Timewasting Estate Agents

[JudgeJudyKicksAss]

Can anyone tell me if this is a norm?

We have our house up for sale, so far we have had five viewings booked.

The first two were in the first week of it going on the market, we didn't meet them, the estate agent did the viewing and days later, after we had to chase them, we got feedback that the buyers felt there was too much work to do on the house. Fair enough.

The third viewer eventually was a no show, as was the fourth. Both times we weren't told the viewings had been cancelled

On Sunday we had a fifth viewing booked. The estate agent said they were really keen but hadn't sold their house yet but told my husband they were expecting to sell quickly. Against my better judgement I did a mammoth clean/tidy of the house, got the dog and DH/DC out for the hour and hosted the viewing myself. It went really well, the viewers loved the house, looked around for 45 mins, all good, left happy.

Monday no feedback so my husband phoned the Estate Agents today to find out what the viewers thought. As expected, liked the house but as they haven't put their house on the market yet they weren't in a position to make an offer. WTAF?

Is this normal now to send viewers to view houses when they can't buy them? I'm really miffed as our house has 5 bedrooms and trying to get it organised, plus kick out family, give up my day off etc for nothing. I just dont have time for this.

When I bought the house years ago, you couldn't even get a house viewing in the area without proving you had a mortgage in principle, an offer on your house or cash in the bank but it looks like things have changed? Or is my estate agent showing very bad form?

I want to tell the Estate Agents not to send anyone to view now unless they are serious/ready to buy, but am I being a bit princessy?

What's the form now? I just haven't got time or patience to accommodate timewasters although I'm keen to sell the house.

You are the customer - if I were you I would make that a condition. Did you not ask was their house on the market when you had the viewing on Sunday?

wowfudge I did ask them if they were selling their house and they said yes and told me where they lived etc. I suppose it was an ambiguous question in retrospect.

I'm very frustrated as they seemed so keen, I thought we nearly had a buyer.

Onwards and upwards!

Yes, it seems typical of EA.
NDN have house on market. Apparently they have had such gems as "Ohh, its got two flights of stairs, I wanted a bungalow" and "its on a hill" err, yes. Did you look at the pictures???

We had a very similar situation the other week and they said they would put their house straight on market and come back for 2nd viewing. At the time I thought fair enough but 2 weeks later there is no sign of their house on market and I suspect we won't see them again!
Very frustrating

We sold our house in Devon last year. We made it a condition that any viewers had to be cash buyers or under offer with a complete chain. The agent was happy with this arrangement and we sold after three viewings. Definitely worth doing and we would do it again.

It's not fair, but there seem to be many agents like that. I have the reverse problem: I am looking to buy.

I received details of a property from EA, adding that seller was really keen as they had already found something with them, and needed to sell quickly. The viewing was made by the seller, who told us, surprise, surprise, that they were still looking and had already lost a buyer because it was taking too long!
Another viewing: the owner nearly slam the door in our face, stating that she was not expecting any viewings, she hadn't been told, and she wasn't ready, we could wait outside 30 minutes. We had driven 45 minutes for that house, had a baby with us, it was freezing (literally,as it was 3 weeks ago), so we did not wait. Her cat actually peed on my car, so I took it as a sign.

So you really should impose your conditions, it is not fair. Have you considered an open-day? They use that word for anything, but all the viewings in one day, would save you time and effort, you only prepare the house once.
Good luck!

Your Estate Agents seem to be rather rubbish at giving your feedback after the viewings (you really shouldn't have to ring to chase) but you were wrong to allow a viewing on your house to someone who isn't even on the market yet if you are going to let it rile you. You seemed to be aware of this "against my better judgement" and now feel that the EAs were wasting your time. You could have just said no.

'Keen to view the property' is just bullshit.
When we were selling a flat a few years ago, the first EA we had used that phrase for three different viewings, two of whom cancelled a few mins before the appointment. Very suspicious.
It's very frustrating when you spend loads of time cleaning and tidying: I was a SAHM to an 18 month old in a clingy phase, in a one-bed flat.

I wouldn't hang around waiting for them to get their act together - find a way to demonstrate they are not upholding their side of the contract, and get a new agent.

i also agree that you should put conditions on as to who views. Before we decided to loft convert, we had a mortgage in principle, decent equity and a well maintained (but needed hall/bathroom/living room repainted!!!)house on a sought after residential road but we weren't yet on the market. We had about 3 valuations done and the EAs were unanimous that we could shift our house in under 4 weeks (might just have been the spiel that they give), so explaining this to vendors, who were happy for us to view.

Sorry to hear that OP.

We have previously stipulated when selling that we want proceedable viewers only - some EAs seem to be fine with this, others however pay no regard.

Otoh, I can kind of see why - when we were looking to move last year we saw a house (very niche market character property, not two-a-penny) on RM that I'd seen previously but it was SSTC and was now re-available. We were a month approx from our project house being ready for sale, but the house we'd seen was so perfect we arranged to view anyway. We explained our situation to the EA and said that once we found a buyer we would be not getting a mortgage (didn't have one on current house and looking to buy in cheaper part of country) so hopefully could move quickly.

After the viewing had cemented our decision that this was the one, we pulled out all the stops to finish the final jobs on our house, had it valued, priced it below the lowest of these and got it on the market.

We kept in contact with the EA marketing the one we wanted to buy to show them we weren't mucking about.

Within five weeks - which was quick for our part of Wilts - we had an offer on ours so we went back and offered on the other house, which was accepted.

We were obviously determined to get that particular house and did everything we could to achieve this.

There's always a chance that finding the one will spur the viewer into action, but I agree totally that it's bloody frustrating - especially when you have to create showhome conditions ahead of every viewing.....and the no-shows are a complete pain in the arse!

I do get bloody suspicious about viewings - particularly early in in the proceedings - too......

When our last house went on the market last Sept, we had barely got half way home from the EA (1/2 hour drive) when they were on the phone to book a viewing for the next day. I guess this was genuine - someone they had on their books that they called as soon as we pulled the trigger putting our house on the market - as we hung around at the pub opposite in the village next day and saw the EA letting the viewer in to the house.

Some I'm not so sure about though - almost every time we've sold (six times) we've had at least one 'no show', usually either first or second viewing and last time whenever I contacted our EA to ask if there had been any further interest, their response was either "we were about to call to say we have someone who wants to view" or within 24 hours they'd have a viewing lined up.....very odd!

We had the opposite issue in that we were cash buyers but the estate agents wouldn't take us seriously and I don't think they were actually booking viewings- they just told us that the times that suited us were not available.

We ended up buying a new build and bypassing estate agents entirely. Totally useless

I think unfortunately no shows and people not in a position to move forward immediately are just a part of the house selling process. Along with the cash buyers who view three times but don't offer, the couple buying it but who pull out the day before exchange because of redundancy etc etc.

It's not an exact science unfortunately. If you are trying to sell a large family house I think you have to allow everyone to view, and accommodate them the best you can. I appreciate that it's stressful.

I would take up issue with your agent though about feedback; they should always let you have feedback ASAP.

I totally agree with bowlers arm, it's just a frustrating part of the process

Actually thinking back to the last time we were looking to buy we had five viewings lined up on the same day via several agents. First one the agent was late but good thing he did turn up because the tenants didn't open the door to us. Second one the vendor was out because the agent told her the wrong time for the viewing. Three out of the five the vendors hadn't looked at anywhere themselves because their EAs had advised them not to until they'd accepted offers!

We ended up buying the one the LL needed to sell. Our fall back was the smaller place nearby where the vendors were desperate to move and wanted to offer on a place they'd seen.

Thanks for everyone's opinions, it has given my DH and I some pointers to consider.

I really wouldn't dismiss people out of hand. I wanted to view a house, mine wasn't yet on the market. I explained to the agent that I could be on the market within a week if I liked the house (was getting ready to market the house anyway, but probably not as soon as that). The vendors let me view, I loved it and within two weeks my house was on the market and sold and I had an offer agreed on that house.

I had viewers who weren't on the market. 6 weeks later they came back for a second viewing. Still not quite on the market! Within 8 days they were on, received an offer, and offered on mine. You just never know. I'd been on the market for 6 months, had viewers who hadn't sold, people who wanted a detached ( mine is a town house terrace) and people who were desperate to view that day, but cancelled 3 hours later( just after I'd cleaned it!) it's a nightmare, but you never know which ones will be the ones.

It's a stressful process - one I am just about to begin. And people are right - it isn't an exact science.

I viewed two properties on Saturday. My house not on market yet. Don't want to put it n the market until I have at least seen a possible house to move to - especially as I am moving out of area.

If mine goes on and I get offers and then start looking that will piss off my "buyers". I think I can sell fast -family house good school catchment - but choosing a new area for me will need a bit more research. (Sorry though OP)

And EAs are in the middle. With the best will in the world everyone lies to them!!

IF you want to sell your house best advice is to let everybody look - as some people have said above - you never know who is going to be THE ONE who falls in love with it and has to have it and then will move heaven and earth to sell their own. If you limit the people going round it makes it difficult. I am an EA and we have a number of people on our books who WILL NOT put their own houses on the market until they have found a house to move into - creates a lot of problems for us - and them, because they find their dream home and then lose it whilst trying to sell their own!!! There is no easy way - the more people who cross your threshold the sooner you are to find the buyer.