Had the same years ago, offered the asking price which was accepted, a week later or so had a letter saying they had another offer (after agreeing to take it off the market ). So I upped our offer by 20k, which they accepted kept on looking and found another house that we liked and backed out of the deal around 4 weeks later, as far as I was concerned there maybe there was no other buyer or if there was they wanted to screw us for more with no concern to the agreement of taking it off the table.
Disappointed with estate agents
- Thread starter Crizzy
- Start date
I've bought 3 houses and each one after having our offer accepted 3-4 weeks later the EA has contacted us to say another party is interested in the property and has made a higher offer. The first one we couldn't afford to pay any more so didn't have an option but to hold out at the agreed price, at which point the other party mysteriously disappeared. We could have upped our offer on the other two but I refused and again they didn't materialise. It was a different agent each time.
Im sure it does happen but they use it as a stock tactic to squeeze the naive, they are professional liars.
Im sure it does happen but they use it as a stock tactic to squeeze the naive, they are professional liars.
Last time I bought I told them my offer was conditional on it being completely removed from all platforms. I think it probably led them to demand a slightly higher price, but it was worth it to me.
I did check on first working day after the offer was accepted and saw it on Rightmove, so rang the agent to check. They apologised for what they claimed was a total mistake and an hour later it was gone.
Whether it would have made a difference in your case, I have no idea. They could easily telephone with an offer and the agent couldn't ignore it. But certainly for me, I would not bother with a property where they want to keep it up on windows, websites etc.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 21 Jun 2006
- Posts
- 38,372
In Scotland anything can happen until the missives are signed.
So yeah people can do whatever they want up here too it's no different what so ever.
Here in fact houses tend to sell in a blind auction to the highest bidder usually a closing date and homes go for 20% over the asking price in sought after areas if valued correctly.
It's not always a blind auction or closing date in Scotland but is quite frequent for popular properties, you want to avoid these if your a buyer as it'll cost you more.
We had solicitors/estate agents use us in quite a manipulative way. We were moving to the north of Scotland and saw a house we liked but when I called it was sold subject to contract, no viewings possible but they took my details. A month or so later they got back in contact to say the purchaser was dragging their feet and the sellers were considering putting it back on the market, would I like to view it. So I got the other half and our boy on a flight up, booked hotel, viewed the property, liked it put in an offer and got our hopes up etc. However all the estate agent was doing was using us as a pawn to push the original buyers in to action which worked as we didn't get the house. The solicitors/EAs had no thoughts or concerns to what their actions had cost us or even the original buyers who could have been pushed to the wayside.
We had solicitors/estate agents use us in quite a manipulative way. We were moving to the north of Scotland and saw a house we liked but when I called it was sold subject to contract, no viewings possible but they took my details. A month or so later they got back in contact to say the purchaser was dragging their feet and the sellers were considering putting it back on the market, would I like to view it. So I got the other half and our boy on a flight up, booked hotel, viewed the property, liked it put in an offer and got our hopes up etc. However all the estate agent was doing was using us as a pawn to push the original buyers in to action which worked as we didn't get the house. The solicitors/EAs had no thoughts or concerns to what their actions had cost us or even the original buyers who could have been pushed to the wayside.
That's awful, it's all starting to put me off the whole concept of moving and go for an extension instead, but I'd feel guilty about letting our buyers down as I know they are dead keen.
It's a horrible business this.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 21 Jun 2006
- Posts
- 38,372
It's only a horrible business because for some reason only an estate agent can put an ad on right move and there are so many idiots out there. I've seen so many time wasters both buyers and sellers you have to do what you can and that includes screwing people over and calling time wasters out to get a deal done.
If someone puts an offer in for my house there is no way I would take it off the market unless they gave me a non refundable deposit or signed the missives until that was done it's on the market.
We saw another property which I did get to view myself, but before I could get the family to view it the house was taken off the market the next day due to an offer "considerably" over the asking price, no more viewings possible. What was funny was that the offer they accepted was £20k less than what I was prepared to pay. You can see where the closing date option can be profitable for sellers and estate agents alike.
It's not all doom and gloom. The next property I saw trumped them all and I was first to view it, put in an offer an hour after viewing it without the other half even stepping foot in it
. It's where we live now 
. Their estate agent was great, probably the easiest sale of their life. I think I had got used to the market by then, watched the housing market websites like a hawk, alerts everywhere and had my (local to the area) solicitor primed should a place come up.
Soldato
Only 400k?? You'd be looking at about 600k here I reckon. My 3 bed just cost us 515k
Soldato
It’s madness isn’t it I live in Yorkshire so you’d think property would be vaguely affordable! I own what was a first time buyers home less that 20 years ago and now I don’t see how a first time buyer gets anything beyond a crummy new build flat. I can’t see my kids getting on the ladder until I die and even then if social care isn’t fixed they will get nothing anyway while the rich get even richer on the rental income!
Soldato
Snip double post of doom!