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Should I make official complaint about Estate Agent?

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  • 17-12-2015 10:52pm
    #1
    WilcoYHF
    Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    I've recently gone sale agreed on a house after a bit of a bidding war, we ended up agreeing at 20k more than our initial offer. Some things the estate agent said to me during the bidding process didn't seem right, then on a Monday he rang me to say the other bidder had increased their previous offer. This didn't seem right as I had made the last offer, so I asked him how have they increased they're last offer as we made the last bid. His response was "oh no, eh, he rang me on Friday with an offer but I was on holiday". This set alarm bells off in my head as I was sure I spoke to the EA on Friday. My phone confirmed I did, twice!

    The next evening the other bidder made an offer of 290, we made a bid of 295 the following morning. That lunchtime the EA rang to say we were the highest bidder and it was accepted. He said "actually the other guy rang me, before I got a chance to inform him of your latest bid, to say they would increase their offer to 295. I informed him that you had already bid 295 at which point he pulled out". This also seemed strange to me but I'm not sure if it is unusual.

    While this was going on a relation had gone sale agreed on a house with the same estate agent. That sale had gone through fine but when he went to view the house the day before keys were handed over, the seller, who was in the house, said that she was told that if she didn't vacate the house before xmas the buyer (my relation) would pull out. This is a complete fabrication. Now we don't know if it was the EA that told her this but it wouldnt surprise me if it was. It also makes me feel it is more likely the EA was dishonest with me.

    Would it be worth my while complaining to the PRSA, I was informed that I have the right to view a register of bids. If I have been wronged here I would like someone to be held to account but I'm not too clued in to the property business and would not like to cause any harm if I am just getting carried away.

    Thanks in advance for any advice.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    CaoimheSquee
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭CaoimheSquee


    You don't have a right to view the register of bids - that would be against data protection laws.
    However the PRSA can review it and all must be logged in detail along with when they were relayed to the vendor.

    This just sounds like a disorganised EA though. It is certainly possible that there is another bidder and unfortunately the bidding can just keep going, regardless of a vendor accepting an offer. If someone comes in and offers more the EA HAS to make the vendor aware and therefore bidding can reopen. Sale Agreed means nothing, its not till contracts are signed till it's really yours I am afraid.

    But you have nothing to lose by lodging a complaint. I know their capacity for dealing with complaints has been pretty bad up until now but will be outsourced from 2016 to deal with larger volumes.

    Good luck.


  • Options
    #3
    WilcoYHF
    Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭WilcoYHF


    Yes you're right I'm not allowed see the register of bids, I actually misread the email from the PRSA.


  • Options
    #4
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,966 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    Leave it be you've just gone sale agreed and you could risk the sale, why would you want to do that.

    You aren't entitled to buy the house for a lowest price you have to bid in the range the seller will accept, and it's his job to push you from the sound of it there were other bidders and he's done nothing wrong.

    It's up to you to decide if you think the house was worth to you and bid that, if you've over committed then bow out gracefully, if not buy the dam house


  • Options
    #5
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    WilcoYHF wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I've recently gone sale agreed on a house after a bit of a bidding war, we ended up agreeing at 20k more than our initial offer. Some things the estate agent said to me during the bidding process didn't seem right, then on a Monday he rang me to say the other bidder had increased their previous offer. This didn't seem right as I had made the last offer, so I asked him how have they increased they're last offer as we made the last bid. His response was "oh no, eh, he rang me on Friday with an offer but I was on holiday". This set alarm bells off in my head as I was sure I spoke to the EA on Friday. My phone confirmed I did, twice!

    The next evening the other bidder made an offer of 290, we made a bid of 295 the following morning. That lunchtime the EA rang to say we were the highest bidder and it was accepted. He said "actually the other guy rang me, before I got a chance to inform him of your latest bid, to say they would increase their offer to 295. I informed him that you had already bid 295 at which point he pulled out". This also seemed strange to me but I'm not sure if it is unusual.

    While this was going on a relation had gone sale agreed on a house with the same estate agent. That sale had gone through fine but when he went to view the house the day before keys were handed over, the seller, who was in the house, said that she was told that if she didn't vacate the house before xmas the buyer (my relation) would pull out. This is a complete fabrication. Now we don't know if it was the EA that told her this but it wouldnt surprise me if it was. It also makes me feel it is more likely the EA was dishonest with me.

    Would it be worth my while complaining to the PRSA, I was informed that I have the right to view a register of bids. If I have been wronged here I would like someone to be held to account but I'm not too clued in to the property business and would not like to cause any harm if I am just getting carried away.

    Thanks in advance for any advice.

    I made such a complaint once when an agent who had agreed to handle the property was obstructive to the point of rudeness. Emerged he was not a member and they were very kind and helpful in referring me to an agent who handled it perfectly.


  • Options
    #6
    WilcoYHF
    Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭WilcoYHF


    spaceHopper wrote: »
    Leave it be you've just gone sale agreed and you could risk the sale, why would you want to do that.

    You aren't entitled to buy the house for a lowest price you have to bid in the range the seller will accept, and it's his job to push you from the sound of it there were other bidders and he's done nothing wrong.

    It's up to you to decide if you think the house was worth to you and bid that, if you've over committed then bow out gracefully, if not buy the dam house

    Are you the estate agent!


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  • Options
    #7
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,966 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    WilcoYHF wrote: »
    Are you the estate agent!

    No a home owner


  • Options
    #8
    Bigcheeze
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,858 ✭✭✭Bigcheeze


    Sounds like buyer's remorse. Everyone gets it to some extent after making such a big commitment and question if they've made a mistake.

    Boards is full of threads with people who suspect false bids and almost without exception the bid is subsequently backed up by the property price register.

    Of course there are bent agents like any profession but the reality is there's virtually nothing in it for the estate agent to make up bids and lots to lose.

    The more likely scenario if is that a relative of the seller poses as a buyer to bump up the price.


  • Options
    #9
    dori_dormer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,919 ✭✭✭dori_dormer


    I think it's a little odd that the other bidder pulled out when he matched your bid. If the ea was decent he'd have accepted the bid, ask did you want to increase , if you didn't then the seller would go with who could close fastest/ not in a chain etc.

    Seems fishy to me!


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