Annoyed with estate agent

KievLoverTwo · 23/10/2025 11:43

"as it was only off the market for 4 weeks, it will remain as an older listing and new property alerts will not have been sent out."

You're correct. It has to have been marked as sold for 6 weeks for Rightmove to allow an agent to create a new advert with a new URL which pushes it back into people's inboxes.

The only thing they can do is to remove "sold STC", decrease the asking price by 2%, and if necessary, increase it right back up again. It will do the same thing. "Price Toggling." I see it quite a lot in rentals.

However, ethical agents don't like doing this and they may refuse.

If you dump this agent you will get a brand new advert with a new listing and people will see that.

housethatbuiltme · 23/10/2025 14:04

notarunner · 23/10/2025 11:34

Our house is a 3 year old new build. Perfect FTB house, really well priced. Only selling as we need more space due to an extra child. A few houses around us have sold and always go under offer in the space of 2 weeks and seem to complete within 3/4 months.

We put ours on the market 5 months ago. We had an offer within 2 weeks but buyers eventually pulled out after 3 months saying the process was taking too long. It went back on the market as a new listing and again, we had a new buyer within 2 weeks. We believe this person was known to our estate agent and/or solicitor as they worked in the industry and EA was keen to accept their offer and push the sale through quickly. We were ok with this as our onward purchase was waiting.
Everything was going well. There was talk of completion dates then it turns out, buyer can't get a mortgage! They didn't elaborate further despite our buyer using their in-house mortgage broker, something I should have pressed for more info on.

So we're back on the market again for the third time and stuck at the bottom of the listings. We've had no interest at all. EA keeps promising every day that it will be put back on as a new listing but from what I've read, as it was only off the market for 4 weeks, it will remain as an older listing and new property alerts will not have been sent out.

I feel really annoyed with our estate agent. It should be a really easy house to sell and I don't believe that we've just been "super unlucky" twice. I've been watching the market for a while now and I haven't seen any houses with so many failed sales apart from ones that clearly have major issues. It also makes it look like there is a problem with our house due to so many buyers dropping out. Our solicitor said they would waive abortive fees on this last buyer too which further increased my suspicions that they'd pushed this buyer that was known to them through for an easy sale and it all collapsed, leaving us to pay the price because now we have no buyer and no interest.

We're out of contract with them next month but I'm worried it will be too late for our onward purchase. Our seller seems to be in no rush to move but we'll be devastated if we lose this house as they don't come up often in the area. Should we approach a different EA now? I'm hesitant to rack up even more fees as we're already paying for our stuff which is now in storage.

Someone more knowledgeable on this please help as I'm at my wits end!

It is well with in normal to have 2 sales fall through.

I was a buyer and had 2 house sales fall through one after 6 months and one after over a year and I was gazumped (although very early before the process really started, so dont really tend count that one, it was just disappointing).

It's not just you it happens too, you are not privy to whats going on in other sales. Its easy to think everyone else has it easier but its a 'grass is always greener', info online tells you nothing about the hoops and obsticals the hurdled to get their.

Anyone who gets through a sale quickly with no complications first time in England is the rare lucky one.

MothershipG · 23/10/2025 14:06

I don't know where you are but I'm afraid that the market has really gone quiet in the last couple of months in most places, so you may struggle to find a new buyer, never mind at the same price.

'Toggling' the price is against the Right Move T's& C's, so risky.

Could you ask your agent to release you from the contract early as they have done such a poor job? Or could you afford to drop the price by 2% so it gets sent out on alerts again?

If you are desperate to keep your onward sale your only hope is to drop your price to make it super attractive.

If you do have to change agents I'd go for an independent that doesn't insist on a long contract period.

BuildbyNumbere · 23/10/2025 14:10

100% get a new EA.

Arlanymor · 23/10/2025 14:13

New estate agent.

OhYeahOhYeah · 23/10/2025 14:32

notarunner · 23/10/2025 11:34

Our house is a 3 year old new build. Perfect FTB house, really well priced. Only selling as we need more space due to an extra child. A few houses around us have sold and always go under offer in the space of 2 weeks and seem to complete within 3/4 months.

We put ours on the market 5 months ago. We had an offer within 2 weeks but buyers eventually pulled out after 3 months saying the process was taking too long. It went back on the market as a new listing and again, we had a new buyer within 2 weeks. We believe this person was known to our estate agent and/or solicitor as they worked in the industry and EA was keen to accept their offer and push the sale through quickly. We were ok with this as our onward purchase was waiting.
Everything was going well. There was talk of completion dates then it turns out, buyer can't get a mortgage! They didn't elaborate further despite our buyer using their in-house mortgage broker, something I should have pressed for more info on.

So we're back on the market again for the third time and stuck at the bottom of the listings. We've had no interest at all. EA keeps promising every day that it will be put back on as a new listing but from what I've read, as it was only off the market for 4 weeks, it will remain as an older listing and new property alerts will not have been sent out.

I feel really annoyed with our estate agent. It should be a really easy house to sell and I don't believe that we've just been "super unlucky" twice. I've been watching the market for a while now and I haven't seen any houses with so many failed sales apart from ones that clearly have major issues. It also makes it look like there is a problem with our house due to so many buyers dropping out. Our solicitor said they would waive abortive fees on this last buyer too which further increased my suspicions that they'd pushed this buyer that was known to them through for an easy sale and it all collapsed, leaving us to pay the price because now we have no buyer and no interest.

We're out of contract with them next month but I'm worried it will be too late for our onward purchase. Our seller seems to be in no rush to move but we'll be devastated if we lose this house as they don't come up often in the area. Should we approach a different EA now? I'm hesitant to rack up even more fees as we're already paying for our stuff which is now in storage.

Someone more knowledgeable on this please help as I'm at my wits end!

You need to get listed with a new agent asap, and ensure you have a really solid marketing plan agreed. Maybe adjust the price slightly and make a nuisance of yourself with the new EA

The EA should be qualifying all potential buyers and have a good picture of their finances (as much as they’re allowed)

We would always insist on seeing proof of their Mortgage Promise/Agreement in Principle so we could confidently submit any forthcoming offers

Good Luck

Cupofteawithsugar · 23/10/2025 14:36

What were the issues that led to the first buyers pulling out after 3 months and saying the process was taking too long? That surely can’t have been anything to do with the EA?

Original poster

notarunner · 23/10/2025 14:50

Cupofteawithsugar · 23/10/2025 14:36

What were the issues that led to the first buyers pulling out after 3 months and saying the process was taking too long? That surely can’t have been anything to do with the EA?

No, I can't blame that on them entirely. It took us 3 weeks to find an onward purchase and then our seller took a few more weeks before agreeing to break the chain as they couldn't find anywhere suitable.

I think it was a mix of unrealistic FTB's who didn't understand that buying isn't like renting and you can't just move within a couple of weeks and our EA being a bit useless and not progressing things/managing their expectations.

I wasn't annoyed about it the first time. These things happen and we were happy that we found a new buyer quickly but the second time doesn't sit right with me.

OP posts:

housethatbuiltme · 23/10/2025 17:07

notarunner · 23/10/2025 14:50

No, I can't blame that on them entirely. It took us 3 weeks to find an onward purchase and then our seller took a few more weeks before agreeing to break the chain as they couldn't find anywhere suitable.

I think it was a mix of unrealistic FTB's who didn't understand that buying isn't like renting and you can't just move within a couple of weeks and our EA being a bit useless and not progressing things/managing their expectations.

I wasn't annoyed about it the first time. These things happen and we were happy that we found a new buyer quickly but the second time doesn't sit right with me.

Show quote history

EA dont 'progress' anything though.

The list houses, book viewings, take offer, do very basic checks, then send the memorandum. After that their job is basically done except the sorting times for surveys and final visits.

Progressing from the memorandum and dealing with the buyers questions around time frames is solely on the solicitors and not something EA can answer.

You seem to be expected the wrong thing and blaming them for stuff they have zero control over.

KingMungBean · 23/10/2025 17:33

housethatbuiltme · 23/10/2025 17:07

EA dont 'progress' anything though.

The list houses, book viewings, take offer, do very basic checks, then send the memorandum. After that their job is basically done except the sorting times for surveys and final visits.

Progressing from the memorandum and dealing with the buyers questions around time frames is solely on the solicitors and not something EA can answer.

You seem to be expected the wrong thing and blaming them for stuff they have zero control over.

Show quote history

Good agents do, our agent had a person dedicated to progressing. Kept our difficult sale alive.

TMMC1 · 23/10/2025 17:59

Change agent.
And not to one with a 6month contract, that ridiculous and very old school. Don't get yourself stuck again.

XVGN · 24/10/2025 07:13

KingMungBean · 23/10/2025 17:33

Good agents do, our agent had a person dedicated to progressing. Kept our difficult sale alive.

Show quote history

Absolutely. Many EA's aren't the sharpest tools in the box, but some do want to get paid for the work they have done so they actively manage their sales pipeline either in house or even by using a third party company who specialise in this.

Check if your EA does this. If they don't then you should seriously look elsewhere.

rainingsnoring · 24/10/2025 14:47

It sounds like you need to change agent. See if you can persuade the current ones to let you out of contract early and don't change another who insists on such a long contract again. Choose someone who will progress any future sell. That is where a good estate agent becomes really useful.

rubberduck68 · 25/10/2025 11:17

You need a new agent. They should not have accepted an offer on your behalf unless that buyer had a mortgage in principal, and as your house is only 3 years old I doubt it was anything in a survey that came up to put the lender off, so it will be the buyer's income or position. No offers should be accepted without proof that someone can afford to buy your house; that is one of many bare minimums that an agent should be doing on your behalf. Ask in your road who has had a good experience with an agent, and go with them. Good luck finding your next home for your growing family - it will happen for you.