Agent (not ours) has potential buyers for our flat??

[RaisingMissDaisy]

Hi
We have been on the market for a few months, contract with estate agent has expired but flat still on rightmove. Another estate agent has contacted us to say they have buyers who are potentially interested and could they arrange a no strings attached, one-off viewing.
Should we be taking this seriously??
Thank you!

Is it a locally well known and trusted agent?

If so it might be worth a shot with the proviso that (as they will want to sign you up if the buyers make an offer which you accept) you check what their fees will be very carefully

I don't understand why the buyers don't just contact your current agent

@Eviebeans yes, Fine and Country

You could end up with 2 sets of estate agent fees.

Make sure your contract has finished and isn’t a rolling one.

Have these buyers seen the flay via the other agent already?

We had this call a few weeks ago. Exactly the same - a local agent called and asked for a no-strings viewing.

But then we'd have to pay our current agent and the new one, if that buyer wanted to buy.

In the end, we'd already given notice to our old agent, so we agreed to list for a short period with the new one... and the person who was so interested has never materialized.

I was initially REALLY annoyed at DH for falling for this, but I think he was just keen.

@Windinmyhair maybe they are still bound by a contract with their estate agent?

Sounds like a ploy to get you to sign up. Like PP says if they are interested and the flat is still on rightmove, why not book to view with your current agent?

Sorry all will reply to questions later just out and about!

Completely agree with @Thisisanartattack
It’s just marketing
Get someone round, they weren’t interested but may as well sign up with us etc.
99.9% of people buying a house aren’t loyal to certain agents and would just contact the one you’re on rightmove with.

I often get marketing through the door from estate agents saying they have people looking for a house just like this one.. ready and Waiting to view. It's BS.

I'd be sceptical. On the other hand, sounds like a new agent would be a good idea anyway

Sounds odd. I've heard of buyers using agents to help with their property search, bit if they were acting as agents for the buyers they'd be paid by the buyers, wouldn't they?

It’s a ploy to get your property on their books. Why wouldn’t their imaginary buyer just book a viewing with the current agent??

It's a cheapskate way they are using to get your property to sell , likely the "buyers" will have bought something by the time you sign on their dotted line

It’s a ploy. We have been under offer for a while but the agent we use doesn’t take things off the market when under offer.

Fine & Country has sent me two different letters in the last 4 weeks saying in letter one that they have a buyer for our flat, then in the second letter that the first buyer has bought but they miraculously have a different buyer.

They will want a fee from you & you will need to tread carefully to avoid paying two sets of fees as you usually need to formally disinstruct your agent, even when the initial lock in period has expired.

Given everyone looks on right move etc now, they would just contact your current agents, its not like the old days where you had to register with agents to get details

oh duh.... you are right... of course as buyers they aren't bound to an agent are they, they can just go to any agent they want..... damn, was getting my hopes up there a bit. but yes, whoever said upthread, probably time to change agents anyway: yes, will bells on!
thank you everybody, this has helped!

Yeah, definitely a ploy. Since I've had my house on the market I've had endless crap through the post from other agents, removal companies, we buy any house type places (in case it falls through), local investors and even a spiritualist to help ward off any bad karma in the house (I kid you not!!!!) . And had one of the other agents who came to quote ring to try and offer me not their selling services, but onward buying services with their 'network of approved agents'.

Part and parcel of selling I'm afraid, they watch the listings like hawks and spam you endlessly.

I have a cousin who is an estate agent (I guess someone has to do it...) and he said it was a standard ploy used by agents especially for houses that havent sold and often were coming up to the end of the two month or whatever initial tie in period.

He used to go door to door trying to sweet talk the sellers telling them allsorts about having a buyer lined up if only you would list it with them etc etc. Sometimes he said they even roped in other buyers to view it ('oh we'll just look at this other house as well' type thing)

This was about five years ago but I think this has all changed now, even prior to Covid, as people use the web. I think also estate nows are less thrusting and blatant? More about building relationships etc (although this might be just me?)

Tell them to jog on. The property is on RM and the potential buyers can arrange to come and view like everyone else.