Really odd encounter

readytosell · 2021-05-19T15:25:31+00:00

Sorry, I'm still a bit WTF at this so just wondering if I'm the only one. House has a very clear Sold sign out front. Lady knocked at the door, then started to tell me that she had been trying to view the property but the estate agent wouldn't let her. I said the house is now sold, so I'm not looking for further viewings. She then said she wanted to view last week before it was sold but the agent said no she couldn't and wanted to let me know about how bad they were, as she was looking exactly for a property like mine. I honestly didn't know what to say, so I just said well I've sold now and need to get back to work and shut the door on her mid rant! Thankfully she just went away but ... what an odd thing to do. I have no issues with how my agent have acted at all, they're well known in my town and know other people who have been really happy with them. I didn't ask any details (really wasn't interested), but the agent did say they'd had some people who wanted to view but weren't on the market yet, so wondering if she was one of those. Anyone else had an odd encounter like this?!

UpTheJunktion · 19/05/2021 18:27

She was almost certainly someone who hasn’t marketed her house or got an offer yet.

And may be one of the people in a similar position who have been advised on MN to ‘just go and knock on the door’.

I had a door-knocker, I advised him to communicate via the EA.

Original poster

readytosell · 19/05/2021 18:46

I just find it really odd that someone one would do this after it's clearly gone SSTC! As if I would suddenly let them have a viewing or something...

OP posts:

User135792468 · 19/05/2021 18:59

It is odd that they would actually knock. We’re also currently buying and some of the estate agents of houses we viewed were just disgraceful. Maybe they just wanted to let you know that they were turning people away / rude / antagonistic so you were aware in case your sale fell through and you went back to market. For one, I was tempted to put a note through the door. It hadn’t sold and when we were trying to book a viewing, it was impossible. Remember that your agent showed you the side they wanted, so just because they weren’t awful to you, it doesn’t mean they weren’t to potential buyers which could have cost you money as people could have been put off or turned away without you knowing.

VodkaSlimline · 19/05/2021 19:00

It is odd but if you don't ask, you don't get, and sales fall through all the time! Out of interest, did you get the asking price from your buyer?

eurochick · 19/05/2021 19:04

I sympathise with her. We've tried to view two local properties and the estate agents just haven't got back us! It's really annoying - one in particular ticked all our boxes. They were both in the £1.3-1.4m range so you would think the estate agent would have put some effort in. If I'd been one of those sellers I would have been pretty pissed off that people wanted to view but the estate agents hadn't got them through the door when I was paying them 13-14k to do just that!

umbel · 19/05/2021 19:07

There are a lot of frustrated buyers out there at the moment. People, even when they have sold, not being allowed to view, or to put an offer in, due to the sheer amount of interest in what’s coming to market. Estate agents are trying to keep their workload realistic, I get that. What’s the point in arranging for 30 viewings when you know you’ll have a choice of offers from arranging 10. Or putting yet another offer to the vendor, when they already have 5 to choose from. It’s really disheartening to be on the other side of it though, and not to feel that this is all very unfair.

Pointless and a bit rude of her to bother you about it, as your property is clearly sold now, it’s not your fault and she should have known that, but it’s crazy out there at the moment - maybe she just lost the plot for a moment. Cut her some slack?

RoseDelatour · 19/05/2021 19:22

It’s weird of her to knock, especially in the current climate. But her feedback about the agent is valid. We bought before the pandemic and a couple of rubbish EAs lost sales on houses we were interested in...

For one lovely house, the EA didn’t respond to the 2 questions I emailed over after a viewing about access. I chased once and then gave up (the house didn’t end up selling at all!).

For another house that I’d viewed it, I wanted to make an offer. The EA refused to accept our offer as DH hadn’t viewed it too??! We were chain-free cash buyers and DH was happy for me to make the decision. They then accepted an offer from a mortgage buyer in a chain, which then fell through (they came back to me 6 weeks later to ask if I was still interested, which was a no by then). They ended up selling to someone else for £19k less than we would have paid.

So I’d only sell through an EA if I’d experienced their service as a buyer first.

Original poster

readytosell · 19/05/2021 19:58

I don't really have any issue about the agent, and they did get viewings through the door and vetted them to make sure they were at least on the market if not proceedable. So I can't really fault the agent here at all, they've done what they said they would do.

I do sympathise to a degree, given how crazy the market it, and yeah perhaps had just been frustrated by things and needed to vent about it.

But equally, if she was one of the ones who wasn't even on the market (I don't know for sure), then it's fairly normal at the moment not to let people view and not something I wanted, certainly not at the start. Maybe if it hadn't sold a few weeks down the line that's a different matter.

OP posts:

MerryAnton · 19/05/2021 20:07

I had a bidding war on my last property sale, it was very stressful and the 'losing' buyer knocked on the door in tears begging to buy it and said they'd give me £20k cash

I explained it's now sold, and to speak to the EA. She said when EA told her "last final bid" she didn't realise that would really be her last final bid and she could bid more (no way it was worth that though). She asked to come look inside again and wanted to show her friend the kitchen (it was big, nice refurb).

I stuck with the other buyer as the price had already been inflated with the bids but felt so sorry for her. I learned a lesson - in future always put what's really your best offer or accept how much you're willing to lose it for.

User135792468 · 19/05/2021 20:37

@readytosell

I don't really have any issue about the agent, and they did get viewings through the door and vetted them to make sure they were at least on the market if not proceedable. So I can't really fault the agent here at all, they've done what they said they would do.

I do sympathise to a degree, given how crazy the market it, and yeah perhaps had just been frustrated by things and needed to vent about it.

But equally, if she was one of the ones who wasn't even on the market (I don't know for sure), then it's fairly normal at the moment not to let people view and not something I wanted, certainly not at the start. Maybe if it hadn't sold a few weeks down the line that's a different matter.

You sound so naive Op.

eurochick · 19/05/2021 21:20

The thing is on 1% or similar commission getting an extra 10k on the price is not worth the effort to the estate agent, but it is the vendor losing out on the 99% of the extra money that might have been gained if those other buyers had been allowed to view.

DShrute · 19/05/2021 21:33

Poor you. I have had a look on gov.uk and found this. I think if you contact them and explain your predicament, and that you are trying to resolve it, they might be helpful:
Good luck.
Get help in solving disagreements
Contact the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for advice on solving disagreements over boundaries.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
[email protected]
Telephone: 0247 686 8555
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm
Find out about call charges

Original poster

readytosell · 19/05/2021 21:35

I wouldn't say I was naive, no. I had two offers go to best and final, and accepted a good offer above asking price. Not on the first day, but after a couple of weeks. There are many shitty agents out there, but I'm not unhappy with how mine have been.

I find it far more naive in the current market that people think they can just go view a house without any kind of check.

OP posts:

HmmmmmmInteresting · 19/05/2021 21:43

Yes this happened to me. I had multiple people knock on the door or put letters through, upset they hadn't been allowed to view. One offered significantly above what I'd sold it for (which already was over the asking price) without even viewing it

The market is absolutely crazy at the moment. It's a seller's market for sure. This is why I ended up taking mine off the market- you'll sell your house super-easily but it'll be impossible to get an offer accepted on another

User135792468 · 19/05/2021 21:45

@readytosell

I wouldn't say I was naive, no. I had two offers go to best and final, and accepted a good offer above asking price. Not on the first day, but after a couple of weeks. There are many shitty agents out there, but I'm not unhappy with how mine have been.

I find it far more naive in the current market that people think they can just go view a house without any kind of check.

You have absolutely no idea if she was proceedable or not though. I think you’re naive if you think that someone would randomly knock on your door to tell you how awful your agent was if there was no truth to it at all. I’m glad you got a good offer on your house and that you’re happy, however, you have no idea how many people were turned away from viewing or who the estate agent didn’t bother arranging a viewing with in the hope that something would come from the viewings they had arranged.

Original poster

readytosell · 19/05/2021 21:46

@HmmmmmmInteresting

Yes this happened to me. I had multiple people knock on the door or put letters through, upset they hadn't been allowed to view. One offered significantly above what I'd sold it for (which already was over the asking price) without even viewing it

The market is absolutely crazy at the moment. It's a seller's market for sure. This is why I ended up taking mine off the market- you'll sell your house super-easily but it'll be impossible to get an offer accepted on another

The problem is that if they get too carried away but then need a mortgage and it gets downvalued or they realise they can't fully afford it, and seems to be happening a fair bit at the moment.

Completely understand the pain... one house I really wanted to see as the location was great for me has been on market for ages, reduced a couple of months ago... and SSTC today

OP posts:

DShrute · 19/05/2021 23:11

@DShrute

Poor you. I have had a look on gov.uk and found this. I think if you contact them and explain your predicament, and that you are trying to resolve it, they might be helpful: Good luck. Get help in solving disagreements Contact the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for advice on solving disagreements over boundaries.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
[email protected]
Telephone: 0247 686 8555
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm
Find out about call charges

Sorry OP. Wrong thread!