Estate agent using bully boy tactics

[KarlaKK]

I put in a full-price offer on a house a week ago saying I was only willing to pay full price on the condition the sellers broke the chain as I'm living in a hotel currently so want a quick transaction.

All this past week the sellers' estate agent has ignored the fact my offer was conditional on the sellers breaking the chain and helped them organise an onward purchase, which is dependent on my offer. I said to estate agent my offer was conditional on no onward chain for sellers, which there now is. I didn't want to get into a chain as another party in the process could delay things. I said I wouldn't have offered full asking price on this basis and might not have offered at all.

He keeps ignoring my emails on this and says there'll be 3 in the chain and no reason I can't be in end October. Making out it'll all be straightforward and quick when he can't guarantee that.

He is barely literate and often hard to comprehend in his emails saying things like the sellers can't afford to drop the price, had to borrow more yesterday, but then the next day put in an email to me I could drop the price before exchange if they don't complete by when I want. Just lots of bull shit and him trying to get the deal through, ignoring the condition I put on the price. I don't even know if the sellers are aware of the condition, what he's telling them about this and other things.

I've had enough of saying the same thing over and over again to him - i.e. offer conditional on sellers breaking the chain, so 2 parties in transaction not 3 as more risky in terms of delays etc. Said in 3 emails it isn't a good fit anymore, I'll carry on looking and can we draw a line under this please. Third email I said please no more emails on this we're going round in circles. I've been very measured and polite.

He keeps saying when do you need to be in by as if he can make that happen. He said I've said before to his colleague I want in by Christmas. I've never said this. That's still 4 months away and with 2 in chain a solicitor has said 8 to 10 weeks would be possible.

Anyway, he emailed again on it despite me saying don't. He said I still haven't told him when I want to be in by, that he's guessing I offered in haste and will I "honour" my offer.

AIBU to put in a complaint about him to someone higher up the company? He's like a dog with a bone when I don't think I've done anything wrong.

Because rental properties are so easily available? What a ridiculous condition (although I get it, no one likes a chain but why are you special? This is how moving works). If you don’t want a chain then you’ll have to pull out but unless you buy a new home or an empty one there’s going to be a chain.

Making offers on conditions of any kind is pretty much pointless really - at least in England and Wales. So much can happen before anything becomes binding.

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. When we sold our last house it was to a cash buyer who offered the asking price on the condition we completed within three weeks (might even have been two, I can’t remember)

The following day I found a temporary rental property and we did complete within the timeframe. We rented for a few months until our new house was ready to move into.

If the seller doesn’t want to do this, then they can say no. However in your case it sounds a bit like the EA may not be passing your conditions onto them.

Sorry wrong thread, twice! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ have reported my posts

No one break the chain ever. Those that say they will are lying.

Email them clearly stating you are withdrawing the offer then ignore any more emails, i think you're confusing things as it is with the talk of offering different amounts depending on different move dates.

You aren't going to get many people agreeing to your terms (I wouldn't!) so you need to look for ones stating no onward chain if its a dealbreaker. A 3 house chain is pretty good tbh.

you can add your silly condition, which in fact will push the sellers into your position of staying in a hotel if you want, and yes the EA should tell the sellers that, but I expect the sellers at giving pushback

personally if i was the seller I wouldn’t be making myself homeless just to get full asking price

go somewhere else

Of course you can make an offer stating no chain. It's not the purchasers concern where the vendors go. They just get out. Sofa surf, rented whatever. If they don't want to do that they don't accept the offer.

I’ve never heard of a condition of “no chain”. I’ve heard of time limits which is perfectly reasonable. In those circumstances if the vendor can’t complete their purchase they THEN find a short term let / air b n b while they finish their process. But to suggest they’re not allowed to buy another property is ridiculous. The estate agent sounds a bit crap but I wouldn’t say it’s a bully boy tactic ( try Foxtons for that). Why don’t you just phone him rather than all this back and forth on the email ?

Yup, that's the risk. The vendors for my last purchase said they were going to go into rented while they waited for their onward purchase, but then decided not to. It was a PITA.

How is this ‘bully boy’ tactics exactly?

Useful to know, I've never been in a chain when buying a property.

Thanks to those that understand what is going on. The market here is falling so an offer of full price is good for sellers, especially if they had family they could move in with. No one was forcing them to do anything or dictating terms - it was a yes or no situation.

I like what Iwrotethelyricstoaxlf has suggested - basically that the vendors should not have accepted the offer if they were going to get into a chain as that's not what my offer was based on and the estate agent has wasted both their and my time - that is really spot on. He's annoyed I'm not falling into place and is desperately trying to get me to. That is what my post is about.

I made an offer - it might have suited them. You don't know until you ask.

BellaJuno thank you too - yes, he's applying pressure to force me into a conditional sale despite me telling him three times I'm no longer interested. He's hectoring me. I don't think he's explained the condition on my offer to the vendors so is desperate to get me to agree.

Yes, Hibiscrubbed - disingenuous and a moron.

Coffeeandchocolate12 - that's exactly what my offer was about. It's not unheard of but seems to be going by some of the replies on this thread.

Thanks Somanycats.

Divebar - I wasn't suggesting they're not allowed to buy another property. The offer was my transaction with them proceeds and it isn't tied in with waiting for their onward purchase. Although there's a lot of trust with that situation, which I definitely don't have now.

Anyway I've told him 3 times I'm no longer interested but still he's hectoring me so I think I'll let someone higher up know so they can reel him in.

Thanks again.

Nope.
Some of us do as we say.

We said we'd break the chain. We stuck by it.
We offered cash - and stuck to it, and didn't invoke fuckwittery like apparently all cash buyers do.

I'm an estate agent -not disingenuous or a moron but that's by the by- and my advice would be just withdraw your offer. He obviously wants the sale and has disregarded your condition so your offer no longer stands.

I'm a cash buyer too. Didn't mention it but that along with full offer price could have been attractive to a seller - you don't know until you ask.

Thanks global - I have told him 3 times I've withdrawn and to not email me about it again but he did - again asking when I want to be in by as he'll get vendors to break the chain, then he said he's guessing I offered in haste then he asked if I'm going to "honour" my offer - the vendors only accepted the full price value amount of the offer not the condition so there is nothing for me to "honour" as we don't have a deal.

He's like a dog with a bone. I'll email someone to get him to stop.

If you've made it clear that you've withdrawn and in writing then I wouldn't give him another thought. Make your solicitor aware if you had instructed one already. He's not going to get very far without any communication! Serves him right!

You just need to say you are withdrawing from the purchase.

Dear Estate Agent,

As the property is no longer chain free, I am withdrawing from the purchase.

Regards

It's not hard. If they respond, then ignore. Tell your solicitor the same.

You need to look for properties advertised as chain free. We'd intended to break the chain but when we looked at the local rental market, inability to find a rental that accepted pets, storage costs and 2 lots of removal costs, then it became not worth it for us and we didn't care if the buyer withdrew because of it.

Even if someone can move in the family, they've still 2 costs of removals, storage and maybe even mortgage early repayment fees. Lots of buyers won't know the costs of such a move until a way down the process either.