What's the worst Estate Agent experience?

davidian

Just wondering what the worst experience anyone has ever had with their Estate Agent, either buying or selling. Don't mention any names, but I'm curious to know how much people have been messed around by dodgy dealers.


D

MorningStar

Made an offer on a property which the owner never heard and sold the property for less. Spoke to owner as they were leaving and they were shocked. Plan to develop the land beside the property so I might just have the last laugh

The_Conductor

Parents selling a period gatelodge in Lucan village (built by Gandon nearly 200 years ago). The estate agent apparently told all people who came to view that the County council was widening the road immediately outside the gate- wasn't it a shame that the lodge would be demolished within a few years. Only one person turned up for the auction- the sister of the estate agent (unknownst to my parents at the time). In desperation they accepted her offer- which was about 35% lower than the guide price (they were moving house within weeks and only had a short bridging loan- information that the estate agent was aware of). Subsequently a neighbour complained to a local councellor about the proposed road widening- to discover the county council had no such plans at all........

soma

smccarrick wrote:

Parents selling a period gatelodge in Lucan village (built by Gandon nearly 200 years ago). The estate agent apparently told all people who came to view that the County council was widening the road immediately outside the gate- wasn't it a shame that the lodge would be demolished within a few years. Only one person turned up for the auction- the sister of the estate agent (unknownst to my parents at the time). In desperation they accepted her offer- which was about 35% lower than the guide price (they were moving house within weeks and only had a short bridging loan- information that the estate agent was aware of). Subsequently a neighbour complained to a local councellor about the proposed road widening- to discover the county council had no such plans at all........

OMG! :eek: Seriously if that was me I'd have investigated every legal avenue open to me - did your parents do this..? I mean basically the agent "slandered" your parents house for personal (family) gain...... :mad:

homeOwner

smccarrick wrote:

The estate agent apparently told all people who came to view that the County council was widening the road immediately outside the gate- wasn't it a shame that the lodge would be demolished within a few years. Only one person turned up for the auction- the sister of the estate agent (unknownst to my parents at the time).

I hope your parents reported the estate agents to the Institute of Auctioneers (or whatever it is called). That is absolutely shocking.

dublinguy2004

homeOwner wrote:

I hope your parents reported the estate agents to the Institute of Auctioneers (or whatever it is called). That is absolutely shocking.

Even if the estate agent did frighten off would-be buyers, it's almost impossible to prove. The seller really should have had more sense than allow their house to go at 65% it's market value.

Victor

homeOwner wrote:

I hope your parents reported the estate agents to the Institute of Auctioneers (or whatever it is called).

Or the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.

The_Conductor

Its not something that happened recently- it was several years ago, when we had sky high interest rates, and you were lucky to get a loan at all. They had to be out of there and have the place sold, and the estate agent (who still trades in Lucan) knew all this and had them over a barrel.

There is no professional body to which you can report professional misconduct regarding estate agents- most of them are members of representative bodies such as the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute etc- which has no standing whatsoever, nor any powers to discipline its members.

Its in the past, you live, you learn. They have subsequently moved again and did not get caught up in crap the next time.

There is absolutely nothing to stop behaviour like this, even today. Proving it is practically impossible- and even if you do prove it, all it proves is incompetence if they do not gain personally from the transaction. Incompetence, while appalling, is not a criminal offense. As to his sister buying the property- it would be impossible to ever prove that there was anything there.......

They put it down to experience, and have learnt to live with it, slightly wiser as to the coniving ways of the world......

the_syco

smccarrick wrote:

Proving it is practically impossible- and even if you do prove it, all it proves is incompetence if they do not gain personally from the transaction. Incompetence, while appalling, is not a criminal offense. As to his sister buying the property- it would be impossible to ever prove that there was anything there.......

If I knew the estate agent wasn't level with me, I'd tape:

her and a "friend" asking abut the price, and her saying about the proposed roadworks

her and me asking about any buyers, only to be told that only her relative was intrested

someone from the county council stating that nothing is going to be built

Then I'd either present it to the Gardai, or post it into Primetime. Or both. Maybe not a criminal offence, but she'll find it hard to get a house to sell if she's shown to be a scammer...

The_Conductor

the_syco wrote:

If I knew the estate agent wasn't level with me, I'd tape:

her and a "friend" asking abut the price, and her saying about the proposed roadworks

her and me asking about any buyers, only to be told that only her relative was intrested

someone from the county council stating that nothing is going to be built

Then I'd either present it to the Gardai, or post it into Primetime. Or both. Maybe not a criminal offence, but she'll find it hard to get a house to sell if she's shown to be a scammer...

There are a few too many ifs there- my parents did not know until afterwards that she was the estate agents sister, and it was only following the sale when a former neighbour who had viewed the property to try to figure out what his own was worth and heard the spiel about the road widening and decided to complain of their own accord, that the story saw daylight.
It was years ago- so its historic regardless. Yes, it was very underhand- these were the days when you could get a house for three times your annual salary...... and if you couldn't- the bank certainly were not interested in helping.....

MorningStar

Never trust a word an estate agent says is a good rule to go to. I had them tell me about my mother who owned a neighbouring building. All lies.
"The spot of water there is from a leaking washing machine", visted when it was raining and there was a waterfall running down the walls
"I has already been surveyed and there are no problems", the only bathroom had been built in the neighbours garden.
"It has just been cleared from probate", house belonged to a property developer who realised it wasn't worth fixing after two years.
"Don't worry about that property it keeps getting refused planning" , my family owned the property and never applied for planing.
All different times with different estate agents. Never trust them unless you write it down and get them to sign it.

garred

Actually happened to the parents. They were selling their house (in the past month) and the estate agent was to show people around. After getting to the house with the prospective buyers the agent did'nt have a key. Instead of ringing the parents to drop down the key, she left the buyers outside while she went to the office. Half an hour later the mother was driving by, saw what happened and showed the people around as they were about to head off (the estate agent still had'nt returned by that stage).
It actually turned out that the one of the people who was there went on to buy the house!
I'll be selling in a few months time and won't be using an estate agent.

Dellgirl

I'll be selling in a few months time and won't be using an estate agent.

Thats interesting. Let us know how you get on because e.a's imply it is impossible to sell your house without their help. If you have a for sale by owner in the paper or where ever youll be plauged by calls from them.

Borzoi

When tye sister was house hunting about four years ago, she got in a bidding war with another buyer. Eventually the agent, from a MAJOR agency, decide to go with a final round of sealed bids, which my sister won. The other party then went direct to the vendor with a higher offer, which was accepted - and the agent went with that, and got the commission off the higher price.

Nothing particularly new there - just 'standard' gazumping

But my sister's solicitor was a friend of one of the estate agent's directors, so he brought it up with them, and was told to f**k off. So the culture goes right to the top!