Letter through door asking about selling our house

[Photogemic]

So we have our house on the market and today we got a letter posted through our door. Basically the guy introduced himself saying he is seriously looking for a property in the area at full market value. He put his email and mobile number.

Has anyone had this and what did you do? Should we get in touch or put him in touch with our estate agent?

Thanks for the advice in advance!

Wow this blew up!
I initially thought it was an estate agents letter as we get numerous ones every week saying we've seen your house on market and we would like to take over.

We were not happy with our first estate agent they did bugger all and then blamed the market. Trying to get feedback out of them was impossible and when we finally got an offer via them it was under asking price and they pushed us hard. We refused in the end as we cannot afford to let someone have it for £25k under budget.

They realised we were not happy (I was vocal) and we go put into a dual agency contract with another firm who they work with and they have been amazing. Unfortunately this happend just a few weeks before xmas so things had slowed down.

I will refer them to the estate agents I prefer and see what happens.

We had a hand written note years ago from a family laying out all of their reasons for contacting us (we werent on the market at the time) and it felt genuine. The only thing that made me question this one was it was very short and was typed out.

I will email them and keep everyone updated.

Thank you so much!

Also for those who were questioning the EA fees i think its only if they introduce the buyer but i will go back and check the small print.

@Photogemic

Also for those who were questioning the EA fees i think its only if they introduce the buyer but i will go back and check the small print.

I would be enormously surprised if your contract says that. It's not how EA contracts typically work.

Also, if you have a sign outside your house, then this guy knows your house is on the market because of the estate agent's marketing.

@RedWingBoots

I know someone who is an estate agent who essentially did this to buy his houses.

As PPs said if you are going to have to pay fees to your EA tell him to go through them.

Yes its a common tactic used by estate agents. Selling houses is a cutthroat business

@Photogemic

Also for those who were questioning the EA fees i think its only if they introduce the buyer but i will go back and check the small print.

Not usually.

When I am in a position to buy I will consider doing this because houses in the area I want are getting offers accepted within 24 hours of them going on the market. I will even put a note through the door of the house I used to own because I would love to live there again.

looking for a property in the area at full market value.

How magnanimous of him to offer to pay what it's worth ...

We did this. It was on with an EA but no sign and we didn’t know. It already had an offer on it. We were dead keen on the house and made a direct offer better than the asking price. They came back and said if we offered a bit more ok. We did. They stuck with the 1st offer through their EA who lost his shit with them and it fell through. It never sold. I would have gone back to them but my DH wouldn’t entertain it as he felt they had treated us unfairly! Don’t assume he’s a timewaster xo

My landlord is in the process of selling (but only to another landlord) and I've had several letters pushed through, most are from companies but there's also been quite a few come through handwritten from people. I live in a rough area and over the last five years or so majority of the houses have been sold really cheaply to landlords and I know at least one of the handwritten letters that came through is from a man who owns about four houses on my street already. I'll get at least one a week from the same company but it's usually more. They go in the bin (did ask landlord if he wanted them forwarding but he said no)

@Idontknowlondon

Oh, and I've done it before when the estate agent has been a cock and refused us viewings before "checking our eligibility" i.e. making us sit through a sales pitch with their mortgage advisor.

This seems to chime with OP's post about the first EA being rubbish. It might be worth pursuing (above board, through the second agent) - what's the worst that could happen?

We put letters in doors on the road we wanted to live on as nothing was on the market there and had two replies. Neither occupant was ready to sell but we did eventually (2 years later) move into one of the houses and no estate agents were involved. We were genuinely just looking for a house on a particular road.

Has happened to me twice in the last 2 years due to selling houses of family members who have died. On both occasions they helpfully pointed out that it would save me on Estate Agent fees (it probably wouldn't) but really they were after a bargain themselves. When the houses went on the market (very soon after) they didn't even enquire.

In one case just last year the price rocketed above what even the estate agent had predicted, so we would have lost out big time if I had taken up their offer to "save me money".

Both houses were in desirable areas although one was a bit dilapidated.

Sorry - meant to add that the people who put the letters through the door (or enquired with neighbours in one case) only did so because they heard that the residents had died and so assumed the properties would be sold.