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EAs not letting us view unless under offer

21 replies

Afishtank · 28/05/2022 20:34

Hubby and I are planning to relocate from SE London. We are very, very indecisive regarding where to but that's not the reason for this post. We have already determined the next house purchase won't be forever and is a move for a good primary school for our eldest. Unfortunately schools in our current area are a bit hit and miss. We are all new to this house search but early days in we've had a couple EAs tell us they have buyers who won't allow us to see a specific property unless we are 'under offer'. We are massively early days (scarcely a week) and our property has not yet been marketed or put on the usual websites: Rightmove; OnTheMarket; Zoopla etc. We have all but instructed the EA we want them to sell our house and yet to sign the actual agreement. So no viewings and all of that. Anyway, while we somewhat understand this it still seems a bit hypocritical to expect your buyers to be under offer when you yourself are clearly not 'under offer'. Is this EAs just trying to get a quick sell to look good OR are sellers really saying this? Just trying to understand the rationale as to why anyone would insist on this as the logic seems a bit flawed. It could quite simply land up like a vicious circle if you refuse to accept viewings from potential buyers who aren't 'under offer'.

OP posts:
BookwormButNoTime · 28/05/2022 21:36

It’s very common in the current market. They would at least expect your property to be on the market and having viewings before allowing you to view. This is for the very simple reason that in sought after areas right now there are people with no chain or a complete chain. It would be a waste of everyone’s time to show people around not in that position where they may have several offers from people ready to proceed.

Ilikewinter · 28/05/2022 21:46

Yeah very common, We last moved 4 years ago and although we didnt have to have a sale we did have to confirm and give details that we were on the market.

At the minute you arent even up for sale so the EA wont want to be wasting their time

icedancerlenny · 28/05/2022 21:52

I think they are doing the right thing in the current market. Things are moving so quickly that you need to be ready to go.

Minimalme · 28/05/2022 21:56

Right now is a very bad time to move - shortage of houses, rising prices, lots of buyers who sold during the stamp duty holiday and are stuck in rented because they can't find the right property...

It is a sellers market.

Afishtank · 28/05/2022 22:12

Ok thanks everyone glad that's a consensus just very different from what we had 6 years ago. I shouldn't complain too much then. Just unfortunately not very trusting of EAs.
We did actually get some viewings in today with Wards who have a partnership arrangement with the estate agency managing the sale of our SE London property (Cubbitt & West). It looks like they were able to track where things are with our property hence us being able to view. Maybe something useful for anyone who are as eager as us to view.
We just hope that after our house goes up on all the usual sites on Tuesday we get viewings for next Saturday, 4th June. Things seem a lot more speedy than 6 years ago! Our EA seemed confident there would be viewing requests by then.

OP posts:
ChicCroissant · 28/05/2022 22:15

it still seems a bit hypocritical to expect your buyers to be under offer when you yourself are clearly not 'under offer'.

If they (vendors) were under offer, you wouldn't be able to view!

From what you've said on here, you don't come across as serious buyers yet OP. Putting your house on the market will help, there will still be vendors who only want proceedable buyers to look round though. Good luck with the property search.

Clymene · 28/05/2022 22:17

Why would anyone let you look round their property when you hadn't even put yours on the market? Confused

mrsed1987 · 28/05/2022 22:24

We are currently waiting to move, held up because of exactly that. Does make the chain take a while to complete

MadMadMadamMim · 28/05/2022 22:24

Just trying to understand the rationale as to why anyone would insist on this as the logic seems a bit flawed.

There's nothing flawed in the logic. If you haven't sold your house and are not in a position to move quickly then I don't want to waste time letting you look round mine. Why would I? Particularly someone who hasn't even got their own house up for sale.

What you would basically be saying to me is I'd like to offer you X amount for your house. I haven't got the money yet, but if I ever get my own house sold then that's what I would like to offer.

I'm not interested. It's not a serious viewing because you haven't any money to buy my house.

Lavenderlast · 28/05/2022 22:39

It’s standard and I have so much sympathy for it given my cousin who views houses as basically a hobby. She just likes to fantasise about moving / have a nose, but she wastes so mich of estate agent’s time!

Overthewine · 28/05/2022 22:48

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Imknackeredzzz · 28/05/2022 23:05

Jesus it’s a sellers market massively- I’m an agent houses are getting 20 viewings within 24 hours of going live, all from people sold and ready to go immediately. Usually multiple offers. Usually over asking prices.

Absolutely no reason a seller would let you view unless under offer. Total waste of time for them and you. Even if you liked the house you wouldn’t have a chance anyway in the current market.

sorry but are you totally blind to the current market conditions?! You just have done some research?!

PerseverancePays · 29/05/2022 15:56

The market is nuts at the moment. I accepted an offer back in March and haven't found anything remotely suitable. Yesterday I viewed a one roomed cottage with lean to bathroom and kitchen, one bedroom upstairs that led into another smaller one. The whole building stank of damp and dog, all crumbling plaster, storage heaters and single glazing. Quarter of a million pounds! I was hoping there would be room for potentially expanding into the garden but the price was already to so high it just puts you off.
I'll wait until my funds are in the bank and then find something at auction. I don't mind a doer-upper but I don't want to pay renovated price for it.

Bodgejobvendors · 29/05/2022 17:40

Unfortunately it is logical and not a vicious circle. It means you build the chain from the bottom up. Everyone accepting an offer knows the circumstances in the chain beneath them. Vendors have no incentive to let you view if they know they can pack the viewings with people willing to pay the price and who are ready to proceed.

Roselilly36 · 29/05/2022 19:13

We moved last year, I told the EA no viewing unless the viewer was in a position to proceed etc. Quite normal in a fast moving sellers market. Sounds like you need to view areas, do your desk research, with platforms such as RM, with streetview, photos, room dimensions etc, why would you waste your time and the vendors by viewing anyway, the chances are by the time you have sold your property, the property you wanted to view will already be SSTC. Good luck with your move.

SafelySoftly · 29/05/2022 20:06

Gosh you’ve not really done much research/ read the media reports. In London if you’re not sold in 2 weeks it’s overpriced and totally standard not to have people who aren’t ready to proceed looking around as they’re ultimately time wasters. Market is slightly slowing so this may be relaxing, possibly.

MabelMoo23 · 29/05/2022 21:03

Yep, absolutely standard. At the moment you won’t be able to view anything unless you are under offer or SSTC. Not a chance and that’s across the board, so everyone is in the same position

Nicnak2223 · 29/05/2022 21:10

Good luck with the next step my parents have just struggled to find somewhere to buy and they are cash buyers ( from their sale) and it house was under serious offer and they kept losing properties to chain free or cash waiting buyers. You really do need at least an offer to start viewings.

Afishtank · 08/06/2022 20:54

And this is the conclusion…we sold our house in SE London after three viewings (SSTC).
Yes, we had instructed estate agents but they had not sent a photographer round to take photographs of our house. Our house was sold before it even went on Zoopla, RM or any of the other usual platforms.
Yes, it probably is not right we were shown any properties before being under offer ourselves but we still managed to get a viewing in and the seller was happy to accept our offer (SSTC). It took a week and a half from then for us to be SSTC. We were very transparent about our situation. Not everything follows a typical path. Hope everything works out we got lucky.

OP posts:
321zyx · 08/06/2022 21:17

Contrary to all previous posts, I started viewing in Sep 21 in the SE/Central SE (house not then on the market). I've never been refused a viewing, or indeed deeply questioned over reasons. I accepted every single viewing request on my own house (regardless of their selling situation) and am now proceeding with the sale. I'd like to think being flexible is the answer......

Dexy007 · 09/06/2022 02:52

Can’t you just tell them you’re chain free? And then your position changes before you lob in the offer?

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