Lied to by estate agent! Advice please!

[Pereie]

We viewed a house at the beginning of June.

Really loved it but got cold feet about moving due to the current situation. Roll on the stamp duty cap and we changed our minds and decided to go for it.

I went into the estate agency to ask about the property and a possible second viewing, but was told it was under offer. Oh well. That was two weeks ago, the property is still on line and not marked as under offer or sold. So we got a friend to enquire about the property- they were offered a viewing

Now I'm just shocked and confused as to why not one but two of the agents we spoke to lied to us.

It might be because we are not under offer atm and don't see us as serious buyers, which is fine whatever, but don't lie.

I'm so angry and not quite sure what to do next. We really want to see the house again the cement our feelings and propose an offer - but we are being told it's off the market.

Help!

[Comefromaway]

Estate agents can be funny.

We viewed a property and I hated the kitchen. I was set on a different property but nothing turned out to be suitable. Meanwhile the first property was reduced by £20k & we asked for a 2nd viewing. the agent only told us we could View when I said we didn’t need to sell our house to proceed. This was sort of true as our mortgage was paid off on our old house but we would have preferred not to have to take out a big mortgage.

Talking directly to the seller they were perfectly happy to wait a bit as long as we offered the asking price.

Cut along story short we took a builder with us, came up with a way of sorting the kitchen and I’m now sitting here in that house.

[mrsbyers]

The estate agent may have a client on their books who is looking to sell with them and buy with this listed property - double commission. I’d be tempted to drop a note through the door of the house but the estate agents would still be entitled to commission due to your initial interest

[Shurl]

I have to say estate agency is the one job where most of the time, their reputation is 100% deserved. I have moved frequently and can probably count two that I could trust to be mostly honest.

Also a few vocal posters on Mumsnet are weird about the whole house buying process and seem to think you aren't worthy on darkening an estate agents door until you have made yourself chain free at great personal expense. When, in reality, lots of people only sell when they find something they want to buy.

Glad you've gotten yourself sorted though OP. Until I read your update, I was going to suggest sticking a note through the door. Hope the second viewing goes well!

[RoisinD]

[quote Pereie]@AgentProvocateur no worries, thank you for the apology.

@memememe unfortunately not! I went in, in person on the Monday and was told in the office.
My husband then followed up on the Wednesday over the phone to confirm that the "offer" was definitely accepted. I then received a phone call from the agent a few days later to see what other areas we may be interested in and again he confirmed the one we were interested in was definitely unavailable. All verbal unfortunately.

The vendor tried to call their agents in the park while I was there so I'm sure he has got some questions for them. If we can avoid that agency that what we will be doing.

[/quote]
Be careful if you decide to proceed with the purchase bypassing the agent. This could land the vendor in trouble as he will still be responsible for the agents fees.

[GrumpyHoonMain]

Estate agents give preference to people who sell and buy entirely using them. We were deprioritised for the properties we wanted to buy because we were using another estate agent - and basically had to have an offer in progress before they were willing to show us properties.

[ChicCroissant]

But the OP's friend was offered a viewing - it's only the OP that has not. Unless the OP's friend already has a property for sale with the same agent that's unlikely to be the case here.

[PurBal]

So we wouldn't put our property on the market beforehand because our local market is quick (2 weeks is considered long, our neighbours didn't even get the For Sale sign up before it was STC) and if we move it would be to an area with a slower market. My brother did a similar thing to you, in fact he made an offer, but they changed their minds with a few days. 2 weeks later put another offer in, no problem. In my experience agents want an easy sell because they want their commission.

Lovely to here your update!

[Pereie]

@GrumpyHoonMain

We had the same agency round to value our property and mentioned at the end that we really liked the house we viewed a few days prior. Fully expecting to talk about how we can get a quick sale and offer in place. The agent went quiet and suggested a different house entirely to us. We thought it was weird at the time but didn't over think it.

We have ended up listing with a different agency now... as we just didn't get good vibes from those guys.

The vendor has just sent me a recording of the call he made to the agent about why we were told their property was sold. It was marvellously awkward, he denied all knowledge and said he will speak about it with him tomorrow.

Surly the agent has broken contract by telling perspective buyers that the property is off the market... that is not working in their clients best interest at all.

I am also expecting some kind of phone call / apology from the agency.

[lifesalongsong]

Always good to hear of estate agents getting their comeuppance, I get the phone lines are burning up between the people in their office tonight

[Lemonylemony]

Following with interest, sadly I am unsurprised at how unethical these agents have been! We’re buying a house that the agents had a developer friend interested in, and they seem quite put out the vendors chose us. Other agents refused to put an offer forward on one property which I understand they are obliged to do.

Fingers crossed it works out for you OP!

[Lougle]

I hope it works out for you. Madness.

[friendlycat]

Sounds like the EA or an associate wants the property themselves.

[EL8888]

Glad you’re getting somewhere. Sounds typical of estate agents, they are a load of sly snakes after all. It’s not even a real job especially, unlike in America when you have to be qualified in real estate. Give me a cheap suit and a Astra then l could do it!

[Honeyroar]

It will be interesting what happens next.

[Lotsalotsagiggles]

Good luck with the viewing!!

[Alpacamabags]

Oh wow. This doesn't surprise me but hopefully you and the vendor get some answers soon.

[Oblahdeeoblahdoe]

It's the vendors who should be receiving the apology, they're paying the EA to sell the house! They should report the EA to the regulatory body. Unfortunately thy will still be able to charge the vendor the fee because they introduced you to them.

[2bazookas]

Get in touch with the vendor again, and ask if he's going to sack the agent for malpractice.

If he can legally do that then he can sell to you direct (between your lawyers), saving himself the cost of the agent

[MrsCollinssettled]

The EA has probably got an regular investor lined up for it but needs to convince the vendor that there's been no interest so that they can get the price lowered to suit the investor.

The EA works primarily for the client who will bring them the most money. That may be the vendor or it may be an investor/someone with a BTL portfolio.

[Rebelwithallthecause]

Wonder what their motive was in the end

[Smallgoon]

So yeah. The property hasn't been under offer. Both me and my husband were told by two separate agents that it was sold.

Utter arseholes!

[Smallgoon]

Also, curious to know why your friend was offered a viewing? Perhaps this was to keep up appearances so that the vendors didn't become suspicious? But what if your friend, had been just another person viewing, and had offered? Then what. Such a bizarre sequence of events! Dodgy, dodgy agents!

[Bowerbird5]

Your going to love this one.
We went house hunting, near MIL, 300 miles from where we lived. We found a property unexpectedly that weekend lovely village, small school and our price range.
Went home tidied our house slapped some paint on and asked an estate agent to value it and put it on the market. I put an offer in for the other house and offers went back and forth. I received an offer below asking price but rejected it as we were offers over and needed that price to move. Two days later I went shopping in the next town and walked passed a branch and looked in the window. There was a photo of our house with sold right across it.😲 After a few moments I went in and asked about the property to be told I couldn’t view it as it was sold. Looked him straight in the eye and said,” I don’t bloody think so it is my bloody house and I have not sold it!” I then told him to get that sold sign off the picture. I stood there and waited. He made a phone call( to the other branch I presume) and took it off as I told him if he didn’t I would remove it from their books. I would have changed to the solicitors ( who normally sold houses there) but we needed to move quickly as we had secured the other house. I then had two offers on my house and sold it within two weeks.
I suspected something was going on with the estate agents.

We did move to the house we wanted and love living here, love the house and garden and we are still here thirty years later.😀
Good luck OP

[Redhair23]

Estate agents are known for their skulduggery, never met an honest one yet.