they didn't want to admit to yet another cancellation so he went for a nose to check you weren't home and just said the couple had been; then when he realised he was rumbled he couldn't admit to having lied so just carried on. It's sightly less egregious than making up a viewing in the first place but still troubling and I think I'd change agents too.

Viviennemary · 27/11/2017 12:21

I don't think you can be absolutely sure nobody went in the house. And cancellations are all part of the misery of trying to sell a house. But if you think they are being deceitful then by all means say something but it would be difficult to prove and you may still be liable for fees if you change agents.

But good point about agent might have a friend wanting your house. Maybe it's worth asking a friend to ring them and pretend to be a buyer. Or they want to sell another house first which is similar to yours.

smalllemur · 27/11/2017 12:23

Our estate agent did the same! He said he had a viewing. I sat across the road with the valuables and cat in the car waiting until the viewing finished.

Nobody ever turnt up but, he spent around 30 minutes inside.

He went back to the office and I rang immediately asking how it went and he said it was good a few people seemed interested! I said then and there that I was waiting outside and nobody turned up but, i was very very cross having being lied too. I didn't give him an option to lie! I said I have been lied too and I want to make a formal complaint and ask to speak to a manager. Just say you have been lied too and you want to review your contract immediately. I doubt it will be his word against yours. He might have been in looking around and didn't want you there.

My husband thinks he was in doing a check and wanted the place empty.

SusannahL · 27/11/2017 12:35

I would definitely loose all confidence in the agent after this.

As far as I know you are unfortunately tied in with them for the period you agreed on when you instructed them.

Like you I would want to get to the bottom of it though.

Seniorcitizen1 · 27/11/2017 12:37

sack them

whataboutbob · 27/11/2017 12:39

I have had agents lie to me when I was a prospective buyer waiting in front of a flat for the estate agent for about half an hour, only to be told of course they went to the property (and I wasn't there).AFAII EAs are on poor rates and make up their pay with commission. They chase the money so if something more promising comes up they drop prior engagements and I suspect make something up. Don't think you're BU.

dadshere · 27/11/2017 12:46

In our experience ALL estate agents are fundamentally dishonest. I wouldn't trust them to tell me the time. We have been lied to over and over again by multiple agents. Have no loyalty towards them, they have none to you.

whataboutbob · 27/11/2017 12:56

As the saying goes: "how do you tell when an estate agent is lying? Answer: it's when their lips are moving".
OK, there must be some honest ones and I feel sorry for them. But I wouldn't trust them on the whole, sadly I'd just learn the rules of their game and try and play it competently.

HelloHouse · 27/11/2017 12:57

Hi,
I'm an estate agent - I'm so sorry you seem to have had a bad experience - people like this is what gives us a bad name!
I would definitely be looking to change estate agents, I would guess they were not intentionally looking to lie, but a 'no show' viewing would have been something they wouldn't have wanted to tell you so as not to let you down (so it was probably driven by wanting to keep you as a happy customer)

However 5 minutes is not long enough to wait for a viewer imo but that's by the by.....

The estate agent I work with is fantastic... we have an app so you can see all your viewers, cancels, no shows, and feedback all direct from the viewer so you would never ever have a situation like this as it's completely transparent. No stress!

If you are still in contract with this agent then any threat of making a public noise about what they did I am sure will quickly get them to retract it.
Good luck! :)

Oakmaiden · 27/11/2017 12:59

I don't think you can be absolutely sure nobody went in the house.

She was sat outside. Unless they were invisible people... or maybe they climbed over the back fence and went in through the back door?

lurkingnotlurking · 27/11/2017 13:04

You should consider selling via house simple. We really did save thousands. The fact that you are there to run viewings (I made sure my partner was always there at the same time if I felt unsure) means it's an option for you

Heartofglass12345 · 27/11/2017 13:06

Our estate agent lied. A woman and her dad came to the door asking if we still wanted to sell the house, i said yes of course! She said the estate agent had been ringing us to arrange a viewing but couldnt get through (a lie) they also told her that we had 'just been in to the office now' m, not realising these people had just been at our house talking to me lol.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 27/11/2017 13:08

I used to work as an estate agent and no shows are sadly very common. It's awkward having to explain to stressed vendors that their viewing did not take place. While it's tempting to lie that a viewing took place it's certainly unprofessional and not encouraged!

As for mooching around the house it is generally the done thing to turn up several minutes before the scheduled viewing to give the property a quick once over to flush turds down the toilet, hide sex toys and shift the pile of junk mail from behind the front door (yes I have had to do these things)

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