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Original poster

Unpleasant estate agent

40 replies

Ridiclious · 27/09/2019 21:37

I'm selling a house on behalf of a relative. The estate agent is a good salesman but has been pushing my relative for a sale at what I consider to be an unreasonable price (£100k less than purchased 10+ years ago). My relative is elderly and I feel is being bullied. I have insisted all communication comes through me and finally the estate agent has agreed.

I would like to switch to another agent within the agency and another has covered whilst the unpleasant one was on holiday. He would be my preference. I just wanted to check that's a reasonable request?

Brexit is causing a lot of uncertainty but the couple who have offered first viewed it in the spring and have now sold their property to proceed. The estate agent was saying if we didn't accept this offer we might lose them but they've had 6 months knowing what the asking price is and still come back.

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 27/09/2019 21:49

Is the asking price the low one? That’s probably why they have come back. Have you not checked sold prices in the area via rightmove or similar? Then you would have an idea about value. Obviously you have to adjust for condition.

If these buyers have been introduced by these agents, then you are stuck. You could go and see other agents for another valuation. However, will the buyers buy if it’s more money? No one else has bought it in 6 months it would appear so maybe the valuation is correct?

Breastfeedingworries · 27/09/2019 21:53

Sounds like it was over valued to get it on the market and know he’s trying to lower the price to get it sold. A house should sell in 6 weeks if it’s the right price. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Anothertempusername · 27/09/2019 22:00

Maybe I'm being naive but don't most estate agents work with commission? I don't think he is undervaluing it, otherwise he would be doing himself a disservice.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 27/09/2019 22:13

Can you get a friend to phone and book a viewing? It could be that he is preventing other viewings so that it sells for a low price and he then gets a kickback from the buyer (it happens). Whether or not it is genuinely worth less than it was over a decade ago depends on your area. I would suggest checking sold prices on Zoopla for other houses in the area to see if they have moved up or down (there's bound to be a few that have sold more than once over the last 10 years).

Original poster
Ridiclious · 27/09/2019 23:03

He's a great salesman getting people through the door but a terrible negotiator, pressuring my relative to take any offer.

I don't want to switch agencies only the agent within the agency. The unpleasant one gets people to view the house but seems to encourage/allow ridiculous offers.

For example last month an offer came in another £100k off this month's offer & he was phoning my relative pressuring to take the offer because of Brexit. And this month it's closer to asking but still £200k off (c£1m listed property). It's very niche (no gold parquet flooring but it's certainly not mainstream)

I am a Rightmove geek and know exactly what it's worth but the estate agent just seems to want a sale at any price. Zoopla puts it at £230k above asking price but my relative needs liquid assets (though not desperately).

OP posts:
Els1e · 28/09/2019 06:26

Personally I would take it off the market. Tell the current agent you are having rethink. It might spur the potential buyer to come in at a reasonable offer. If not, leave it a month and start again with another agent.

wowfudge · 28/09/2019 09:26

There should be no issue changing agents within the same office of the EA. I'd ask to speak with the manager privately.

wowfudge · 28/09/2019 09:32

The thing with commission is that the impact on the agent's figures of a low offer is relatively small but can be huge for the seller. Expensive and quirky houses have limited appeal and can be hard to value - it's only worth what someone's prepared to pay as they say.

MediocreOmens · 28/09/2019 10:00

There is no possible way to know exactly what a house is worth, especially a niche/quirky one. I also find that people emotionally attached to a house can't see why people are offering less and get very attached to an overpriced figure. Using Rightmove/Zoopla/Land Registry to determine a price is not an exact science. There are all sorts of reasons that houses sell for more/less that isn't obvious from the listing, photos can hide a thousand sins in house buying I've found.

At c.£1m, £100,000 off is 10%, not ridiculous at all an offer, especially when your relative needs liquid assets quickly. They either wait around for a higher price or they liquidate quickly. That's a pretty normal scenario with an asset unless you are very lucky.

Mildura · 28/09/2019 10:04

Can't see an issue dealing with a different agent within the same office.

I am a Rightmove geek and know exactly what it's worth

It's worth whatever a buyer is prepared to pay.

Zoopla puts it at £230k above asking price

Zoopla is best ignored, especially for a niche, listed property.

BuddleiasEverywhere · 28/09/2019 10:20

But the unpleasant agent won't be the only one arranging viewings. All the agents in the office will be making viewing appts for all the properties on their books. Think all you can ask is that the pleasant agent does the viewings and therefore the negotiating.

BlankTimes · 28/09/2019 11:12

Is the buyer with the lowest offer a friend of the estate agent?

Horrible to say but has been known to happen, agent sees vulnerable seller and beats down the price to sell to a mate, they sit on it for a few months then re-market it for more.

lastqueenofscotland · 28/09/2019 12:19

What area is it in? There are a finite amount of people with a million quid to spare and areas like London are grinding to a halt

Original poster
Ridiclious · 28/09/2019 16:44

I'm confident he's not selling to a mate. I'm not confident he's not motivated to get his commission to get it sold. A £200k drop for my relative is a lot more than the lower commission the agent would get.

I appreciate you aren't appraised of the back story but I'm confident that it's worth what I think it is. I am a lot more than a casual Rightmove geek and have investigated it thoroughly. The tone and pushiness of the agent suggest he knows it's a hard sell to my relative. The relative may be making a mistake but it's the agent's job to metaphorically shrug his shoulders and say 'If that is your decision" not bully the relative calling several times a day.

OP posts:
housebuyingistheworst · 29/09/2019 13:25

@Ridiclious I think you're right - something iffy is going on, which is often the case with agents. I lost my dream house because after my offer was accepted the agent claimed 'a friend of family' offered 'significantly more' and that the seller gazumped me. After the sale price became public, it turned out that the house was sold to another bidder I knew of (not a friend) for much less than I was willing to pay, so the agent really wanted this person to get the house at a good price. He didn't care about getting a better price for the seller, but he made up this story about the friend to prevent me from further bids. I must say my experience of most estate agents is nothing short of appalling and disgusting. Try to help your relative and convince him/her to change agents. Shame a private sale is not even an option these days...

Original poster
Ridiclious · 29/09/2019 13:46

@housebuyingistheworst that's appalling! Did you offer in writing?

OP posts:
Blinkyblonkyblimey · 29/09/2019 14:28

When we sold my parents house, the EA was also dealing with the buyers sale, which meant they leant on us to drop the price so it all went through according to the buyers schedule. We told them no ( there was no rush for us to take the first offer), and they eventually upped their offer to a more reasonable amount. Could this be a similar sort of thing?

housebuyingistheworst · 29/09/2019 15:23

@Ridiclious unfortunately I made the higher offer only on the phone, so there's no evidence.

Original poster
Ridiclious · 30/09/2019 21:50

housebuyingistheworst what a shame! That's a lesson for me to put offers in writing in future.

OP posts:
Doje · 30/09/2019 22:26

Definitely ask for another agent. At the end of the day, you're the customer, and it's your money going into their pocket.

His commission is going to be a fair whack on that house at whatever he sells it for. It doesn't sound like he's working for you at the moment, just himself.

whataboutbob · 01/10/2019 18:14

Is it not possible the EA is buying it through a friend/ is trying to line up a bargain for an acquaintance because he has decided your relative is elderly and can be bullied? It wouldn’t be the first time that has happened.

Original poster
Ridiclious · 01/10/2019 19:51

It's all got worse today. The new guy has ignored my direct request to go through me not to my relative and my relative has put something in writing I can't undo. I'm furious but I have to step away as my relative has no known cognitive problems and I'm in danger of alienating them.

OP posts:
HugoSpritz · 01/10/2019 19:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Ridiclious · 02/10/2019 13:28

We are in England.

Does the vendor have to agree the sale price in writing before the sale is sent to the buyer in order for the mortgage valuation to take place? Or can a mortgage valuation take place without a sale price being agreed?

OP posts:
Mildura · 02/10/2019 14:25

No, the seller does not have to agree a sale price in writing.

The mortgage valuer would normally be notified of the agreed sale price before a
valuation took place, but I suppose there is nothing that would explicitly prevent a mort val taking place prior to a price being
agreed.

Like Hugo, I can’t think of anything prior to exchange that cannot be undone.