Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Are all estate agents the same?

Options
  • 10-01-2014 3:26pm
    #1
    lucanone
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭


    looking to buy a property in the Celbridge/Maynooth area. I have made and offer to the estate agent on a property and he said he would check with his client.

    I received no word back after days so decided to ring him but no answer and left a message.

    got a call back saying offer rejected so decided to put in our last possible offer. he said he would reply in the morning and that was days ago.

    firstly i have my suspicions whether he contacted the client at all and was just trying to get me to lift my offer.

    but now no response at all...should i contact him again or is he just letting me stew.

    I'm new to all this as first time buyer but feel like I'm being messed around,

    well known agent in this area too.

    any advice what to do would be great.

    Thank you in advance for any help.:)


«134

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 68,900 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    In North Kildare/West Dublin, pretty much yes actually... experience range from one actually demanding to see my mortgage approval letter (so they could see the amount, clearly) through to another getting snotty when I mentioned the then looming property price register - and it turned out she had inflated the price she was claiming somewhere sold for.


  • Options
    #3
    lucanone
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭lucanone


    Would you call them or wait MYOB if you were in my boots?

    cheers


  • Options
    #4
    drquirky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭drquirky


    In my experience. Estate agents tend to be lying scumbags bereft of any moral compass. They are simply not to be trusted. Ireland's property market will continue to be one of the most corrupt property markets in the world if the current complete lack of regulation is allowed to continue.


  • Options
    #5
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 68,900 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    lucanone wrote: »
    Would you call them or wait MYOB if you were in my boots?

    cheers

    If its the agent I'm guessing it is, he's the most forgetful person I've ever dealt with so call him.


  • Options
    #6
    Wabbit Ears
    Registered Users Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭Wabbit Ears


    yes, an estate agents job is to get as much money out of you as physically possible so they can get more in their percentage of the sale. They don't work for you so treat every interaction with them with suspicion, contempt and with the full knowledge they ARE out to get you, because that's their job.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    IF the estate agent is open tomorrow, contact them and say your offer stands until noon on Monday otherwise you will withdraw said offer.

    Always be prepared to walk away -if you fall in love with a property you will be your own worst enemy.

    If he's not there tomorrow, contact him first thing monday morning and give him until 5 p.m. Monday.

    Always put a time frame in the picture.


  • Options
    #8
    lucanone
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭lucanone


    Will bell him Monday..can't go any higher than I have which is a very reasonable offer indeed.

    Thanks for the advice all.

    Hope it goes well but I will walk away if I have to.

    Thanks again


  • Options
    #9
    Zzippy
    Registered Users Posts: 14,166 ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    Read this for an insight into why some estate agents don't come back to you sooner: http://premierpropertiesgalway.com/2013/09/how-to-deal-with-low-ball-offers/


  • Options
    #10
    BookBook
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭BookBook


    Zzippy wrote: »
    Read this for an insight into why some estate agents don't come back to you sooner: http://premierpropertiesgalway.com/2013/09/how-to-deal-with-low-ball-offers/


    Thanks so much for this Zzippy. I really think you should put this article up as a separate thread all on it's own.


  • Options
    #11
    caew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭caew


    I'm in a similar position.

    I put in an offer on a house last monday, the agent said they would ring me on the tuesday and didn't ring until Friday. She said they won't even consider my offer as it was too low. My reply being we must be near their price as it doesn't take 5 days to not consider an offer, some thought has gone into it.

    we upped our offer as it is a house we like and it is our final offer. We have been waiting three days for a reply, this time she didn't even give me a timeline for ringing back.

    I won't ring to follow up, I did the once and the agent said well if you want a response back quickly you need to up your offer. So I was immediately on the back foot.

    My opinion is that they want to have the offer there while they do further viewings so they can tell people there is an offer of X amount on the house. I know they can say that anyway if they want but I think they are buying time.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    dpofloinn
    Registered Users Posts: 744 ✭✭✭dpofloinn


    Yup every estate agent is slimey and snakey and would sell their mother to make an extra fiver.In the past I had to deal with one that kept trying to show us a 2 bed cottage on a main road with no parking despite the fact that we told him we were looking for a 4 bed away from main road turned out it was his parents cottage,dealt with another one who told us the seller had accepted our offer,lovely untill we went in to sign the relevant papers only to be told the seller no longer wanted to sell to us because they received a better offer,it later turned out that no other offer was made and was just the agent trying to screw more money out of us.So ya they are all the same if one tells you the sky is blue Id recommend looking outside just to be sure


  • Options
    #13
    zl1whqvjs75cdy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,042 ✭✭✭zl1whqvjs75cdy


    MAynooth/Celbridge is a nightmare at the moment. I live around there and have a friend looking to move to Maynooth. He says that houses have gone up 30K since the summer. Intel and Kerry group are really heating up the property market around here.


  • Options
    #14
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    caew wrote: »
    I'm in a similar position.

    I put in an offer on a house last monday, the agent said they would ring me on the tuesday and didn't ring until Friday. She said they won't even consider my offer as it was too low. My reply being we must be near their price as it doesn't take 5 days to not consider an offer, some thought has gone into it.

    we upped our offer as it is a house we like and it is our final offer. We have been waiting three days for a reply, this time she didn't even give me a timeline for ringing back.

    I won't ring to follow up, I did the once and the agent said well if you want a response back quickly you need to up your offer. So I was immediately on the back foot.

    My opinion is that they want to have the offer there while they do further viewings so they can tell people there is an offer of X amount on the house. I know they can say that anyway if they want but I think they are buying time.
    I bought a property in the last month and I dealt directly with the vendor.

    When house hunting and with an agent I always said that I was not interested in a price war with someone else and if someone else wanted the property they could count me out.


  • Options
    #15
    Marchbride
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭Marchbride


    odds_on wrote: »
    I bought a property in the last month and I dealt directly with the vendor.

    When house hunting and with an agent I always said that I was not interested in a price war with someone else and if someone else wanted the property they could count me out.

    Do you mind me asking how you dealt directly with vendor? As in did you approach vendor after seeing house advertised or was it someone you knew? Thanks a mill


  • Options
    #16
    Carbon125
    Registered Users Posts: 176 ✭✭Carbon125


    lucanone wrote: »
    Would you call them or wait MYOB if you were in my boots?
    I would try hard to find out who the seller is and deal with him directly. Not only are you being manipulated, as others have pointed out.
    It is also very likely that the estate agent hasn't even mentioned your offer to the seller...


  • Options
    #17
    SimonLynch
    Registered Users Posts: 424 ✭✭SimonLynch


    Zzippy wrote: »
    Read this for an insight into why some estate agents don't come back to you sooner: http://premierpropertiesgalway.com/2013/09/how-to-deal-with-low-ball-offers/

    From experience, you always get a low ball offer and I mean derisory offer, pretty sure it's the agent sizing you up.


  • Options
    #18
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    lucanone wrote: »
    can't go any higher than I have which is a very reasonable offer indeed.
    Always offer 20k less than your max, so you have some "wriggle" room.


  • Options
    #19
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    Marchbride wrote: »
    Do you mind me asking how you dealt directly with vendor? As in did you approach vendor after seeing house advertised or was it someone you knew? Thanks a mill
    The vendor was advertising the property himself. I didn't even pay the usual deposit as we both concluded that it was really a waste of time as it is refunded in the event of a withdrawal on my side.

    Anyway, he had all his paper work in order and an agreement with his bank. I found it much easier than dealing with EAs who really do naff all for their fees apart from putting up an advert on several sites.


  • Options
    #20
    Marchbride
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭Marchbride


    odds_on wrote: »
    The vendor was advertising the property himself. I didn't even pay the usual deposit as we both concluded that it was really a waste of time as it is refunded in the event of a withdrawal on my side.

    Anyway, he had all his paper work in order and an agreement with his bank. I found it much easier than dealing with EAs who really do naff all for their fees apart from putting up an advert on several sites.

    Oh that sounds so ideal odds on,
    And had he just listed it on my home etc and you came across it? Would love that as I always think EA are putting a spin on things it's annoying!


  • Options
    #21
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    Marchbride wrote: »
    Oh that sounds so ideal odds on,
    And had he just listed it on my home etc and you came across it? Would love that as I always think EA are putting a spin on things it's annoying!
    Listed on Daft.

    My only miss-givings was that he left the add up while the solicitors were drawing up contracts, which worried me that someone else might put in a better offer; but he was an honest bloke and had no problems that way in the end.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    lucanone
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭lucanone


    So I tried ringing him on Monday as people had recommended.
    No answer so sent him a text looking for an update which he did reply to quickly stating the vendor was considering my offer and he should have an answer that evening (Monday).

    i was delighted and was hopeful...

    no reply Monday
    no reply Tuesday (rang office and mobile and left messages with reception to contact me)
    no reply Wednesday

    so text him Wednesday and said i needed an answer either way as i was considering other properties.

    within minutes he replied saying our offer wasn't accepted. and we would have to offer 10k more (leaves it at 5k under asking) and stated that offer mightn't even seal the deal.

    i told him i was out and he cut me off saying if there's any change he'd let me know.


    very strange he had known that and hadn't bothered informing me.

    fair enough i mean i know they will try and get as much for the property as possible but i feel to this point the vendor is still unaware of the offers i have placed (15k under asking)

    there needs to be legislation put in place to make this process more transparent and stop the under handedness that is going on.

    its been a learning curve and i know you can't get emotionally attached to a property but after all isn't that what makes you put an offer down to start with.

    hope i never meet this lad as i found him rude and unprofessional an i hope i never have any dealings with him again.

    Thanks for all advice given.


  • Options
    #23
    BookBook
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭BookBook


    Sorry to hear that Lucanone. Hopefully the next property will be the one for you.


  • Options
    #24
    lucanone
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭lucanone


    cheers BookBook


  • Options
    #25
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    Marchbride wrote: »
    Oh that sounds so ideal odds on,
    And had he just listed it on my home etc and you came across it? Would love that as I always think EA are putting a spin on things it's annoying!
    On thinking about it, Daft could very easily, in the advanced search, have a box to tick if you only wanted to see adverts that were vendors selling - similar to the one that they have for people who don't mind / want to rent a room from an owner landlord.

    The could also do do with a check box for those who do NOT want to see auction sales.


  • Options
    #26
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    whats to stop people sending the seller a letter stating that they had made an offer and are uncertain if the offer has been passed on? with contact information?


  • Options
    #27
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    cerastes wrote: »
    whats to stop people sending the seller a letter stating that they had made an offer and are uncertain if the offer has been passed on? with contact information?
    Seller will probably still have to pay the EAs commission. Others don't want the hassle nor have the time or willingness.


  • Options
    #28
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    odds_on wrote: »
    Seller will probably still have to pay the EAs commission. Others don't want the hassle nor have the time or willingness.

    Might not want to but is there anything that prevents the seller from being in contact with a potential buyer if in an agreement with an EA. especially if it turns out an EA isn't passing on offers, whaat if the EA is thinking of a few quid extra on their commission, when a seller might be happy with a few thousand or a significant amount less if it meant they sold, at the least offers should always be passed on, but even with regulation how can that be assured.


  • Options
    #29
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    lucanone wrote: »
    i told him i was out and he cut me off saying if there's any change he'd let me know.


    very strange he had known that and hadn't bothered informing me.
    A suspected "trick" from boom times was the EA not getting any bids, and then getting the seller to take a low-ball offer... from a friend/relative of the EA. Thus, pop in to the next door of the house, and see if they'd pass the bid along.


  • Options
    #30
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    the_syco wrote: »
    A suspected "trick" from boom times was the EA not getting any bids, and then getting the seller to take a low-ball offer... from a friend/relative of the EA. Thus, pop in to the next door of the house, and see if they'd pass the bid along.

    You're saying the EA claims no bids and sells it to a friend for a low value, right?

    whats the last sentence mean?

    At first I thought you were going to suggest, if the EA was claiming to getting no bids, get a friend of the seller to make an offer and see if they pass it on to the seller, thus knowing if the EA was being upfront.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    lucanone
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭lucanone


    i managed to get the phone number of the vendor from doing a bit of detective work.
    so decided to ring the vendor.
    now you might think i have lost the plot but i really justed wanted to establish was the EA messing me around. fact is this estate agent has the lions share in celbridge maynooth and surrounding area so i may have to deal with them again.

    rang the vendor and told him i was sorry for annoying him but due to lack of communication with EA i was contacting him directly. he was a gent and spoke freely with me.

    i told him of my offer whichin fairness he told me he had received.

    BUT: he said he never declined offer which he is now considering which is totally contradictory to the EA said. he told me that it had been declined and i would need to step up at least a further 10k and even that may not seal deal.

    Fact is he is a complete and utter liar who as someone already mentioned is devoid of any moral compass. this lad is negiotiator for countless houses in this area so thats a lot of €'s being swindled from people who are trying to find a home.

    you may say this is common knowledge but as i already mentioned im a first time buyer who was unaware (naive) to this.

    Anyway vendor has told me he will discuss my offer further and may accept.
    All i wanted was fairness.


Advertisement