AIBU to feel uneasy about our estate agent not taking the house off the market?

[sweetestpotato]

We recently had our offer accepted on a house in a best-and-final bidding situation. The house is substantial and survey and conveyancing fees will be expensive. We were told by the estate agent that all viewings would stop, but the property would remain on Rightmove and Zoopla until after the survey has been done, as per the vendor’s request. They reassured us no further viewings would take place.

We’ve sent all the necessary documentation—proof of funds and our decision in principle (DIP)—and we emailed the estate agent on Friday asking if they could mark the property as “sold subject to contract” (SSTC) to reflect the commitment from both sides. We also offered for them to speak to our mortgage broker, who confirmed we're serious about proceeding. However, we’ve received no response from the estate agent since then. It was also us that had to chase the estate agent after we got the call that our offer was accepted in order to move things along. The estate agent has a sister company that they push for conveyancing and surveys and they have been in touch and pushy despite the inaction/silence from the estate agent.

While I understand the vendor might want some security, we’re about to spend thousands on a surveyor and solicitors, and without some assurance on their end, it feels a bit risky. AIBU to feel uneasy and want them to take the house off the market (or at least mark it SSTC) now that we've provided everything?
Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Would love some advice on how to handle this!

Thanks for this. You’re right, I’m probably getting carried away and have forgotten to consider that she might just not want to have to deal with much of it and just leave it to the EA.

When we had our offer accepted originally on the back of the best and final, the EA did say she wanted to meet us in the next couple of weeks though.

Your advice sounds balanced. So if they do re offer it to us, I guess it will say we are still interested but need to re-discuss with our mortgage broker and get back to them next week. I hope they will wait for us.

Good idea for them to cover your insurance.

I think this might be the best way forwards. But how would you go about suggesting this without coming across as unreasonable?

When we had our offer accepted originally on the back of the best and final, the EA did say she wanted to meet us in the next couple of weeks though.

I don't think I'd believe a word the EA says after what you've been put through. I think in the circumstances it would be reasonable to ask to see the house again (you might say you've been seeing other possibilities and want to be sure) and suggest you meet the owner at the same time. Given the budget the other day, you may now have the upper hand. Good luck.

YANBU and I don’t understand why pp say you’ve agreed to it and don’t have the right to ask for the house to be removed from the market. Of course you do and should.

We did just that when we put an offer on a house and the vendor/EA wanted to keep it on the market but ‘not organise any viewings’. We made it clear that we wouldn’t proceed under those conditions and that was when the market was hot and houses were sold within days. They agreed to show it as SSTC but after 6 months of the vendor dragging their feet we had to pull out. A year later they were still in the house. I think they were reluctant to sell their family home (understandable but then don’t mess people about). Could that be the case here?

I wouldn’t commit to spending thousands on surveys and fees when they won’t even commit to a SSTC label on Rightmove.

@sweetestpotato I would just say in the light of the previous gazumping we would like you to cover the insurance before we invest thousands of pounds into this transaction.

Good thinking.

I cannot stand EAs. Honestly I cannot. You're constantly afraid of being duped or deceived in some way by them because most are just unscrupulous opportunistic money-chasers! Buying a house just seems like gambling tbh.

Sorry you're going through this but I'm angry on your behalf. I can relate.

I definitely wouldn’t ask them to cover the insurance. Isn’t it like a hundred quid?? You want the house, be straightforward, not niggly and not emotional.
You offer the same price you offered before on the condition it’s marked sstc and you get going on the survey asap. Don’t overthink it. You can’t predict anyone’s behaviour or second guess what the vendor is like so just appear to be trustworthy and hassle free and you’ll probably get the house.

But last time they were told ‘best and final’ offers, which turned out not to be true. They were told the house was theirs, which also wasn’t true. I would also be very wary of taking anything said by this estate agent with a massive pinch of salt; and if the seller is annoyed that it’s come to this, she can tell the EA to take that fee out of their commission.
If estate agents play fast and loose they’ll end up with a reputation for being untrustworthy and people won’t want to work with them. This is a prime example of the EA misleading OP (or being dishonest, at worst). Best and final should have meant that, not allow other buyers to come back with a revised offer.

It was the same for me. It stayed on the website as apparently open to viewings for months, despite the vendor having accepted my offer.
It was only marked as "under offer" after I really pushed for it.

Further update - been messed around by the EA yet again. The gazumper’s offer has fallen through is seems.

It is very clear that the EA knows the property is marketed under value (at the seller’s request) and really doesn’t want the seller to go with our offer as they feel it they can get a higher commission eventually with someone else.

Given this, we decided to post a letter through to the seller explaining everything from the beginning just so she is clear of the full picture and how the EA has managed everything from the start. This will sour our relationship with the EA but given how we have been treated we no longer care.

I am now very done with dealing with the EA. If the seller gets our letter (she’s moved away but hopefully will visit back occasionally) and decides she wants to proceed with us then great. But I won’t be dealing with the EA as the middle man anymore and will be doing my best to forget about this property (and this EA).

Has the seller changed their contact address with Land Registry yet I wonder. You can download the title register for £3 to check.

Good move @sweetestpotato I hope you hear back soon from the owner.