Ditching agents but NOW they're booking viewings - what to do?

[frazzledgirl]

We signed up with a big agent eight weeks ago. They have been, to put it mildly, sh*te - over-valued to get us to sign, then pressured us to reduce the price, no visible effort after the first two weeks, no board up for first six weeks (and then had one put up for a rival agency...).

We gave them notice two weeks ago, and the sole agency ends tomorrow.

And - amazingly - we had two viewings yesterday (first in a month). They?ve asked if we?re prepared to have another one (conducted by ourselves) on Saturday. Blithely ignoring that we?ve terminating their services tomorrow. Am actually quite annoyed about it.

But what to do? We had agreed to sign with another agency - but haven't yet. We've had an offer accepted, so need to sell ASAP.

I really don't want to pay this useless shower a penny. I don't want to get in some kind of legal wrangle with agents. But I can't afford to miss a potential sale.

WWYD?

Do they have you tied in for a certain period of time?

It was an eight-week sole agency agreement, we gave them notice as per the contract that we were ending the agreement on the last day of the eight weeks.

The notice was 16 days before, BTW, just realised that sounded like we'd given notice ON the last day...

It's a tough one, they are obv trying to keep your business (and most probably another 8 weeks, sneaky blighters) and you need to sell asap, they sort of have you by the short and curlies...grr. I have no idea what I'd do. Sneaky but maybe get them to do the viewing tomorrow?

I'd not sign up with them again though. I'd rather lose the viewing and go with someone else who might get you a few viewings in the next couple of weeks. Am rambling but can you maybe delay your moving in date on the new place to give a bit of breathing space?

Wrote out a nice long post and the PC ate it

So let me try again:

Have spoken to new agent. They say why not have the weekend viewing, but they'd have a problem with any booked next week.

I agree. I phone the soon-to-be-ditched agent and get the manager, making the point that our agreement is about to end.

He ignores that point and says he'll try to arrange to do the viewing on Sat. I am too chicken to say 'and I'll be in tomorrow to get my keys, and you can take yer farking board down as well'. So now I have to do that in another convo later. Grrrr.

No wiggle room on timings, BTW, because we need to sell to get the deposit for the next place. Urgh.

Hi

We had a similar thing - with one EA for 4 months - very little interest, no feedback etc etc. The day I gave them notice we had a viewing which then led to an offer the next day (too low though) and was followed during the remainder of the notice period by a lot more viewings. Very interesting I think. Our new EA was so much better though - really pulled out all the stops and we sold within a week of them taking over - ended up with 3 offers on one day - one for the asking price. Quite amazing really.

Best of luck with your new agent.

Hi - lurked on other threads similar and there are anocdotes of EA getting friends around for 'viewings' when the vendor threatens to leave.

Not had any experiences mself to add - I hope you sell quickly

I'm betting that this agency begins with an 'F' and has an 'X' in the middle. From my experience of friends selling houses these are unlikely to be real potential buyers. The manager didn't accidently ignore your point about the agreement being about to end, he has plenty of experience of strong-arming clients into staying with his agency.

Actually it wasn't that one, it was one which has a name vaguely similar to a v important internal organ .

I am not sure whether they're actually making up the viewings (and I did see one of y'day's bookings, and she had her mum with her which seems pretty realistic to me) or have realised that we're not going to sit there for months and months and months and wait for people to chance along and buy the place, which means they're going to have to do some work for their three grand.

I think the latter makes me angrier, because it suggests that what they've been doing all along is what I'd suspected - i.e. nothing much!

What a useless profession. Seem completely unable to grasp long-term consequences, and also still think it's still 2004 and people will break their necks to give them money so they needn't do anything but wait.

I know for a fact that some agents get "viewers" around who are either friends or work in other branches when clients threaten to walk away. The fact that they are not even prepared to show someone around themselves on a Saturday says a lot about their commitment to your home.

If viewers are really keen they will be keeping an eye on the local market and will see your house when it goes up with another agency either through the board or on the internet.

I thought that, too (about the commitment, that is). And I wouldn't doubt you about the fake viewers - a close friend once worked at an estate agency which was 'exposed' on TV, and some of the things they were doing were far, far worse.

Manager claims they're fully booked with viewings all day, and that (with air of menace) this gentleman has four flats to view and is in a very good position to buy - and I do want to get an offer, don't I?

They are bluffing - they have booked someone to show this guy four flats, it would be no effort to get the agent to stop by at yours as well if they thought he was really going to buy it. They either don't think he is going to buy it (because he isn't a real buyer) or they are trying to gauge how desperate you are. If they have booked him four separate viewings where the owners will show him around then they definitely don't think he will buy.

Progress - sent (braver and chippier) DH round just now to terminate the agreement and get our keys back.

But we've confirmed the viewing for tomorrow, the manager said. Not with my wife, you haven't - she's still waiting for your call, said DH.

Manager claimed he couldn't find the termination letter. Backed down when DH pointed out I'd handed it over in person, and offered to email a copy.

AND provided us (on demand) a list of viewings. The six which happened, the one booked for tomorrow, and one no-show. No mention of the other three no-shows, which makes me think they didn't exist. Tw*ts.

So on to the next agent, wish us luck!

You did the right thing. Good luck.