Was what estate agent said justified?

[SnickettyLemon]

House across the road is for sale. I was parking my car this morning and estate agent was outside the house with a couple who were viewing it. They all had face masks on as per rules , so I could not really see their faces. As I walked up my path the lady shouted "hello Lemon." I did not recognise her immediately until she said It's 'Julie' from work. I said hello and she said she didn't know I lived here and asked if I liked the area. I replied something like '" Well we are still here after 16 years , so Yeah!". The estate agent then re-engaged her in his conversation and I went inside. My neighbour just told me that when he rung the estate agent for feedback he was told that I had spoken to the viewers and I should not be having any interaction with them. I only spoke because she engaged with me first.
Also I hardly said anything detrimental to a sale. Is this a thing that everyone knows you shouldn't talk to viewers (even if they speak to you first)

[TildaTurnip]

I would ring EA too and say you will not be told what you can and cannot say.

Or tell them you’ll be using pp’s suggestion of ‘I’m not permitted to answer that question’.

[xxyzz]

I'd say to your neighbour that if they want to start arguments with their neighbours they will be legally obliged to report the arguments to any prospective buyers.

Surely most buyers try to chat with neighbours and get a sense of the area? Let alone when they already know them. That they want to ban this suggests they have some dodgy secrets around their property.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Oooh, I wouldn’t move in opposite a work colleague unless a) the house was drop dead gorgeous and perfect in every way or b) I really really liked the colleague. So you may have unwittingly put her off through no fault of your own!

[GiantPinesAhem]

I would suspect that they aren't that interested and the estate agent is blaming the fact there is a colleague nearby,

[LillianBland]

I deliberately chose to work on the opposite side of the city from my work. The one person from here that ended up also working there used to be a pain in the ass asking for a lift, but wanting to do messages on the way home because she was off that night, while I needed to get home to bed, as I was working. Completely irrelevant, I know. 😁

[GetKnitted]

Hi @SnickettyLemon, It sounds to me like this was a covid thing, not a protecting the sale thing? It was a totally over the top reaction even so, but it sounds like the Covid guidance on meeting with other households outside / in a public venue. e.g. you can meet one household (or any 5 people) in a socially distant way, but if you then see a third household (or a 6th other person) that you know, you're not supposed to have more than the most cursory social interaction with them.

[SnickettyLemon]

@GetKnitted It sounds to me like this was a covid thing, not a protecting the sale thing? It was a totally over the top reaction even so, but it sounds like the Covid guidance on meeting with other households outside / in a public venue. e.g. you can meet one household (or any 5 people) in a socially distant way, but if you then see a third household (or a 6th other person) that you know, you're not supposed to have more than the most cursory social interaction with them You may have a point......... (or you may yourself be an EA finding excuses)

[GabsAlot]

what are u on she was on her own proerpty saying hello

[GabsAlot]

i love your name btw op

[LittleHootie]

Was he from The Republic of Gilead Estate Agents?

Next time say "under his eye" and scurry into the house.

[SoulofanAggron]

It's not a covid thing as presumably you didn't get up in their faces.

You had no way of knowing any random secret rules the EA have/suggest.

I suppose they'd be worried that people might mention something negative. Saying you like the area is hardly going to have a negative impact on the sale.

I'm glad your neighbour isn't into this attitude.

[mathanxiety]

Complete tosh.

[Serin]

You can talk to whoever you want to.
Blimey, when we bought our place we drove around at all times of the day and night to check out the neighbourhood.
We even knocked on the next door neighbours doors and asked if they liked it here or had any community issues.
We loved the neighbours then and we still do.
If they had answered the door and told us to eff off (quite within their rights) we'd have bought somewhere else.

[expat101]

I suspect Julie probably didn't want to live near a work colleague which is absolutely no blight on either her or you. The EA is being a knob if they think s/he could have saved the sale.

[Ishihtzuknot]

Sounds like their may be issues with the house or current family/neighbours and they worried you were gossiping. I’d be suspicious as a potential buyer if the sellers or EA were so worked up on me speaking to my possible future neighbours beforehand.
Ignore them you didn’t do anything wrong, if it had been a relative viewing would they have expected you to blank them!?

[Italiangreyhound]

It's not a thing. It's none of the estate agent's business if you know a person viewing a house on your street and it's none of his business if you speak to that person (or more accurately they speak to you).

[Pobblebonk]

My neighbour just told me that when he rung the estate agent for feedback he was told that I had spoken to the viewers and I should not be having any interaction with them.

This is a totally made-up rule. If an estate agent can't handle the possibility of prospective buyers recognising and chatting to the neighbours, s/he's in the wrong job.

[Lindy2]

The Estate Agent has no authority over you and has no right to try and say who you should or should not be talking to. I'd be pointing that out quite firmly.

[biglouis]

Some estate agents have their heads up their asses.


Many years ago when I was a tenant I agreed to a viewing that evening as a concession although I had just come in from work. I specified a time as I wanted to have my meal in peace.


The estate agent ignored my request and arrived just as I was about to eat. I told them they would have to wait in the car and I would call them in at the appointed time we agreed on.


When they did come in the man (viewer) was rude and passed remarks on some of my possessions. I reminded him coldly that he had come to see the house and not my belongings. Then he was asking me intrusive questions about how much my gas, electricity and council tax bills were. I told him this is information you can get from the estate agent. This is my private time and Ive done a days work. I was trying to relax and watch TV.


Eventually they went outside to look around the back of the house and I assumed the viewing was over. The male viewer then walked back into the house and began to ask me more questions. I was furious at him coming in like that without permission and ordered him out. I could see his wife was really embarrassed at his over entitled behavior.


Instead of apologizing to me the estate agent apologized to them.


Next day I rang up, gave the manager down the banks, and refused any more viewings.