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Auctioneer experiences in Limerick...selling

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  • 19-07-2015 2:07pm
    #1
    Youngblood.III
    Site Banned Posts: 777 ✭✭✭


    I think I'm gonna put my house up for sale. Any care to share experiences of local auctioneers etc?....anyone sell a house directly themselves?
    Thanks


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    #2
    stuckintipp
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭stuckintipp


    Youngblood.III wrote: »
    I think I'm gonna put my house up for sale. Any care to share experiences of local auctioneers etc?....anyone sell a house directly themselves?
    Thanks

    Do not trust them.

    In the two years we've bought a new house and sold two. Both auctioneers were dodgy and tried to pull a fast one.

    The house we bought had been repossessed from a developer, the auctioneer on behalf of the previous owner approached us to pay 15k cash under the table or else the previous owner would hold up the sale. We didn't pay and the owner held up the sale for 18 months, the auctioneer tried very hard to get us to pull out of the sale as he saw the market was improving.

    On the sales we went with a different auctioneer. On one sale he didn't inform us about higher bids, he kept us in the dark as people he knew were interested. We eventually were contacted about higher bids through mutual friends who wanted the property but enquired how much lower their bid was.

    On the second property the auctioneer tried to convince us the market wasn't improving and encouraged us to sell at a lower price. We refused and held out, eventually we got 25k above what we were encouraged to sell for, the sale was also to an aquantance of the auctioneer.

    Also tired to take a higher commission then had been agreed.

    The market is so good now you could sell it yourself with an ad on daft or
    Something.

    Both company's I dealt with are well known in the city.


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    #3
    tara m
    Registered Users Posts: 76 ✭✭tara m


    I bought my house here in 2012, moved from the UK. I got varying degrees of sharp practice, and if I were to sell my house here, I would do it myself. One agents I walked into in the city looked me up and down while I outlined what I was looking for, and then commented on my appearance (!!!) I had come straight from stables and was not professionally dressed shall we say - the receptionist wouldn't even give me a list of possibles, said they didnt have what i was looking for and appeared to assume that I was a timewaster. Their loss as I had 200k in cash to spend from a house move from west london. Never any reciprocation to emails, which made setting up a few viewings in a week when I was coming over from the uk a trial. We eventually found an agent who could communicate via email, seemed human and turned up to viewings, and the property was apparently under offer to a Mystery American. Was told I'd need to get a 50k deposit to him overnight and this would turn the seller our way.

    I paid for a structural survey on a possible, which was a hand built cob house - survey came back listing it as a breeze block built house. Suspected that the surveyor produced report from google street view images.

    Eventually, we are settled, but another dud surveyors report failed to disclose/notice that the solid fuel system we have was closed not open as per regulations, and this was noticed by a plumber doing a service on the heating and rads two years in. How we didn't blow half the mountain up was beyond him.

    If you have a character property I would really suggest marketing it yourself, perhaps city properties through an agent. Id get a relative to test them out once its up with them maybe... Best of Luck!


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    #4
    jsd1004
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭jsd1004


    Auctioneers are generally poor with little knowledge or interest. They take a few pictures with a camera phone, or a camera if you are lucky and put the property on daft. They may or may not answer phone calls and will generally frustrate any buyer. You are better off selling it yourself and saving a lot.


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    #5
    Youngblood.III
    Site Banned Posts: 777 ✭✭✭Youngblood.III


    Thanks for the posts...if any of ye want pm me Auctioneers to be wary of, thanks as well.


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    #6
    washman3
    Registered Users Posts: 3,646 ✭✭✭washman3


    What area are you thinking of buying in.?


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    #7
    myshirt
    Registered Users Posts: 5,245 ✭✭✭myshirt


    Limerick truly has some of the most slippery b#stards you'll ever deal with in terms of auctioneering. Ever. Honest to God, the mafia wouldn't get a look in with the types of stuff I've seen about how business is really done in this city in that domain.

    I also have experience in Leitrim, it's very much the cute hoor auctioneer wearing his politicians boots and wanting his bread buttered on both sides there. But that's the nature of us in Ireland whether you like it or not, particularly rural.

    Dublin, aggressive, competitive, very professional, competent and ethical. But by God, Limerick, genuinely some of the most slippery b:stards I've ever dealt with. Cleanest fella is possibly Joe Wheeler, who is a man that'd put no man wrong, plus he has the perfect name for an auctioneer.

    But just take it as a general point, never, ever trust a sales man without using your own brain. It's common sense.


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    #8
    Youngblood.III
    Site Banned Posts: 777 ✭✭✭Youngblood.III


    washman3 wrote: »
    What area are you thinking of buying in.?

    I'm selling


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    #9
    Knit wit
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭Knit wit


    Try Diarmuid Madigan in m&c properties ... He was always straight with us buying our house.


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    #10
    wingnut
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭wingnut


    myshirt wrote: »
    Limerick truly has some of the most slippery b#stards you'll ever deal with in terms of auctioneering. Ever. Honest to God, the mafia wouldn't get a look in with the types of stuff I've seen about how business is really done in this city in that domain.

    I also have experience in Leitrim, it's very much the cute hoor auctioneer wearing his politicians boots and wanting his bread buttered on both sides there. But that's the nature of us in Ireland whether you like it or not, particularly rural.

    Dublin, aggressive, competitive, very professional, competent and ethical. But by God, Limerick, genuinely some of the most slippery b:stards I've ever dealt with. Cleanest fella is possibly Joe Wheeler, who is a man that'd put no man wrong, plus he has the perfect name for an auctioneer.

    But just take it as a general point, never, ever trust a sales man without using your own brain. It's common sense.

    I bought a house off Wheeler is a straight up guy, he is selling one for me ATM.


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    #11
    johndaman66
    Registered Users Posts: 4,095 ✭✭✭johndaman66


    Youngblood.III wrote: »
    Any care to share experiences of local auctioneers etc?....


    I would suggest avoiding GL Leddin based on a brief but off-putting experience I had with them. Sorry for the bit of a rant that follows...

    I was house hunting around the newcastle West area up until the end of last year when I bought. I rang them on a house they had advertised on Daft with a price €125,000, mentioned the address of it when I rang them. Without so much as an introduction or thanks for your enquiry the response went along the lines of - oh the price on that house is actually €140,000 as its now being sold with its full contents. She mentioned that they will be changing the asking price on the site. I said oh thats a game changer for me and that was that.


    The same house was also advertised by a more local Estate Agent for €125,000. I didn't expect too much but a week later I decided to ring the other Estate Agent to enquire about the house. He took my call and mentioned to me that the house was €125,000 without the contents or if I wished for the contents to be included it could be discussed but vendors had a price of €140k in mind for contents included. I should mebtion that in the intervening period I had viewed two other houses in a nearby estate. Fair to say all three houses were very similar in terms of size and the area and all came with some contents or the option to buy them. The second and third houses I viewed were asking in or around €120k give or take a grand or two. Fair to say the finish in the first house was much nicer and same goes for the contents included. Was it worth €20k more than the other two though - not really all the same I thought.


    I put in what I thought was a somewhat cheeky offer of €129k thinking it would be rejected outright but a few hours later the Estate Agent came back to me to say vendors would take €130k to include all the contents bar the fridge freezer. Went ahead and bought and moved in on January just passed. To be honest the Estate Agent I bought through was not fantastic to deal with either certainly as an Estate Agent anyway. Hard to get hold off on the phone; late at turning up on agreed times; not providing a patio door key to get out to the rear for the survey etc. He probably needs to concentrate on either selling houses or else his political career. However, unlike GL Leddin he did not let a potential client slip through his fingers so easily so thats why I'm fore-warning you as a potential seller.


    Actually GL Leddins sign is still out around the side of the house. Hmm, I'll need some firewood as the weather gets colder.

    Edit: to mention that GL Leddin also did not change the asking price on the house to €140k after my initial enquiry.


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    #12
    A2LUE42
    Registered Users Posts: 2,532 ✭✭✭A2LUE42


    Trying to buy at the moment too and you would think that they are trying to not sell some of the properties. Wont arrange viewings. Don't return phone calls or emails, it is a joke.


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    #13
    Mc Love
    Registered Users Posts: 14,015 ✭✭✭✭Mc Love


    You could always try going directly to the home owner


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    #14
    Jofspring
    Registered Users Posts: 4,003 ✭✭✭Jofspring


    If the house you are buying is being currently lived in and you can't arrange a viewing with the estate agent it could be a good idea alright to maybe drop a letter in the letter box explaining that you have found it difficult to deal with the estate agent, unanswered calls etc... I'm sure the householder won't be too impressed and might kick things on. If more people did things like that and tried to by pass estate agents it might get them to get their act together and become more professional.


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    #15
    limericklad87
    Registered Users Posts: 717 ✭✭✭limericklad87


    Have dealt with a few of the EA mentioned here.... Currently highest bidder on 2 separate houses.... For last two weeks.... Talking about not trying to sell houses.... They'd turn you off completely


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    #16
    styer
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭styer


    I've had good and bad experiences with estate agents around Limerick over the last year. I would paint them all with the same brush. I recently bought and dealt with Sherry Fitzgerald. When I eventually bought the lady I was dealing with, Brenda, was excellent, answered calls, provided feedback from the sellers when needed etc. very professional. Friends of mine dealt with her around the same time on a different house and had good things to say about her. It was a different story when dealing with others. One auctioneer hung up one me when asking questions about a house. I lived in a similar one in the estate a few years ago so knew the layout.. and you could easily see the part of the layout in question from the road. The auctioneer argued that it was different, shouted down the phone and hung up. Other friends of mine had bad experiences whit her too when selling... Another auctioneer while putting a bid on the house said she'd pass on my bid but told me to stop bidding then! There's some good... some bad.... I've seen and heard about both as I'm at the age where a good few friends are buying...


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    #17
    johndaman66
    Registered Users Posts: 4,095 ✭✭✭johndaman66


    Mc Love wrote: »
    You could always try going directly to the home owner


    Jofspring wrote: »
    If the house you are buying is being currently lived in and you can't arrange a viewing with the estate agent it could be a good idea alright to maybe drop a letter in the letter box explaining that you have found it difficult to deal with the estate agent, unanswered calls etc... I'm sure the householder won't be too impressed and might kick things on. If more people did things like that and tried to by pass estate agents it might get them to get their act together and become more professional.


    This might either go your way or could potentially badly backfire. First off I'll mention that I viewed a considerable number of houses when I was house-hunting. Off them only a couple were owner occupied (it would have being a question I'd always have asked the Estate Agent if they hadn't already volunteered the information). The vast majority were either vacant or rented out. I think in quite a number of cases if I were to have dropped a note through the door addressed to the homeowner it would have being picked up by the Estate Agent first or some body renting and may not ultimately end up being passed onto the intended party. Worse still may end up being read for a party it was not intended for.


    It did actually cross my mind to drop a note through the door of the house I bought before buying due to the poor service being provided by the Estate Agent I was dealing with. However, as the house was vacant and due to the political allegiances of the particular Estate Agent I thought he might likely find it first on another viewing, open read it and chuck it into bin with negaive consequences.


    If you do get in touch with the homeowner and arrange a viewing with them all well and good but remember that the owner may not always take too kindly to comments on the house. For example if you thought the decor was a bit passed it or the interior needed moderising in general fine saying it to an Estate Agent and using it as a bargaining point there but may not be so good to do so with the homeowner as they may not be so objective. Also, it is likely that the vendor will still need to pay the Estate Agent the commission even if they sell themselves.


    Having said that I would certainly try get in touch with the vendor directly as a last resort if I was genuinely interested in the house and the Estate Agent was not very co-operative or generally not doing their job very well. If the vendor doesn't want to deal with you directly at least you've let them know that their Agent is not doing a very good job for them.


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    #18
    Louche Lad
    Registered Users Posts: 1,088 ✭✭✭Louche Lad


    johndaman66 wrote: »
    This might either go your way or could potentially badly backfire. First off I'll mention that I viewed a considerable number of houses when I was house-hunting. Off them only a couple were owner occupied (it would have being a question I'd always have asked the Estate Agent if they hadn't already volunteered the information). The vast majority were either vacant or rented out. I think in quite a number of cases if I were to have dropped a note through the door addressed to the homeowner it would have being picked up by the Estate Agent first or some body renting and may not ultimately end up being passed onto the intended party. Worse still may end up being read for a party it was not intended for.


    It did actually cross my mind to drop a note through the door of the house I bought before buying due to the poor service being provided by the Estate Agent I was dealing with. However, as the house was vacant and due to the political allegiances of the particular Estate Agent I thought he might likely find it first on another viewing, open read it and chuck it into bin with negaive consequences.


    If you do get in touch with the homeowner and arrange a viewing with them all well and good but remember that the owner may not always take too kindly to comments on the house. For example if you thought the decor was a bit passed it or the interior needed moderising in general fine saying it to an Estate Agent and using it as a bargaining point there but may not be so good to do so with the homeowner as they may not be so objective. Also, it is likely that the vendor will still need to pay the Estate Agent the commission even if they sell themselves.


    Having said that I would certainly try get in touch with the vendor directly as a last resort if I was genuinely interested in the house and the Estate Agent was not very co-operative or generally not doing their job very well. If the vendor doesn't want to deal with you directly at least you've let them know that their Agent is not doing a very good job for them.

    Good points. And if you're viewing a house where the vendors show you round, exchange email addresses and/or mobile nos. even if you're not (yet) unhappy with the Estate Agent - makes things a lot easier later on.


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    #19
    mad_shopaholic
    Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭mad_shopaholic


    Does anyone have any experiences of dealing with DNG auctioneers?


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    #20
    A2LUE42
    Registered Users Posts: 2,532 ✭✭✭A2LUE42


    styer wrote: »
    I've had good and bad experiences with estate agents around Limerick over the last year. I would paint them all with the same brush. I recently bought and dealt with Sherry Fitzgerald. When I eventually bought the lady I was dealing with, Brenda, was excellent, answered calls, provided feedback from the sellers when needed etc. very professional. Friends of mine dealt with her around the same time on a different house and had good things to say about her. It was a different story when dealing with others. One auctioneer hung up one me when asking questions about a house. I lived in a similar one in the estate a few years ago so knew the layout.. and you could easily see the part of the layout in question from the road. The auctioneer argued that it was different, shouted down the phone and hung up. Other friends of mine had bad experiences whit her too when selling... Another auctioneer while putting a bid on the house said she'd pass on my bid but told me to stop bidding then! There's some good... some bad.... I've seen and heard about both as I'm at the age where a good few friends are buying...

    Buying house and dealing with Brenda, would agree with you. Very good to deal with. Used Quanes to sell and also very happy with them.


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    #21
    Tefral
    Registered Users Posts: 4,313 ✭✭✭Tefral


    Guys why dont you make a complaint to the SCSI they take this kind of thing extremely seriously!

    The auctioneers asked to join the Society of Chartered Surveyors and as a result they are now bound by their rules of conduct. If they even got a sniff of what was said here they would open up an investigation. Its only right these guys are brought into line.

    https://www.scsi.ie/


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    #22
    Parchment
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,203 ✭✭✭Parchment


    Have to echo the sentiments of others here who have had poor experiences with EA's in the city. We are currently trying to buy and the only office i have positive things to say about would be Sherry Fitzgerald - they are friendly and generally call when they say they will. I didnt deal with Brenda but a relative recently sold a house with her and he also said she was excellent.


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    #23
    lunar.wire
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭lunar.wire


    myshirt wrote: »
    Cleanest fella is possibly Joe Wheeler, who is a man that'd put no man wrong, plus he has the perfect name for an auctioneer.

    In my opinion it would be best to stay clear of him. My experience as a potential buyer has been wanting. For instance he claims the seller has the property for sale "as a hobby", and no update three full days after placing an offer, despite telling me he'd call in the afternoon of the offer.


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    #24
    wigsa100
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭wigsa100


    I have found most of them to be completely useless. I rang on three occasions to view a place in town, the first of which was about 6 months ago, and I still haven't been given an appointment. The property is still listed on Daft and is updated every couple of days, so I don't know what they're playing at.

    I can definitely recommend Michael Roberts. I didn't end up purchasing through him in the end but he is very enthusiastic and very thorough. I have found the biggest difficulty is getting auctioneers to even ring you back and he is in touch regularly, without any bull****.

    I have had a very good experience with Hanly Donnellan as well.


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    #25
    jsd1004
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭jsd1004


    Viewed a property with Rooneys Monday. Sitting on the market for weeks and stuck at 192k offer. EA said to me that seller wants 200k and he will take it off the market if an offer of 200 is made. Refreshingly i thought that was fair so said id offer the 200 and to finalise things. No word from the auctioneer yesterday and eventually returned my call today saying that he had now an offer of 201 after going to the underbidders with my supposed sale agreed offer. Is this even legal?


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    #26
    Hooked
    Registered Users Posts: 2,774 ✭✭✭Hooked


    jsd1004 wrote: »
    Viewed a property with Rooneys Monday. Sitting on the market for weeks and stuck at 192k offer. EA said to me that seller wants 200k and he will take it off the market if an offer of 200 is made. Refreshingly i thought that was fair so said id offer the 200 and to finalise things. No word from the auctioneer yesterday and eventually returned my call today saying that he had now an offer of 201 after going to the underbidders with my supposed sale agreed offer. Is this even legal?

    Ah... Good auld 'gazumping' is still alive and well. I'm currently looking at 2 houses and any offer I make will be done in writing, by email. Any counter offers will be requested to me in writing also. I'm pretty sure that is a legal requirement now.

    At least in a case like yours, you'd have had that much in writing. Still, I'm not sure of the legal side of things.., but as you've only agreed on the 200k offer and the 201 counter offer over the phone, how can you prove it. Perhaps you could ask them to put the 201k offer in writing to you?

    It's all very much like poker. Not wanting to show your hand too soon, calling an auctioneers bluff, etc...

    At the end of the day, they're only interested in getting the best price for their client. And in turn, their best 'cut' from the sale.

    In your case, with the house 'stuck' at 192, I'd have offered just that. 192k. In writing, by email - conditional for 48 hours and (always) subject to an engineers report.

    Then in theory - all other bisiness (the 200k offer, removing the house from the market) could've been done in writing.

    I've seen enough sales people at work be loose with the truth over the phone. Far less inclined to do so in an email!

    Best of luck with it


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    #27
    wigsa100
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭wigsa100


    jsd1004 wrote: »
    Viewed a property with Rooneys Monday. Sitting on the market for weeks and stuck at 192k offer. EA said to me that seller wants 200k and he will take it off the market if an offer of 200 is made. Refreshingly i thought that was fair so said id offer the 200 and to finalise things. No word from the auctioneer yesterday and eventually returned my call today saying that he had now an offer of 201 after going to the underbidders with my supposed sale agreed offer. Is this even legal?

    Telling lies about offers is completely illegal but as far as I know there is nothing binding about a sale being agreed, and neither party is under obligation to do anything until contracts from both parties are signed.

    If you think he might be trying to pull a fast one on you, I'd tell them to **** off. They won't be long getting in touch and asking you to take the house off them if it was already sitting on the market for a long period of time.


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    #28
    jsd1004
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭jsd1004


    wigsa100 wrote: »
    Telling lies about offers is completely illegal but as far as I know there is nothing binding about a sale being agreed, and neither party is under obligation to do anything until contracts from both parties are signed.

    If you think he might be trying to pull a fast one on you, I'd tell them to **** off. They won't be long getting in touch and asking you to take the house off them if it was already sitting on the market for a long period of time.

    I told him to .... off today. Was seriously annoyed as another different Limerick Auctioneer.. GVM.. had fecked up another sale agreed I had costing me thousands. Really do not know why people entrust sales of their properties to these muppets. I will in future just contact the owners of these properties directly through neighbours or whatever before dealing with these incompetent and borderline criminal agents.


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    #29
    jsd1004
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭jsd1004


    Hooked wrote: »
    Ah... Good auld 'gazumping' is still alive and well. I'm currently looking at 2 houses and any offer I make will be done in writing, by email. Any counter offers will be requested to me in writing also. I'm pretty sure that is a legal requirement now.

    At least in a case like yours, you'd have had that much in writing. Still, I'm not sure of the legal side of things.., but as you've only agreed on the 200k offer and the 201 counter offer over the phone, how can you prove it. Perhaps you could ask them to put the 201k offer in writing to you?

    It's all very much like poker. Not wanting to show your hand too soon, calling an auctioneers bluff, etc...

    At the end of the day, they're only interested in getting the best price for their client. And in turn, their best 'cut' from the sale.

    In your case, with the house 'stuck' at 192, I'd have offered just that. 192k. In writing, by email - conditional for 48 hours and (always) subject to an engineers report.

    Then in theory - all other bisiness (the 200k offer, removing the house from the market) could've been done in writing.

    I've seen enough sales people at work be loose with the truth over the phone. Far less inclined to do so in an email!

    Best of luck with it

    Rooneys were reputable agents. Not used car salesmen. I regard used car salesmen with a much higher respect now.


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    #30
    wigsa100
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭wigsa100


    jsd1004 wrote: »
    I told him to .... off today. Was seriously annoyed as another different Limerick Auctioneer.. GVM.. had fecked up another sale agreed I had costing me thousands. Really do not know why people entrust sales of their properties to these muppets. I will in future just contact the owners of these properties directly through neighbours or whatever before dealing with these incompetent and borderline criminal agents.

    You're dead right. A shower of morons they appear to be in a lot of cases. Saying that, I have dealt with a few good ones at Hanly Donnellan and at Chesser as well. Do you mind me asking how the sale falling through cost you thousands? Was it getting reports done etc.?


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    #31
    jsd1004
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭jsd1004


    wigsa100 wrote: »
    You're dead right. A shower of morons they appear to be in a lot of cases. Saying that, I have dealt with a few good ones at Hanly Donnellan and at Chesser as well. Do you mind me asking how the sale falling through cost you thousands? Was it getting reports done etc.?

    Exactly. I had contracts signed so passed by the house and noticed all the plants dug up and the house gutted. All contents bar a table and chairs were included in the sale. Rang GVM and they said they would ring the vendor. Rang back to say their was a 'misunderstanding' and that actually nothing was included, and to take it or leave it. After refusing to even give a gesture for their incompetence I pulled the sale.


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