Grrr, estate agents!

[ComeAlongPond]

Put our house on the market two weeks ago. We've had four viewings.

One was an elderly couple who knocked because they'd seen the sign outside.

One was a family who were viewing a house nearby and had been told by them that ours was on the market (friends of ours) so would like to look. They're coming back next week for a 2nd viewing. Cash buyers wanting a 2nd home so huge fingers crossed.

One the EA sent, having told us their house was under offer. Turns out it isn't even on the market yet.

The other the EA also sent, having told them we have planning permission for a loft conversion for a 5th bedroom and are very flexible on offers. Both of which are an outright LIE. We are as flexible as anyone else, and if nothing happens in a few weeks we will become more flexible, but we are NOT going to take an offer 100 000 below asking in the 2nd week, which is what he told them!

Seeing as we haven't sold so can't proceed, we haven't looked at any houses yet. But we're keeping an eye on the market and told the EA what we're looking for - a 4 bed house, not on a main road, with either a downstairs loo or an en suite, decent garden, parking for 2-3 cars, preferably detached, preferably not ugly on the outside. Prepared to do some work but not a mass refurb, and categorically not interested in anything in the centre of the nearest town. (This is all feasible within our budget.) So they've booked us in, without even checking, to view a house that is in the centre of town, no parking, a terrace, 3 bedrooms, courtyard garden, on the main through road.

I mean, why? WHY?

Because they are morons, that's why. All of 'em.

They just want to get people through the door of their other vendors who are complaining they've had no viewings and threatening to change agents. Then they will be complaining once again when they realise that viewers were never really interested in their house anyway, and that most potential buyers out there are timewasters.............Why do we need EAs in this day and age? WHY????

Ugh. They're driving me mad with their tricks.

I want Kirsty and Phil.

Why are you giving this useless EA any more business by looking for houses through them? They don't seem to be offering very good service so far.

What does it say in your contract about sole selling rights? How long are you locked in with them?

They sound utterly crap but sadly mirrors much of my experience with local agents round here too. They are still sending me links for 2-bed gardenless flats in town centres ....when we want 3 bed house with garden.

I second plupervert - check out whether you've got a cooling-off period and/ or how long you're contracted to them and dump, dump, dump.

If your cash buyers come good (the ones your friends sent round), I would take legal advice from your solicitor and think about doing a private sale. If the agent didn't find the buyer for you, surely they are not due any commission??

Not sure, plupervert. We're not particularly looking through them, just told them what we wanted before we realised we needn't have bothered. Definitely want to drop them though.

That's what we're thinking narmada! They didn't get them through the door, they didn't show them around, they aren't arranging the second viewing... so why should we pay them for their complete non-contribution? (If it works out, of course. It likely won't and don't want to jinx it!)

I know what you mean about the EAs, but I see it as a 'I'll scratch your back, you scratch my back' kind of thing. You do the footfall to keep them happy, they pass your way details of new houses coming up which you might be interested in. I'm probably talking rubbish there as I'm not matey with any EA, just an observation.

Oh, also, you might get to see a property that might just make you change your mind. I think we get a bit stuck in our thinking of exactly what we'd like and there might be something else that suits you. But maybe I'm being naive in attributing such generous thoughts to EAs :)

I don't mind being open-minded about properties that we wouldn't originally think of. But there are some things that we cannot budge on - we're a family of five with a big dog, so we need four bedrooms and a garden. We have 3 cars so we have to have somewhere to put them. It's things like that - which they know about - that's irritating when they disregard it. To be fair, even if they sent us the details on the off-chance, it would be okay. But booking us in to view a house without any kind of go-ahead or time-checking from us? It's just ridiculous.

I do appreciate your attempts at positivity though :) I'm sure most of them aren't quite as inept as this one seems to be!

We were once sent to view a house down a tiny rutted lane with no parking . The EA knew we had three cars and a van!

EA's just want to get numbers through the door so it looks good to the seller and they won't go elsewhere - alot of the time they're not even sending the right type of vendors to view - we have a newish build on market at the moment and have had lots of viewings (but hardly any feedback), I know why - some of the people aren't even looking for a new build, turns out one couple wanted a period property, another had a disabled relative and wanted no stairs (we're a two storey house!) so why on earth are the EAs sending them - bonkers!!, go with your gut instinct and change them if need be.

I think they've changed in the last 6 months or so - before my house was on the market I wanted to look at one they were selling. Flatly refused to show me anything until mine was under offer.

This week, my Dad is looking to downsize but not yet on the market. The same agent is falling over himself to show him properties!

I think the thing is, the whole industry is tarred with the same brush. I've had both crap service and excellent service. I expect excellent customer service and especially if I'm paying thousands for something (doesnt happen often). Also they deal with people at an intensely personal and stressful time in their lives so stands to reason they're going to have to pull the stops out to get really get good feedback. My friends have just started a new online review website for Estate Agents - message me if you want the details. Obviously good reviews are as important as bad ones :)