What do you think? Is EA selling us short?

fifigogo

A bit of background first: (apologies for the long post)

My brother and I put our house up for sale a couple of months ago and at the time we decided not to go with an EA to save a few quid. We had a few viewings but buyers were aware of the fact we didn't have an EA to negotiate for us so they were bidding well below the asking price and nit picking at everything to get the price down. The last lady who viewed the house was very interested and had a surveyor (her brother) out to check all is ok, which it is but she said she couldn't offer the asking price. I didn't hear from her for a week but in that week I was contacted by an EA who said he could get us a much higher amount for our house and he wanted to meet with us and get the business so we agreed.He told us about a house he represented on our road and said they got a considerable amount above their asking price. He told us there are buyers very interested in our property and may be able to get 30k+ more for us as our house is better condition than the one he sold down the road. My brother and I decided to go with him. EA increased our asking price by 5k and advertised as per usual. At the same time my brother and I were meeting the EA and considering things, the lady came back to me via email with a very low offer and wanted her mam to view the house. I rejected the offer. She said she was prepared to offer the (original) asking price but her mam had to view the property first. At this point my brother and I already agreed to go with EA and I told the lady that she can, if still interested, enter the bidding process through the EA. She said NO.

Last Monday the For Sale sign went up. On the Wednesday the EA called me and said the lady who'd viewed the house with me twice offered 15k above our asking price. The EA said he knew this lady as she was bidding on a few houses in our area but was out bid and that this is a great first offer for us (even though technically it wasn't her first offer, it's her third). The EA said it might be good to consider it as the phone "wasn't hopping" for viewings of our house. He said he'd see if she can go higher so the following day he called me and said she went up 1k more and that was final offer and we should really consider it as even though there were enquiries about our house, buyers only offered the asking price and not more. He said more houses are going for sale in the area and the lady may bid on another house.

So although the offer is a good offer, it's not the kind of offer the EA said we could get when we first met him plus why all of a sudden was he singing a different tune just a few days after the For Sale sign went up? This guy is getting his fee 1.25% of the sale price with 23% vat on the fee. He didn't even do a viewing and his advert was so average with bad photos. The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get. I feel like there's something underhanded going on. Am I over-reacting?

blindside88

Maybe I'm missing something but he's getting the same lady to pay €16k more than she was willing to pay when dealing with you? If that's the case and you were happy to take the asking price I'd be over the moon if I were you. I'd nearly name my first child after him if he got me €16k more than I wanted. I assume the €16k far outstrips his fee unless you're selling a very expensive house

wellwhynot

As above I am not sure what the problem is. He has got you 16k more than what you have got. I assume his fee is less than 16k so hiring him was a good decision.

wordofwarning

OP the estate agent wants to close ASAP as an extra €1k is only worth another €12.5 in commission for him. He is hardly going to be praying for more notional amounts being bidded on the property.

Ask him for a viewing if you want one. At the end of the day you got your asking price. You can demand a viewing etc if you really want it

fifigogo

blindside88 wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something but he's getting the same lady to pay €16k more than she was willing to pay when dealing with you? If that's the case and you were happy to take the asking price I'd be over the moon if I were you. I'd nearly name my first child after him if he got me €16k more than I wanted. I assume the €16k far outstrips his fee unless you're selling a very expensive house

Yes it's the same lady. She contacted him as I gave her the info if she wanted to enter the bidding process. The EA will get around 6k from that so we're getting an extra 9k (15k above the asking price) which is good yes.

An extra 9k and you're asking if that's good?

What's wrong with you

fifigogo

The EA didn't have to do anything. He only negotiated an extra 1k from the buyer. She made the offer after I emailed her his details and what he was 'expecting' us to get for the property from other buyers interested in properties in our area. She had already lost out to other bidders on other houses so I guess she wanted to secure this property. He even admitted she made the offer of her own accord.

fifigogo

Deleted User wrote: »

An extra 9k and you're asking if that's good?

What's wrong with you

It's actually well below what he had promised us when he was making his sales pitch. That's my point.

fifigogo

Deleted User wrote: »

An extra 9k and you're asking if that's good?

What's wrong with you

I wasn't asking if it is good. I was agreeing it is still a good offer

astrofool

I'd look at it as the house has been on for a few months, and hasn't really got people jumping at it since then. The EA can only operate on people who bid, and the 30k he suggested is probably an upper end valuation to secure the listing, and only likely to happen if a bidding war ensues.

The fact you did all the groundwork with the one bidder and didn't manage close with her, while he did, is probably what you're paying the estate agent for.

The only question that should matter is "is the offer acceptable", how it arose doesn't matter.

April 73

You made the decision to go with the EA. It's not his fault other buyers haven't suddenly come scrambling from the woodwork.
What are you going to do? Cut him out of the deal? If you really feel he has got money for nothing - then ask him to negotiate on his fee.

In the end of the day you've achieved over the asking price. Part of selling a house is wondering "what if" or "could I have done better?" Let it go. Sell your house & get the EA to deal with the buyer from here on.

fifigogo

April 73 wrote: »

You made the decision to go with the EA. It's not his fault other buyers haven't suddenly come scrambling from the woodwork.
What are you going to do? Cut him out of the deal? If you really feel he has got money for nothing - then ask him to negotiate on his fee.

In the end of the day you've achieved over the asking price. Part of selling a house is wondering "what if" or "could I have done better?" Let it go. Sell your house & get the EA to deal with the buyer from here on.

EA said there were buyers. He said he could get 30k OR MORE than the asking price. He was very confident when discussing things with us and all of sudden he wasn't. He had buyers and all of a sudden he didn't.

We want to get the best value for our house. I have a mortgage to clear and there won't be much left over. We were promised an extra 30k and then advised to accept half that because nobody is calling after only one week so excuse me for feeling a little duped.

py

fifigogo wrote: »

EA said there were buyers. He said he could get 30k OR MORE than the asking price. He was very confident when discussing things with us and all of sudden he wasn't. He had buyers and all of a sudden he didn't.

We want to get the best value for our house. I have a mortgage to clear and there won't be much left over. We were promised an extra 30k and then advised to accept half that because nobody is calling after only one week so excuse me for feeling a little duped.

You were promised an extra 30k because he wanted the commission regardless of whether he sold it at €x or €x+30k. He's a sales man.. he's selling himself to you and once that's complete his hard work is over given how the market is right now. Take the money or don't take the money but it doesn't appear that the market is willing to give you an extra 30k.

fifigogo

astrofool wrote: »

I'd look at it as the house has been on for a few months, and hasn't really got people jumping at it since then. The EA can only operate on people who bid, and the 30k he suggested is probably an upper end valuation to secure the listing, and only likely to happen if a bidding war ensues.

The fact you did all the groundwork with the one bidder and didn't manage close with her, while he did, is probably what you're paying the estate agent for.

The only question that should matter is "is the offer acceptable", how it arose doesn't matter.

I see what you mean. Thanks for that response.

Claw Hammer

You are being scammed. The bidder is obviously a cute calculating and devious bitch. She and the agent have concocted plot to get the house out of you on the cheap. Tell the agent to get the price he promised or go bugger.

James 007

fifigogo wrote: »

EA said there were buyers. He said he could get 30k OR MORE than the asking price. He was very confident when discussing things with us and all of sudden he wasn't. He had buyers and all of a sudden he didn't.

We want to get the best value for our house. I have a mortgage to clear and there won't be much left over. We were promised an extra 30k and then advised to accept half that because nobody is calling after only one week so excuse me for feeling a little duped.

You need to look at it a different way regarding taking his word for it. Are there any houses in the same area, if so what are they going for. Its only a week, so hold on for another while, see if any viewings take place or are set up. At the end of the day the market will pay for what it is worth, any big pluses with the house, does the estate agent highlight these.

fifigogo

py wrote: »

You were promised an extra 30k because he wanted the commission regardless of whether he sold it at €x or €x+30k. He's a sales man.. he's selling himself to you and once that's complete his hard work is over given how the market is right now. Take the money or don't take the money but it doesn't appear that the market is willing to give you an extra 30k.

Hmm I would have thought that as an EA, the job doesn't stop once you get the client in the door. You don't just sit back and put your feet up. The higher the amount, the higher his commission.

fifigogo

James 007 wrote: »

You need to look at it a different way regarding taking his word for it. Are there any houses in the same area, if so what are they going for. Its only a week, so hold on for another while, see if any viewings take place or are set up. At the end of the day the market will pay for what it is worth, any big pluses with the house, does the estate agent highlight these.

Well the house that he sold a few doors down, he managed to get a sale agreed that was 30k more than the asking price. Our house, according to him, is in better condition. We had same asking price too. Maybe he just got lucky but the house down the road was up for sale for maybe 2 to 3 months before it sold. Yes there's quite a few plusses but he doesn't highlight them in the ad. It was a very generic advert and he took the pictures of the house which were average.

py

fifigogo wrote: »

Hmm I would have thought that as an EA, the job doesn't stop once you get the client in the door. You don't just sit back and put your feet up. The higher the amount, the higher his commission.

Whats his % from a sale? 1%? The difference between €x or €x+30k is potentially €300 for him at a 1% rate. Why wait a few weeks on that when he can get a "Sale Agreed" sign up on your property and the reputation boost for his agency as it sits there waiting on the sold sigh to be hoisted.

fifigogo

py wrote: »

Whats his % from a sale? 1%? The difference between €x or €x+30k is potentially €300 for him at a 1% rate. Why wait a few weeks on that when he can get a "Sale Agreed" sign up on your property and the reputation boost for his agency as it sits there waiting on the sold sigh to be hoisted.

1.25%

Sleeper12

I doubt very much that he actually promised any actual amount as there was no way he would know what he would get.

It does not matter if you put the buyer on to him. The fact is that she was not giving you the extra 15k. If you didn't employ him I don't believe that you would have gotten anything above the original asking price

It's early days yet and even after she puts down a deposit the deal can fall through. Fingers crossed it won't. I honestly can't see why you aren't happy that you are making 9k more because of the EA in less than a week.

You shouldn't be looking at the ea profit of 6k. You should be looking at the 9k profit he has brought to you

aLou991

Funnily enough, same thing happened with me. Still sold the house for a couple of grand over asking but since going sale agreed I've not heard much.

Wasn't originally happy with the asking price but I think if I'd gone for my original asking price I'd not have gotten much interest.

OP, it's up to you. I have sent a PM to you as I'm wondering if it's the same agent I used out of curiosity!

fifigogo

aLou991 wrote: »

Funnily enough, same thing happened with me. Still sold the house for a couple of grand over asking but since going sale agreed I've not heard much.

Wasn't originally happy with the asking price but I think if I'd gone for my original asking price I'd not have gotten much interest.

OP, it's up to you. I have sent a PM to you as I'm wondering if it's the same agent I used out of curiosity!

The EA told me people are calling but they don't want to bid more than the other bidder. They haven't even seen the house. Also another thing that struck me and I just remembered. The EA said to me on Friday just gone that there was a legal issue with the house that he represented thats down the road and he said if it goes back on the market, the lady may bid on that instead and it might be in my best interest to secure her offer. Maybe I'm paranoid but there's something not sitting right with me on this. Fair enough if her offer is the most we get then I'm happy with that bit it was only 3 days and the EA seemed to be caving to the first offer that came in. Yes it is above asking price but not in the region he confidently said he could get. And similar properties in this area are going for conserable amounts higher. It's a well sought after area.

Maybe you can send the pm again. I didn't get it

fifigogo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I doubt very much that he actually promised any actual amount as there was no way he would know what he would get.

Actually he did. "Having considered recent comparable sales in the general area, It is our opinion that the advised market value of your property is in the region of X - X". I got this is writing from him. The lady bidder has bid below the regional value.

Claw Hammer

fifigogo wrote: »

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I doubt very much that he actually promised any actual amount as there was no way he would know what he would get.

Actually he did. "Having considered recent comparable sales in the general area, It is our opinion that the advised market value of your property is in the region of X - X". I got this is writing from him. The lady bidder has bid below the regional value.

Tell them both to get lost!

Sleeper12

Valuing the property is a long way off "promising" a figure

fifigogo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Valuing the property is a long way off "promising" a figure

Maybe not in writing but verbally "We can get that price for you" is close enough.

Sleeper12

fifigogo wrote:

Maybe not in writing but verbally "We can get that price for you" is close enough.

"We can get that price for you" is not a promise or anything like it. We can get that price for you, is saying that, that price is achievable. Ea did not promise. He wouldn't leave himself open to being sued for not delivering on the promise.

davo10

All sales are projected based on past performance so if there was a lot of interest in a neighbouring house and it sold for above asking, it's fair to assume that yours would sell for more.

There are a couple of variables in play here. Now that you have a professional involved, the original bidder realises that it will be marketed better and there is a good chance the price would go up. As an experienced buyer, I can assure you that a better, lower price can be gotten when dealing direct with the vendor, EAs are a lot more experienced and play the game a lot better. Your original lady bumped her offer to try and seal the deal once the EA got involved.

From the EA's point of view, there is a solid buyer whom he knows has bid on other properties, he knows she has the finance and probably knows from previous properties what her budget is. He is advising you to sell because the deal will probably close quickly, you get an extra €11k, he gets commission, the lady gets the house.

You could of course refuse the offer and wait for higher bids. You are in charge of this, if you can wait another couple of months you may well achieve the extra €30k as a result of the extra marketing and professional service the EA will offer. Your choice.

Claw Hammer, how on earth could the lady and the EA be in cahoots, do you think they rang each other and said "Hey, I know a way you can pay an extra €16k for a house" , surely the benefit of being in cahoots for the lady would be to pay less than previously offered once the EA got involved. The mind boggles.

Claw Hammer

davo10 wrote: »

Claw Hammer, how on earth could the lady and the EA be in cahoots, do you think they rang each other and said "Hey, I know a way you can pay an extra €16k for a house" , surely the benefit of being in cahoots for the lady would be to pay less than previously offered once the EA got involved. The mind boggles.

The EA knows the true value. Either he has taken a backhander from her to get the house cheap or she is going to sell on the property off the contract and split the profit with the EA. It is a classic scam.

Graham

Claw Hammer wrote: »

The EA knows the true value. Either he has taken a backhander from her to get the house cheap or she is going to sell on the property off the contract and split the profit with the EA. It is a classic scam.

You’re suggesting the EA and purchaser colluded to dive the original price UP?

Claw Hammer

Graham wrote: »

You’re suggesting the EA and purchaser colluded to dive the original price UP?

There was no original price. There was a marketing price. It was under the market value.

davo10

Claw Hammer wrote: »

The EA knows the true value. Either he has taken a backhander from her to get the house cheap or she is going to sell on the property off the contract and split the profit with the EA. It is a classic scam.

The "true value" is what someone is willing to pay for it. The op said there were a few bids way below asking price, and as of now there is only one bid.

By driving the price up they would be reducing profits, after paying a solicitor for two conveyances and CGT on the profit, they would be lucky to make any profit. Where are you getting this from?

Claw Hammer

davo10 wrote: »

The "true value" is what someone is willing to pay for it. The op said there were a few bids way below asking price, and as of now there is only one bid.

By driving the price up they would be reducing profits, after paying a solicitor for two conveyances and CGT on the profit, they would be lucky to make any profit. Where are you getting this from?

The EA has valued the property. A few bids to green self sellers is not a good indication of market value. There will not be two conveyances. The first wont close,

fifigogo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

"We can get that price for you" is not a promise or anything like it. We can get that price for you, is saying that, that price is achievable. Ea did not promise. He wouldn't leave himself open to being sued for not delivering on the promise.

I'm not suing anyone. I'm just curious as to why after 3 days of the advertising going live, the EA was so eager to get me to seal the deal with this lady (who is playing the game) when prior to that he was so confident about having so many interested buyers. He should have said "the price is achievable IF we can get buyers to bid". Instead he sai"d we can get the price, in that region and more if there's more than one bidder"

davo10

Claw Hammer wrote: »

The EA has valued the property. A few bids to green self sellers is not a good indication of market value. There will not be two conveyances. The first wont close,

But the op valued the property, there has been one bid at that price, the others were below, and you are saying the EA & the one bidder colluded to drive the bid up?

And then you think another bidder is going to come in, at the same time for the contracts to be signed simultaneously , with all the finance in place, and agree to buy at a price way above what it is on the market for now? Seriously, where is this other buyer? Why wouldn't he/she have bid on it now?

davo10

fifigogo wrote: »

........,,,,. if there's more than one bidder"

Ah here, you left a very important phrase out of your opening post. If you want to wait and see if another bidder enters the game, then wait, you may well get you're 30k, but if you told the EA, as you have said here, that you want a quick sale, then this lady might be the offer to accept.

fifigogo

davo10 wrote: »

Ah here, you left a very important phrase out of your opening post. If you want to wait and see if another bidder enters the game, then wait, you may well get you're 30k, but if you told the EA, as you have said here, that you want a quick sale, then this lady might be the offer to accept.

I never said I wanted a quick sale.

EA said "in the region of X - X ( which is the 30k above AP) and more if there is more than one bidder i.e 30k+

fifigogo

davo10 wrote: »

Ah here, you left a very important phrase out of your opening post. If you want to wait and see if another bidder enters the game, then wait, you may well get you're 30k, but if you told the EA, as you have said here, that you want a quick sale, then this lady might be the offer to accept.

This is what I said "He told us there are buyers very interested in our property and may be able to get 30k+ more for us"

davo10

fifigogo wrote: »

I never said I wanted a quick sale.
+

In that case, why don't you turn down the offer and wait for a higher bid?

Sleeper12

fifigogo wrote:

I'm not suing anyone. I'm just curious as to why after 3 days of the advertising going live, the EA was so eager to get me to seal the deal with this lady (who is playing the game) when prior to that he was so confident about having so many interested buyers. He should have said "the price is achievable IF we can get buyers to bid". Instead he sai"d we can get the price, in that region and more if there's more than one bidder"

I didn't say that you were suing anyone. I was just pointing out that the ea didn't "promise" a certain amount.

I think if the ea can pull off this sale then he has done a great job. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. He is weighing everything up. A firm offer from someone with finance secured against possibly months of waiting for a better offer.

This what he does for a living. He has given you his professional opinion/advice. It's up to you if you take that advice or risk losing this buyer for the chance of more money months down the road. I don't see a conspiracy, backhanders or anything else that has been suggested.
He's not forcing you to do anything.

If you want a quick sale, jump on this. If you are not in a hurry then you might get more if you wait.

Claw Hammer

davo10 wrote: »

But the op valued the property, there has been one bid at that price, the others were below, and you are saying the EA & the one bidder colluded to drive the bid up?

And then you think another bidder is going to come in, at the same time for the contracts to be signed simultaneously , with all the finance in place, and agree to buy at a price way above what it is on the market for now? Seriously, where is this other buyer? Why wouldn't he/she have bid on it now?

The contracts don't have to be signed simultaneously. The closing will be delayed until the second buyer is found. There have been bids alredy. They are from people who see greenhorns with no EA. They are trying to get a bargain. The current top bidder was one such.

kaymin

fifigogo wrote: »

This is what I said "He told us there are buyers very interested in our property and may be able to get 30k+ more for us"

I'd be very skeptical of an estate agent looking to close the transaction after only one week on their books. You should ask the estate agent to provide details of all bids and names/ contact details of bidders that have been submitted no matter whether they are below the current highest bid. I think you are right to be concerned. For certain I'd want a property that I was selling to be advertised for at least a month before accepting any offers.

davo10

kaymin wrote: »

I'd be very skeptical of an estate agent looking to close the transaction after only one week on their books. You should ask the estate agent to provide details of all bids and names/ contact details of bidders that have been submitted no matter whether they are below the current highest bid. I think you are right to be concerned. For certain I'd want a property that I was selling to be advertised for at least a month before accepting any offers.

The op doesn't have to accept the bid just because the EA advised him/her to. If the op rejects the bid, then the op will have to accept that other bids may or may not be made above this bid.

The op is going from a couple of bids way below asking, to one €16k above, and you are "skeptical" of the EAs advice to take it? What if there isn't another bid above asking? Will that be an "oops, my bad" moment?.

The fact is that no one knows if another higher bid will come in, but if the op isn't in a rush and he/she is confident one will, then wait it out. The EA is giving advice, not an order to accept the current bid.

Out of interest op, how did you and your brother come to decide on the price you advertised when trying to sell it yourself?

kaymin

davo10 wrote: »

The op doesn't have to accept the bid just because the EA advised him/her to. If the op rejects the bid, then the op will have to accept that other bids may or may not be made above this bid.

The op is going from a couple of bids way below asking, to one €16k above, and you are "skeptical" of the EAs advice to take it? What if there isn't another bid above asking? Will that be an "oops, my bad" moment?.

If the estate agent is trying to pull a fast one then obviously he's not going to pass on higher bids. Hence why I'd recommend seeking full transparency of what bids are received and from whom.

It doesn't make sense to me why an estate agent would want to close the transaction after only one week of advertising the property. This alone would leave me distrustful of him.

fifigogo

davo10 wrote: »

Out of interest op, how did you and your brother come to decide on the price you advertised when trying to sell it yourself?

We checked the other properties around us including the one a few doors down that are very similar and went by that. The EA increased it saying it was more but not too high so as to attract the buyers

Grumpypants

This is the most confussing thread I've read in a long time. Op you have first hand experience of the level of interest in the house from trying to sell it yourself. So you know the EAs door isnt being beaten down by people looking to get into a bidding war.

The EA has managed to get 15k more than the price you wanted, in a few days, and you are not happy. It isn't a scam, the EA did get lucky that you had the bidder lined up and they just had to finish the negotiation.

To be honest you have already messed the woman (the only bidder interested in paying what you want for the house) around so much i'm surprised she is still an option. The EA is giving you honest professional advise that this is a serious bid and at the bidders limit of money and patients so you should accept it or risk losing it.

Given your own experience with being unable to sell the house why are you willing to scupper the only offer in months for a chance if an extra 15k.

By the time you pay the fees and split it with your brother it will be a few grand. You are risking selling the house for 15k over what you think is fair for a few grand.

On the photos in the ad. The EA takes bad photos on purpose. People don't buy from photos, they buy from viewings. You want people showing up thinking wow it looks better than in the photos. Not showing up saying it looks worse and getting put off.

davo10

fifigogo wrote: »

We checked the other properties around us including the one a few doors down that are very similar and went by that. The EA increased it saying it was more but not too high so as to attract the buyers

So you have gone over and above the price of every other property with your guide price, and got €16k on top of this. And you think the EA screwed you? There is a simple and obvious answer to this, tell the EA you are not accepting the offer, wait and see if you get a higher one.

What a mad thread, the lady and bidder are in collusion to drive the price up, the EA is doing a bad job by advising you to take an offer €16k above previous best sale price, but you should be "skeptical", and you don't have to accept the bid.

fifigogo

davo10 wrote: »

So you have gone over and above the price of every other property with your guide price, and got €16k on top of this. And you think the EA screwed you? There is a simple and obvious answer to this, tell the EA you are not accepting the offer, wait and see if you get a higher one.

What a mad thread.

No we haven't gone over and above every other property. The asking price through the EA is the same as the other properties. The other properties have sold or are sale agreed.

fifigogo

Grumpypants wrote: »

This is the most confussing thread I've read in a long time. Op you have first hand experience of the level of interest in the house from trying to sell it yourself. So you know the EAs door isnt being beaten down by people looking to get into a bidding war.

The EA has managed to get 15k more than the price you wanted, in a few days, and you are not happy. It isn't a scam, the EA did get lucky that you had the bidder lined up and they just had to finish the negotiation.

To be honest you have already messed the woman (the only bidder interested in paying what you want for the house) around so much i'm surprised she is still an option. The EA is giving you honest professional advise that this is a serious bid and at the bidders limit of money and patients so you should accept it or risk losing it.

Given your own experience with being unable to sell the house why are you willing to scupper the only offer in months for a chance if an extra 15k.

By the time you pay the fees and split it with your brother it will be a few grand. You are risking selling the house for 15k over what you think is fair for a few grand.

On the photos in the ad. The EA takes bad photos on purpose. People don't buy from photos, they buy from viewings. You want people showing up thinking wow it looks better than in the photos. Not showing up saying it looks worse and getting put off.

I haven't messed this lady around. She offered below what we were asking. I rejected it. She offered the asking price but she was too late. That's not my fault. She said she didn't want to enter the bidding process through the EA and wished me luck. As far as I was concerned she didn't have the money because that's what she told me originally. It was just the EA got in before she offered our original asking price.

davo10

fifigogo wrote: »

No we haven't gone over and above every other property. The asking price through the EA is the same as the other properties. The other properties have sold or are sale agreed.

You just said you based it on other properties, then the EA increased it just a little so as not to scare off bidders. That means it was marketed for more than other similar properties. This is getting silly.

You guys most definitely need the help of an EA.