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Original poster

Rude estate agent made me mad!!

50 replies

blisscake · 04/04/2008 20:27

Was an offer 15% below the asking price ridiculous in this climate? We are in a good position - nothing to sell, but he said he it was too low and wouldn't even put it to the vendor. Apparently he has done but who knows...Was I out of order making a low offer? We can up it but are reluctant now as he's been so rude.

OP posts:
McDreamy · 04/04/2008 20:28

I thought they were obliged to inform the vendor?

McDreamy · 04/04/2008 20:28

He's just thinking of his commission!!!!

maidamess · 04/04/2008 20:29

Thats just what I was about to say...greedy bleeder.

Tutter · 04/04/2008 20:30

they have to put forward all offers, by law

BetteNoir · 04/04/2008 20:30

Go round to the house and give the offer to the vendors directly.
Explain that the estate agent, who is supposedly working on their behalf, is witholding offers from them.
Cut out the middle tosser man.

Tutter · 04/04/2008 20:30

just remind him he's an agent, a middle man

he has no right to make decisions on behgalf of the vendor

cheeky fecker

McDreamy · 04/04/2008 20:33

I like Bette's suggestion, pop a note through their front door with your offer explaining that their estate agent has refused to inform them. He's just trying to force you to make a higher offer.

Flubdub · 04/04/2008 20:35

He has to tell the vendor! We had an offer that was waaaay to low - the estate agent told us she knew it was too low........but we accepted it. The estate agent doesnt know how desperate they are to sell, or how much they need the money.
It isnt his perogative(sp?) to decide whether to tell them or not.

Tutter · 04/04/2008 20:36

we recently offered 16% below an asking price

it was rejected, but the agent put it to the vendor, of course

weeonion · 04/04/2008 20:38

bliss - a friend had this situation. the estate agent kept ringing her suggesting she keep going up £500 a time. After she had upped her offer by a few grand, she got and called to see the vendor. she was gobsmacked that this had been happening - she hadnt been told of all these new offers. they agreed the sale that night. friend took great pleasure in telling agent teh next day. vendor went ballistic and made formal complaint.

cut him out and see if some direct chat to the seller can help.

LynetteScavo · 04/04/2008 20:40

But you don't know how may offers the vendor had turned down near the asking price.

Maybe asking price is £250,000. There have been offers of £240,000 and vendor is sticking to guns and saying nothing less than £249,000.

The estate agent will know this, and realise there is not much point in annoying HIS CLIENT with stupid offers. So he informs HIS CLIENT of offers and hopes to God it's accepted as he would really like to shift the house to MAKE MONEY on it.

LynetteScavo · 04/04/2008 20:45

Oh, adn blisscake, you can up the offer, but are reluctant now [the estate agent] has been so rude. Do you want this house or not? Would you let your future be determined by an estate agent that has been "rude", as you put it.

He said the offer was too low. What did he say that was rude?

clam · 04/04/2008 20:50

He must tell the vendor of any offers, no matter how ridiculous he might think they are. But it might be worth letting the vendors know that their agent is alienating potential buyers......

Original poster
blisscake · 04/04/2008 21:34

Think I may speak to vendor. Lynette, he was rude and implied my offer was ridiculous. As for my reluctance, its to do with having to deal with him again.

OP posts:
eekamoose · 04/04/2008 21:45

We offered £350,000 on house that was on market at £365,000. Agent said it was too low. But I knew (with experience in business) that he was required by law to put the offer forward. So I insisted he did. Vendors didn't accept. Then I found out house had been on market at much higher price for months and £365,000 was a significant reduction. The vendors had said they wouldn't take a penny less. In the end we settled at £360,000.

Since then I have worked in Estate Agents where, for example, people with £425,000 to spend have asked for viewings on a house on the market at £495,000. I've phoned the vendors to let them know about this request and they've just point blank refused to allow the viewing.

In the end the vendor decides. The agent may just be letting you know what their reaction will be. You could always try putting a note through the door. But if the agent says your offer is not high enough, that could just be the case. The vendor is his client after all. And in this stagnant market, he will probably be grateful for any sales at all, he is not likely to risk losing his 2% or whatever by lying to you.

critterjitter · 04/04/2008 22:23

I came across a particularly rude agent once who started shouting at me down the phone when I asked him to put my offer to the vendor . He kept baiting me by telling me that someone else had offered full price and that unless I offered it (just when the credit crunch took place), he wasn't prepared to even bother his clients with my offer (which was only about £5k under the asking price and I didn't have a chain).

I suspect that he didn't want to hear my offer because he had a nice little chain lined up ie. the people who were buying the house that he was selling, were also selling their house with him - so double commission!

Funnily enough, the sale fell through and the house has now been back on the market for 2 months. I drive past the For Sale board flapping in the wind every day. I'd never touch those agents again and now it looks like the vendors can't shift their house! It does make you wonder if vendors really know how their agents treat buyers.

Original poster
blisscake · 04/04/2008 22:29

It makes sense that he believes he can get more for the house, however many of the houses in the same village have been sitting on the market for months, lots of them have dropped their asking prices and this one is priced fairly highly for its size. It is back on the market as its sale has fallen through, I expect the vendor wants an offer closer to their previous one but that was a few months ago and the market has changed since then. Maybe someone will want to pay more for it, not a lot of properties are shifting around here though. I may go back with a higher offer but I feel uncomfortable about it because of his reaction to my previous offer.

OP posts:
critterjitter · 04/04/2008 22:45

I wouldn't personally. If the agent calls you, tell him that you have done your research in terms of what houses have gone for in the village and the drops in prices that vendors are taking (propertysnake), and that you feel that your offer is a good one considering the current state of the market.

If its back on the market because the sale has fallen through, then perhaps find out why. If its not related to the Credit Crunch, could it be an issue with the survey?

Original poster
blisscake · 04/04/2008 22:56

Apparently it was their buyers buyer who was a first time buyer affected by the credit crunch. I doubt that he will call, am torn as I like the house. Gut feeling is that its probably worth waiting it out a while. Think you're right though, vendors don't realise how agents sometimes treat their buyers.

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 04/04/2008 23:02

This house is worth waiting for? So you don't need a buyer, and can wait?

eekamoose tells it like it is.

ClairePO · 04/04/2008 23:10

This is going back a few years but I had an estate agent for a property I was interested in be arsey with me and it was because I declined their offer to organise my mortgage (I already had a mortgage offer, why would I go house hunting without that?). They get double commission, not sure if this happens anymore.

eekamoose · 04/04/2008 23:14

Don't let a house you like pass you by just because you don't like the agent. Don't take it so personally!

Regroup and think again. What about going back and offering £1000 more. If the agent implies this too is ridiculous, ask him outright what the vendor will accept. If the answer is too high for you say "sorry, that's more than I want to pay. Please give me a call on xx date (maybe a month from now) if the house still hasn't sold and the vendor would like to reconsider." Mark that date on your calendar. If the agent doesn't call you, then you should call him.

If, in the meantime, the house has sold at a higher price to someone else, then the vendor and agent were right and you were wrong.

LynetteScavo · 05/04/2008 08:40

I agree with eekamoose.

The agent will not be living in the house.

If you don't like him, ask to deal with someone else in the office.

chonky · 05/04/2008 08:45

Agree with eekamoose.

Our house is on the market, but we're by no means desperate to sell, and quite happy to sit out the credit crunch if needs be. We would be happy to flex a bit on price, but if someone offered 85% of asking price it would be a very firm no. The vendors in this case may well feel similar. Not excusing the rudeness though.

StealthPolarBear · 05/04/2008 08:54

Does an estate agent have to tell the vendors of all offers?
eg a house on the market for £300k, vendor says don't bother me with offers under 280?
Would they still have to tell them of an offer of 275 even though they'd been told not to iyswim? I know circumstances change over time etc.