Found a property but the agents have a poor reputation

[Luv2chat2U]

Hi Mumsnetters.

Would you proceed to make an offer on a house via agents who have a bad reputation for their customer service, poor time keeping with appts to viewings and who are unapologetic for anything which I have also experienced?

If you want the house do you have an option but to put the offer through them ?

Good question, but I'm not sure @Star81 . The property is empty, previously let to tenants. Do you have any suggestions how I might be able to approach this.

Surely once the agent has your offer and gets the seller to agree to sell to you then it all passes to solicitors anyway. I’ve rarely had much interaction with estate agents at all once an offer is accepted

Thanks for the advise @Star81 . This is new too me.

The process would be

view house through estate agent

put offer to estate agent who passes them all to seller.

seller agrees to accept or not (may come back with counter offer)

once price agreed solicitors take over and they do all searches etc

I don’t think you have much option but to go through the EA. Especially if you made the appointment to view the house through them.

I’d only bother if it’s an absolute dream property and there’s nothing else with other agents that you like. There’s one agent in my area who’s so awful I automatically disregard properties listed with them now.

We bought with an awful estate agent. It didn't help that our vendors used their in house conveyancer. They were really arsey because we refused to see their financial advisor, messed us about with a pre exchange viewing, didn't return phone calls and were generally unhelpful.

However, despite the stress with them, we'd use them again if the perfect house was on with them.