no contract but do i stil have to pay agents fees?

[yentil]

i had a valuation thn started looking without going on the market (just speculative) found something i liked but the owner sounded like she would like my poperty o i told her estate agent that i liked what i saw and by chance would the owner want to look at mine. she said yes.

i went on a second viewing and without her seeing mine talked about prices and we agree on what she would offer for mine and what i would offer for her's. so we exchanged numbers and she ill be viewing mine tommorow. my question is i was not officially on but the agent sellng hers valued mine a few weeks ago. hat are my financial rights / obligations to them. they have already siad that they would expect commision

what should i say or do. i did not go on with them and have not signed anything. they haven't even taken any particulars or pictures, didn't get that far. so far they have only told her my suggestion that she would be interested in mine!

bump

Ask them on what grounds they would expect commission. You have not instructed them, you have not agreed a commission rate and you have not signed anything. Doubt they have a leg to stand on. Take a note of what they say, even ask for it in writing, then speak to the Estate Agents ombudsman or National Association of Estate Agents and see what they have to say about it. Think they are trying it on big time here!!!

This aside, if the other person likes yours I would jump at it. The market is generally dead at the moment so you may have a long wait for somebody else to come along. Especially if you can avoid paying estate agents fees, (usually about 1.5% of sale price plus VAT), a hefty saving to be made!

I think that, unless you gave them any form of verbal instruction, they don't have a leg to stand on. I suspect that they are trying to push you around. You spoke to them as they represented the person whose property you viewed, so the fact that they valued your property is irrelevant. As long as the only contact you have had with them is that valuation.

But better take proper legal advice. Helenn's suggestions are good. Also, are you a member of Which? - they can give you legal advice. Do you have legal helpline as part of your household insurance? If so, you can try them as well.

i did say that if she was not interested then i would probably market after that but otherwise i have not agreed to anything. but this was only after being pressurised to say i would do so.

I would definitely not go with this agent as a point of principle. If this is how they do business I would not give them my property to sell.