Estate Agents

You're paying them a lot of money!

They should be polite and professional but obviously they are not doing their job properly and keeping you informed.

Should you be liaising with your solicitor at this stage?

I’m in same position and I ring my solicitor who you really should get updates from at this stage. My exchange should be today but the solicitors are not all ready so it looks like next week now. Ring your solicitor asap, they are working for you so use them for updates.

My, thankfully limited, experience of estate agents is that once they have you locked into the process of selling or buying they do not feel the need to do anything and seem to resent having to deal with any further inquiries. I suppose they see their job as being over once the sale has started going through.

Twice I have put in an offer through an estate agent and been left in limbo for weeks only to find that, in one case the property had been taken off the market and in another case the estate knew that the seller had already accepted an offer through a different estate agent but did not see the need to inform me.

Thank you for your responses. Also it could be the case once they have got you locked in their job is done and they don’t feel they have to be polite…. 😞

They should always be polite but is it possible that you are Coe ting them to do things that they don’t actually have the power to do and that you need to be contacting your solicitor instead?

Once it’s in the solicitors’ hands there may be little the estate agent can do except contact solicitors on your behalf.

asking them

The Estate Agent I used to sell had a "Sales Coordinator" who was allegedly the conduit between all other agents and solicitors in the chain. I think there were 5 of us in the chain.

She never seemed to be available to speak to and on the odd occasion she did phone me it was to tell me something I already knew.

I was like their prodigal daughter when I was making the decision as to which agent to use to sell my property. They were fairly reasonable with the selling process but once the property went under offer, rather than carry on treating me as the prodigal daughter, I think they had me adopted .

It does seem that the once the deal is done they lose interest - unless it all falls through of course.

Allira

You're paying them a lot of money!

They should be polite and professional but obviously they are not doing their job properly and keeping you informed.

Should you be liaising with your solicitor at this stage?

I face to face interview estate agents ( and lawyers, tradesmen, nannies, cleaners, anybody paid direct by me)) to find out if we'll fit. I don't employ any one who revealed they are idiots , liars or conmen. Their business skills and ethics have been put to the test during these discussions and if they failed the test they don't get the job.

BEFORE the chosen appointee gets the job we've already negotiated their charges, percentages and fee (in writing) and agreed our respective roles.

Who does what and when.
EA's job is to produce the first draft of sales brochure/ web page; for our discussion and editing before release. Then they advertise the property (in agreed places) , field the responses, make viewing appts. I conduct all viewings myself and take notes on all viewers to discuss with agent when he provides their feedback.

My EA has nothing whatever to do with negotiating price, terms, dates, etc with prospective buyers. All offers must be made formally in writing, by their lawyer, to my lawyer. Once a sale is agreed. all negotiations are conducted between our lawyers.

Magenta8

My, thankfully limited, experience of estate agents is that once they have you locked into the process of selling or buying they do not feel the need to do anything and seem to resent having to deal with any further inquiries. I suppose they see their job as being over once the sale has started going through.

Twice I have put in an offer through an estate agent and been left in limbo for weeks only to find that, in one case the property had been taken off the market and in another case the estate knew that the seller had already accepted an offer through a different estate agent but did not see the need to inform me.

My EA 's were instructed to tell anyone interested making an offer, that my lawyer only considers offers in writing from a lawyer employed by the prospective buyer.

This eliminates timewasters who haven't even hired a lawyer to handle the biggest conveyance of their life.

We sold our house 10 days ago and are buying one at present.

Throughout the period of selling and buying we have been constantly in touch with our 2 estate agents, currently daily and they have been nothing but astoundimgly helpful all the time. Our purchasing Estate Agent has been aabsolutely superb inhis dealings with a very difficult vendor and her even more difficult sister.

Mind you our first selling estate agent was not very good so after a few months we took our house sale away from him and found a new agent.

Both our agents have earned every penny of their fairly high commission.

By the way we did everything butteraandjam recommends and still ended up with a lousy estate agent.

Just because they cross all the Ts and dot all the Is and their paperwork and presentation, personal and business, is impeccable does not stop them then providing poor and indifferent service.

butterandjam

Allira

You're paying them a lot of money!

They should be polite and professional but obviously they are not doing their job properly and keeping you informed.

Should you be liaising with your solicitor at this stage?

I face to face interview estate agents ( and lawyers, tradesmen, nannies, cleaners, anybody paid direct by me)) to find out if we'll fit. I don't employ any one who revealed they are idiots , liars or conmen. Their business skills and ethics have been put to the test during these discussions and if they failed the test they don't get the job.

BEFORE the chosen appointee gets the job we've already negotiated their charges, percentages and fee (in writing) and agreed our respective roles.

Who does what and when.
EA's job is to produce the first draft of sales brochure/ web page; for our discussion and editing before release. Then they advertise the property (in agreed places) , field the responses, make viewing appts. I conduct all viewings myself and take notes on all viewers to discuss with agent when he provides their feedback.

My EA has nothing whatever to do with negotiating price, terms, dates, etc with prospective buyers. All offers must be made formally in writing, by their lawyer, to my lawyer. Once a sale is agreed. all negotiations are conducted between our lawyers.

I'm confused.

It was Rainbow24 asking a question which I answered.
Now you're answering my post as if I meant it for you.
I didn't, unless you are also Rainbow24 perhaps?

When the property sale is almost up to the Exchange state, then the work of the EA is long past.
It is all now in the hands of the Solicitors - so no use contacting the EA for information. Go to your solicitor.
Who is delaying things? Your Solicitor or the purchasers?
Often delays are caused by lack of office staff in the Solicitors.

It is the file on top of the pile that gets attended to first. And the way to get and keep your file on the top is to contact your solicitor regularly to find out what is happening.

I must say when I moved from London back in 2019, I had a wonderful lady at the EA's. No doubt without her I would not have made the move. When my sale fell through right before the end, she was the one who came round to tell me personally (and I did cry on her shoulder). She asked for a further month, I was reluctant, but gave in and within four days she had re-sold my house at a higher amount than the ones who had pulled out. She followed it through to the end. Spent a whole day on the phone trying to contact the 'web solicitors' of the people at the bottom of the chain.

On the day of the move it was she who stayed in contact with me regarding the movement of the monies. It was she who told me the keys to my flat were now ready to collect at 1.30 pm. It was past 4 pm that day when my solicitors came through to me saying the keys were ready to collect!!!!a

Did get her flowers, wine and chocolates.

When the property sale is almost up to the Exchange state, then the work of the EA is long past.

Oh no it isn't, our problem lies with the behaviour of our vendor and her sister who lives in the property but not as a tenant. We have had to use the charm and persuasive powers of her estate agent to get an agreement on a completion date, which kept being changed and is still longer than normal and we still lack the signed consent form from the resident to say she will move out. The form has been with the vendor and her sister, but just not signed and returned. the estate agent has been trying to encourage the two of them to sort the form and return it.

Fortunately our solicitor insisted that we had to have a certificate to say that the central heating boiler had been serviced. We couldn't see the point, we were planning to replace the boiler anyway. Anyway, the service was done, the boiler was condemned, and disconnected. Faced with no hotwater and no heat when the weather gets colder, it looks as if the occupier is on the move - but still no form.

Allira

butterandjam

Allira

You're paying them a lot of money!

They should be polite and professional but obviously they are not doing their job properly and keeping you informed.

Should you be liaising with your solicitor at this stage?

I face to face interview estate agents ( and lawyers, tradesmen, nannies, cleaners, anybody paid direct by me)) to find out if we'll fit. I don't employ any one who revealed they are idiots , liars or conmen. Their business skills and ethics have been put to the test during these discussions and if they failed the test they don't get the job.

BEFORE the chosen appointee gets the job we've already negotiated their charges, percentages and fee (in writing) and agreed our respective roles.

Who does what and when.
EA's job is to produce the first draft of sales brochure/ web page; for our discussion and editing before release. Then they advertise the property (in agreed places) , field the responses, make viewing appts. I conduct all viewings myself and take notes on all viewers to discuss with agent when he provides their feedback.

My EA has nothing whatever to do with negotiating price, terms, dates, etc with prospective buyers. All offers must be made formally in writing, by their lawyer, to my lawyer. Once a sale is agreed. all negotiations are conducted between our lawyers.

I'm confused.

It was Rainbow24 asking a question which I answered.
Now you're answering my post as if I meant it for you.
I didn't, unless you are also Rainbow24 perhaps?

I am not Rainbow and I know you are not.
. I was responding to your post, (Allira), expanding on your comment about "liasing with solicitor" with my view of the different roles of EA and solicitor/lawyer. HTH

M0nica

^When the property sale is almost up to the Exchange state, then the work of the EA is long past.^

Oh no it isn't, our problem lies with the behaviour of our vendor and her sister who lives in the property but not as a tenant. We have had to use the charm and persuasive powers of her estate agent to get an agreement on a completion date, which kept being changed and is still longer than normal and we still lack the signed consent form from the resident to say she will move out. The form has been with the vendor and her sister, but just not signed and returned. the estate agent has been trying to encourage the two of them to sort the form and return it.

Fortunately our solicitor insisted that we had to have a certificate to say that the central heating boiler had been serviced. We couldn't see the point, we were planning to replace the boiler anyway. Anyway, the service was done, the boiler was condemned, and disconnected. Faced with no hotwater and no heat when the weather gets colder, it looks as if the occupier is on the move - but still no form.

The vendor sisters have employed an estate agent who works only for them and is obliged to follow their instructions .

Their "charming" EA has no doubt been instructed to say whatever it takes keep you dangling on a string until it suits them to complete.

I’m bought and sold stc but there is a long chain. My solicitors tell me they can only deal with the solicitors either side of me, not the whole of the chain… that is for the EAs.

Like the OP and others on here my EAs treat me with contempt now , tell me untruths about the chain and only become animated when they know it’s about to collapse. Once you’re tied into a contract they don’t care

Rainbow24

Morning, I just wanted to know what is the acceptable amount of pushing and contact does one have with an estate agent who is selling your house. We are close to exchanging and there is a lot of dragging of heels. I have to contact the agent for any information and they are so rude and condescending. Unless I ask a question they do not push for an answer. When I call them it’s like I am bothering them. A call once or twice a week is it too much? So stressful!

You needed to ask the estate agent all those questions before employing them.

. I explain exactly what my requirements and expectations are; we discuss all fees and negotiate the fixed costs and any variable contingencies. We agree frequency of contact , who (named person at agency) , when and how. All to be confirmed in writing. By the end of that discussion all cards are on the table and any who don't make the grade won't get the job.

My estate agents only involvement is to advertise the property , make appointments to view, and share viewer feedback with me . They never, ever negotiate or discuss offers, price, terms or entry dates with viewers or buyers. That is a condition of working for me.

I employ my own trusted lawyer who has no connection to the estate agent.
All offers must be made in writing, by a lawyer, to my lawyer, and all negotiations during the conveyance are between lawyers.

I watch the Panorama programme the other day and was amazed at what some estate agents get up to. Required watching if you are in the buying, selling process at the moment.
Luckily I live in a community where I know the agents and feel happy that those that I have used in the past have done their best for me.
They are going to earn a lot of money when they sell your house so they have a duty to be pleasant to you and have your best interests at heart.

Well whoopy doo butter and jam, you sound like someone who really knows what they’re doing. Sadly for many of us we only move occasionally, make judgements as best we can, and suffer from poor treatment by unscrupulous Estate Agents

Saltyspecs do you mean me?

No, I didn’t, I meant butter and jam… sorry for the confusion

A bit ‘high horsy’ butter and jam, you may have been aiming for ‘informative’ but it came across as ‘go to the back of the class’.

Sorry Saltyspecs I didn’t realise that butterandjam was a poster!
If you put an* before and after a posters name it makes it easier to pick out.

I have just sold (Subject to contract).
My estate agent negotiated the offer.
That's usual practice. Legal people become involved following an acceptance of offer.
A couple of days ago I had an offer accepted on the house I want to buy. Again the negotiations were done by the vendor's estate agent.
Identity checks were done by the estate agents in both cases and solicitors details taken.
I was also required by my solicitor to complete the eConsultLegal identity check (via the app).