Estate agent issue...

[magnatom]

We are trying to sell our house (oh what fun) and after receiving some notes of interest we went to a closing date (yesterday). Unfortunately none of the interested parties decided to offer.

Yesterday I had a chat with the estate agen who suggested that we go to a fixed price below the home report valuation. I can understand this as our valuation was just above the current starting point for stamp duty.

The problem is, that this will make buying the house we want very difficult, and so my wife and I want a day or two to consider our options. Therefore, we didn't give them the go ahead to change to fixed price or to suggest that the lower price would be acceptable.

However, my wife phoned the estate agent today posing as a 'prospective buyer' to see what the agent is saying at the moment. Apparently, they are suggesting that the lower price would be acceptable to us. Surely they have no right to say that, as we have not given them the go ahead.

I will be phoning them up tomorrow, once we have made our decision. I just wondered where I stand with this issue. Have they broken their contract with us? Is it worth pulling them up about this?

 

[dan_bo]

I haven't read the post, but just go and stove the f*****s' head in anyway.

 

[magnatom]

I haven't read the post, but just go and stove the f*****s' head in anyway.

 

[Globalti]

They're all lying scum.

 

[magnatom]

Having spoken to my wife again... it seems that they suggested that 20% over the asking price (Scotland remember) is the norm, fair enough. but when pushed for a figure the agent went away to chat to someone and came back with a figure that was 10% over, not 20% (the figure they are suggesting that we fix at).

Surely that suggests (shock horror) that they aren't trying to get the best price for us after all, just trying to make a quick buck.

In some ways I'm not entirely surprised, but shocked that it was so blatant and that we caught them.

 

[gaz]

Having spoken to my wife again... it seems that they suggested that 20% over the asking price (Scotland remember) is the norm, fair enough. but when pushed for a figure the agent went away to chat to someone and came back with a figure that was 10% over, not 20% (the figure they are suggesting that we fix at).

Surely that suggests (shock horror) that they aren't trying to get the best price for us after all, just trying to make a quick buck.

In some ways I'm not entirely surprised, but shocked that it was so blatant and that we caught them.

Thats what they are going to do in this situation, at the end of the day the repeat custom they get from customers isn't high, thus they don't mind just trying to get the sale.

 

[Crackle]

I know from friends there's a lot of fixed price stuff on the market up in Scotland at the moment. They themselves are only looking at fixed price houses, so might be the way to go Maggers to buy and to sell.

As for estate agents.........

 

[Dayvo]

Mags! Have you considered selling your own house?

I haven't a clue about it, but know of people who have sold successfully, quickly and with both parties getting a good deal!

Have a look at this choice of sites!

http://www.bing.com/search?q=selling+your+own+house+in+scotland&go=&form=QBRE&filt=all

 

[Dayvo]

Oh, and make sure the guest room has an east-facing bedroom!

 

[ChrisKH]

Oh, and make sure the guest room has an east-facing bedroom!

I didn't know Davyo was a Muslim.

 

[magnatom]

Crackle,

Yes there is a lot of fixed price. We went with this agent as they were more agressive and suggested that the subtle change in the market meant that offers over was the way to go. It nearly worked, we had interest, it just didn't turn into offers.

Our problem now is that at the fixed price they suggest we could probably just about manage, but the way the market is, if I see a fixed price i would offer below it.

The problem is we really want to move. Mrs magnatom is due to pop a sprog in January. We need to register our oldest kid for school in January (for start in August. Not too fussed for the local school) and we need more room (no real option for expansion).

Oh poo.

 

[Dayvo]

I didn't know Davyo was a Muslim.

El-Brentwood is a strange place! A Mecca for many!

 

[nosherduke996]

Why bother with estate agent.You can save loads of money by selling the house yourself, its easy with the internet.

 

[ChrisKH]

Crackle,

Yes there is a lot of fixed price. We went with this agent as they were more agressive and suggested that the subtle change in the market meant that offers over was the way to go. It nearly worked, we had interest, it just didn't turn into offers.

Our problem now is that at the fixed price they suggest we could probably just about manage, but the way the market is, if I see a fixed price i would offer below it.

The problem is we really want to move. Mrs magnatom is due to pop a sprog in January. We need to register our oldest kid for school in January (for start in August. Not too fussed for the local school) and we need more room (no real option for expansion).

Oh poo.

And the Agent can probably sense that, hence their suggestion. You just haven't found the right buyer yet. It's your call, but I hate Estate Agents.

 

[magnatom]

Selling on my own isn't really an option. When you sign up with an estate agent you sign selling rights to them for a period of time. So even if I advertised it elsewhere, they would still take their cut.