Letting agents...

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Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,054
Location
London
Are these people all the same?

i.e. after calling countless of them to enquire about flats, and arrange viewings - they are nothing but helpful, cheery, charming, and willing to do anything for you.

However, since giving my details for the holding deposit 6 days ago, and receiving the pdf receipt, and the reference forms to fill in - I have not heard a single thing from them in 5 days, and they had me pencilled in for moving in TOMORROW!
I've called and emailed several times, and I guess they're just too busy getting new customers in!

No doubt they won't call me back, so I'll have to call again after lunch. All I want is for someone to say "you're all set for tomorrow!".
No real point to the thread, but I never thought it would be so hard to talk to someone that you want to throw money at!
 
Yup, that's them. I was dealing with them last week, went and found a suitable apartment to move into, paid them the £500 holding deposit and ever since have yet to hear a word for them.

Before they had the deposit they were on the phone every few hours. Now, not a peep. Wonderful.
 
KingAdora said:
Are these people all the same?
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No, they're not. There are some very good ones out there. People who say "estate agents are all scum!!" clearly don't know what they're on about.

True, there are some very disreputable ones at the lower end of the market, but the higher you go, you'll come across more and more very good companies.

The rule of thumb with agents is to chase them all the time after you've paid your holding deposit. Don't sit back and wait for them to contact you - be proactive and get on the phone. Ask where the draft lease is, ask if they've made any changes to the flat you asked for, as who manages the property etc etc. Having been in this business for years, everything generally gets done at the last minute.
 
I'm not too worried if it's last minute, as long as it gets done! :D

I have to get the bankers draft today, and not having confirmation that I even have the flat, that is a tough thing to do... Tomorrow I have a lift organised to take me the 2 hour drive to London to exchange money for keys - and take all my belongings. So just a five second call or email would settle a lot of nerves.
I guess when I can afford a house at the high-end of the market, I'll be laughing......

Glad (and also sorry!) that you're in the same boat as me, Scuzi.
 
Lysander said:
No, they're not. There are some very good ones out there. People who say "estate agents are all scum!!" clearly don't know what they're on about.

True, there are some very disreputable ones at the lower end of the market, but the higher you go, you'll come across more and more very good companies.

The rule of thumb with agents is to chase them all the time after you've paid your holding deposit. Don't sit back and wait for them to contact you - be proactive and get on the phone. Ask where the draft lease is, ask if they've made any changes to the flat you asked for, as who manages the property etc etc. Having been in this business for years, everything generally gets done at the last minute.
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Let me guess, you're an estate/letting agent?

Maybe I'm just unlucky then. In the past 3 years I have moved house 5 times, this time will be my 6th. I have NEVER had a good experience with letting agents and I rarely deal with the 'lower' agents. I shouldn't have to pester them 3 times a week, they charge extortionate fees, they should be phoning me 3 times a week.

Bah humbug, I hate moving house :(
 
Scuzi said:
Let me guess, you're an estate/letting agent?

Maybe I'm just unlucky then. In the past 3 years I have moved house 5 times, this time will be my 6th. I have NEVER had a good experience with letting agents and I rarely deal with the 'lower' agents. I shouldn't have to pester them 3 times a week, they charge extortionate fees, they should be phoning me 3 times a week.

Bah humbug, I hate moving house :(
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No way, I'm a relocation agent [during the day anyway]. The main difference is that we show people properties and negotiate on their contracts for them and ensure the process is smooth. Basically we do the donkey work for them, though it does mean we have to deal with estate agents every day of the week.

As for always having bad experiences with agents, I'd say the majority of people have had bad experiences with them. A lot of agents screw people over because they're exploiting their ignorance about what's standard in the housing market, therefore they charge the high fees [which are, incidentally, fees for absolutely nothing] and mess people about because they can. If you were renting a place out for about £750 or more a week, you'd be dealing with a higher class of agent, but few of us here can afford that kind of rent.
 
Lysander said:
The rule of thumb with agents is to chase them all the time after you've paid your holding deposit. Don't sit back and wait for them to contact you - be proactive and get on the phone. Ask where the draft lease is, ask if they've made any changes to the flat you asked for, as who manages the property etc etc. Having been in this business for years, everything generally gets done at the last minute.
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Thats the thing that really irritates me about estate/letting agents! why should I have to chase them to do the job they have been payed to do I am after all the customer in case they haven't noticed. If I ignored my customers at work and waitied for them to chase me I would very quickly be facing a disiplinary!

The last time I rented a flat one of the biggest Estate Agents in the area very nearly made me and the misses homeless as they failed to give us the keys at several pre arranged times finally showing up on the saturday morning when we were parked outside with all our worldly possessions!

The whole business is a badly regulated joke.
 
Lysander said:
No, they're not. There are some very good ones out there. People who say "estate agents are all scum!!" clearly don't know what they're on about.

True, there are some very disreputable ones at the lower end of the market, but the higher you go, you'll come across more and more very good companies.
Click to expand...

I used Foxton's for 2 years in London and they were appalling! I would say they were fairly well established and at the upper end - certainly their prices were!
I use a company called Outlook who concentrate solely on a tiny catchment area in the Royal Docks, East London. They have thus far provided me with an exemplary service and are probably 1/10th the size of Foxton's.

Anyway, what renters must remember is that although Letting Agencies provide you with a service, they essentially work for the Landlord. Thus the Landlord(s) are the people they cater for on a whim and concentrate most their efforts on.
Letee's are essentially just the people who pay them ludicrous amounts of rent for terrible service! But, it's their percentage of the rent that they're interested in, which is agreed with the Landlord.
 
After a few more calls and no call backs, finally got through to the agent.. Apparently the references I sent never arrived at the 'referencing company' so they had to be sent through again and so the move in date has been pushed back.

I wonder how often that happens...
 
KingAdora said:
After a few more calls and no call backs, finally got through to the agent.. Apparently the references I sent never arrived at the 'referencing company' so they had to be sent through again and so the move in date has been pushed back.

I wonder how often that happens...
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It's lies. The eejit with the fat Matalan tie knot has forgotten all about you and is making up pathetic excuses.

Go down to their offices, they have nothing to hide behind. I find turning up at their office usually helps them to get their fingers out of their arses.
 
Jimmeh said:
I used Foxton's for 2 years in London and they were appalling! I would say they were fairly well established and at the upper end - certainly their prices were!
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Foxtons are the biggest exception to the 'high quality properties mean high quality agents' rule. They're well-known throughout the industry as being total sharks and well hated by most relocation agents and estate agents. However, their marketing is fantastic and they do have an amazing range of properties. It's just that they'll treat you like crap after you'd paid your holding deposit - and their admin fees are disgustingly high.

KingAdora said:
After a few more calls and no call backs, finally got through to the agent.. Apparently the references I sent never arrived at the 'referencing company' so they had to be sent through again and so the move in date has been pushed back
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Actually that sounds like quite a plausible reason to me!! Though it's the agent's fault for not chasing up the references and finding out why they hadn't come back yet.

In a situation like this it is the agent's fault that your move-in had been delayed. Ideally you should seek some form of compensation from them such as a reduction in rent for the first month. I can think of a few agents who would accept responsibility and give you this, but conversely they're the same agents who wouldn't make that kind of mistake in the first place.
 
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Scuzi said:
The eejit with the fat Matalan tie knot.
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So true....

I would just pop down but it's a good 2 hours journey away, and I've already wasted enough time on calls/emails/waiting. But I will call each day now, hopefully they'll get fed up of me...

They did mention not to get the draft anyway - as the balance would be less.. so I assume that means they won't be charging me what they've currently invoiced (rightly so).
 
Scuzi said:
Let me guess, you're an estate/letting agent?

Maybe I'm just unlucky then. In the past 3 years I have moved house 5 times, this time will be my 6th. I have NEVER had a good experience with letting agents and I rarely deal with the 'lower' agents. I shouldn't have to pester them 3 times a week, they charge extortionate fees, they should be phoning me 3 times a week.

Bah humbug, I hate moving house :(
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Whens the move to winch? Where you gonna be living ?
 
neil3k said:
Whens the move to winch? Where you gonna be living ?
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Getting the keys on 31st October (providing the letting agent gets their finger out!) and moving to Peninsula Square which is next to where the Round Table is. I think it used to be an old Army headquarters, there's an army museum in the grounds at the minute.

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Can't wait :D:D:D
 
:eek: ****'** Scuzi :D

I'm dealing with Rooftops in Macclesfield for my first place, not got a complaint with them so far - but then again nothing to praise them about either :o

They've got thier £117.50 admin fee, I'm sure they're happy :p
 
I have a question about when you move into a flat... How do you sort out the electric/gas bills? Do you just ring up whichever company you want to use and say you're a new tennant? Or do you have to find out who the current one is and call them?

Little confusing as when I was shown around, there was electricity... who pays for that electricity? I'm hoping I only pay from the day I move in!...
 
KingAdora said:
I have a question about when you move into a flat... How do you sort out the electric/gas bills? Do you just ring up whichever company you want to use and say you're a new tennant? Or do you have to find out who the current one is and call them?

Little confusing as when I was shown around, there was electricity... who pays for that electricity? I'm hoping I only pay from the day I move in!...
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Yup, that's right. Call up the company of your choosing, tell them you've just moved in and they'll charge you from the day you move in. They should send someone around to take an opening meter reading within a week or so of you moving in. It's the same for the water although I believe you are limited to one provider which provides for your area.
 
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