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Original poster

Agent didn't include us in best and final offers

51 replies

stroopwaffles · 27/01/2022 10:55

We offered 10k over for our initial offer on Monday. Told to expect best and final that afternoon.

Rang on Tuesday for an update.. hadn't heard anything from the vendor.

I just checked Rightmove and the property is STC?!

What should we do? / Is there anything we can do? I thought agents were legally obliged to pass on any offers to the vendor. Can we post a letter saying we offered X and were willing to go to X but weren't given the chance?

I don't want to gazump though..

OP posts:
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 27/01/2022 10:59

I'm assuming that means that the vendor has sold the property to a higher bidder than you but I don't understand why you haven't been told this by the estate agent.

What makes you think they didn't put your bid through

NotNowAlan · 27/01/2022 11:04

Sounds like you were outbid. If another buyer put in a best and final offer which is higher than yours then they get the property. "Best and final" means no further negotiation, so you would not have the opportunity to raise your bid - that's what the "final" bit means.

NotNowAlan · 27/01/2022 11:05

Sorry, just reread your OP. You weren't given the chance to put in a best and final offer. I'd query this, sometimes estate agents have alterior motives.

Original poster
stroopwaffles · 27/01/2022 11:07

Yes but odd it didn't go to best and final no?
It would be odd for the vendor to not try and squeeze more money out of everyone, all other sellers are doing that at the moment.

The lack of communication is what makes me think they didn't pass the offer on

OP posts:
A580Hojas · 27/01/2022 11:17

Are you absolutely sure that there was the intention of another round of bidding. Most EA and vendors prefer to go straight to best and final to save unnecessary mucking about. An auction situation in a private house sale is a major pita and is the reason for auction houses having extremely tight rules.

Keke94LND · 27/01/2022 11:18

We put in an offer on a house last year (first ever offer we made) we put in £5k lower than asking, as we thought there would be negotiations, turns out another couple did the same thing, but the sellers gave it to the second couple because they had viewed the house twice and we had only viewed it once (bizarre) didn't even get the chance to up our offer which we found odd. Anyway, it sounds like a similar thing might of happened here? Although I would be annoyed at the lack of communication from the agent, can you call them up and say youv seen it's sold?

donquixotedelamancha · 27/01/2022 11:20

Yes but odd it didn't go to best and final no?

You know that isn't an actual thing, right? It's just what some agents say to get you to offer as much as possible. Other EAs negotiate differently.

I agree that by not persuading you to max your bid that they are failing their client but that isn't unusual- 10k makes little different to the individual employees bonus.

Put in another offer. Make it the most you would be willing to pay (don't go nuts). They will have to pass it on.

DistrictCommissioner · 27/01/2022 11:21

We lost out on a house, we offered more (don’t know exactly how much but tens of thousands), they sold to the lower offer because they liked them more GrinHmm

donquixotedelamancha · 27/01/2022 11:23

I don't want to gazump though..

It's not really gazumping when the owner accepted an offer yesterday (presumably) without knowing what your offer would be.

Aimee1987 · 27/01/2022 11:28

The EA I dealt with said best and final by x time. That meant you needed to hand in what you were willing to offer before that time and then they sent it to the vendor. If you offered 10 above and didnt up it that was your offer.
Never got chased for best and final offers ( except once by purple bricks) as the estate agents often had so many offers well over asking that they didnt need to chase. This was 3 months ago but from what I gather locally ( south west) and from a friend in london it's still mental.

Original poster
stroopwaffles · 27/01/2022 11:32

Thanks everyone. They deffo said they'd come back for our best and final, initial bids to be in by a certain time on Monday morning.

Will query this.

OP posts:
FelicityPike · 27/01/2022 11:36

@stroopwaffles

Yes but odd it didn't go to best and final no? It would be odd for the vendor to not try and squeeze more money out of everyone, all other sellers are doing that at the moment.

The lack of communication is what makes me think they didn't pass the offer on

Who says it didn’t go to b&f? Someone must’ve given a better b&f than you. You couldn’t offer X because you had already offered Y and said that was the best you could do.

Sorry.

Original poster
stroopwaffles · 27/01/2022 11:38

@FelicityPike read my posts?

OP posts:
FelicityPike · 27/01/2022 11:46

[quote stroopwaffles]@FelicityPike read my posts?[/quote]
I did?

Haus1234 · 27/01/2022 11:47

Not all negotiations have a B&F round - perhaps they got an excellent offer straight and just decided to take it. No harm in asking though.

Bazinga007 · 27/01/2022 11:56

Maybe someone else offered well over the asking price on the condition that it was taken off the market immediately.

EmmaH2022 · 27/01/2022 11:59

OP if they had a cash offer and you will have a mortgage, more money might not be the issue? Or chain free?

Or chain free and cash?

Toanewstart22 · 27/01/2022 12:00

It likely went for a lot higher than your offer
And not a priority to update you
Rude though

Toanewstart22 · 27/01/2022 12:00

We put an offer of £26k more in

But went for lesser offer as cash buyer

Sharrowgirl · 27/01/2022 12:04

Just phone the agent and ask what happened?

statetrooperstacey · 27/01/2022 12:14

Might not be money though , they might have gone for the offer with the best circumstances . Our offer was accepted because we were in a good position to move quickly and we promised the estate agent we were shit hot at paperwork and we’re prepared to chase our solicitors if needs be. They turned down another offer because he didn’t like their solicitors as they are well known for being slow .

Toanewstart22 · 27/01/2022 12:17

The vendor has accepted an offer
Likely never went to best and final because was accepted before then
Carry on hunting op… this property is no an option any longer

Comefromaway · 27/01/2022 12:24

Maybe the seller didn't want to do best and final offers and accepted a different offer because of the buyer's circumstance. The agent should have told you your offer was not accepted though.

Toanewstart22 · 27/01/2022 12:25

The only thing “wrong” in this scenario

Is a rude agent that didn’t tell you that the vendors had accepted an offer before it needed to go to best and final

Africa2go · 27/01/2022 12:33

This is why the UK system and lack of transparency with EAs is so frustrating. It should be a question of making your best bid, be honest about it, tell the agent to take it or leave it (and house comes off the market) and if it doesn't work out, move on.

Have never really been sure of the process of making a bid clearly thinking its an initial bid with the hope of getting another chance - as here, you always run the risk of someone beating you to it.

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