Worst was when checking out a room to rent in Leeds as a student. Landlord showed me the place, and just as we were wrapping up he leaned in with a grin and said conspiratorially “Don’t worry, I don’t rent to our Asian friends!” I’m white, and it was the first time I’d encountered out and out in-your-face racism. I found it chilling - almost literally. Gave me that blood running cold feeling. And afterwards, more vainly, started wondering if I looked like the sort of would-be tenant who was looking for an all-white house share.
A couple of years earlier, various undignified viewings of rooms in student house shares in London that were basically interviews. One, in a house in Canary Wharf, was run almost like an assessment centre, with rounds about cooking and different segments with different housemates. Obviously, I didn’t want it after that and I really wanted to tell them when the rejection call came - the guy clearly thought I was going to be devastated I hadn’t made it into their exclusive set-up, which was excruciating.
Then, as a longer-term renter in a house being sold, there was the time the EA didn’t show up when a couple appeared on the doorstep. So I conducted them around the house myself, explaining various features and even getting into a discussion with them as to the viability of an extension. No idea why I did it!
Not such interesting tales as a buyer. A couple of viewings in desirable areas where EAs seemed to know nothing about the houses and were relying on me buying into the place. Annoying to turn up to a house and not be able to get basic information, being herded around with other viewers, all served up with the sense that you’ve been extremely fortunate to get a viewing at all. Ended up buying in a nice, but not crazily desirable area - for many reasons, but I certainly found the EAs easier to work with as they had to put in a bit of legwork themselves.