aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

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Cheeus

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I recently viewed two 3 beds in Blanchardstown with a view to purchasing. I requested a viewing on two different occassions and the agent never replied. After a month of trying we finally got to view.
Both places we viewed with the agent were occupied when we were viewing... there was a couple cooking their dinner, children playing in bedrooms, one woman getting dressed when we walked in!?
All of the curtains were closed in both houses and the lights were on (it was 7pm and still bright outside), so we couldn't ascertain how bright/dark the properties were. We were given 5 minutes in each house and there were was one room we just looked in to and couldn't enter.
When I told the agent that the viewing wasn't adequate to base an offer on he got really aggressive and said he'd bought 7 properties himself without ever viewing at all. To quote him:
'Are you telling me how to do my job?'
'I have better things to be doing with my time than talking to you'
'Do you want to see upstairs or not?'
He got really aggressive and insisted on arguing.
It probably explains why his properties have been on the market for 6 months and the equivalent around the corner sold within 3 weeks this month. I'd be curious to know if the owners know what bad service he is providing.bHe doesn't seem to be a member of the IAVI. Are there any other standards that he should be bound to?
Thanks
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

He obviously got fat and lazy during the days when houses sold themselves, I wouldn't worry about him. He won't be in business much longer.
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

I would hate to be trying to sell a property in this market unaware that is how potential buyers were being treated. I know EAs all work for commission but is he on his own or is he linked to an agency. If the latter personally I'd give them a call and air my grievances.
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

Hi Cheeus,

I'd hate if he was selling my property - sometimes the vendor doesn't even know what the manner of the EA is like. When I was putting my house on the market I had decided on a particular EA, I normally dealt with the father and I had already told him I was giving him the business - he sent out his son to take the photos - he was so rude, barely spoke to me when he came into to take measurements and photos - if he treated me like that, God knows what he treated potential buyers like - anyway I got rid of EA after 4 months - not very proactive.
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

feel free to post your findings on [broken link removed]
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

I don't think the problem of bad mannered sales people is only in the property market. From my experience there's a lot of insurance and car sales people with absolutely no sales skills. Up to the sellers to weed them out I suppose. As a purchaser the best thing to do is report your experiences to the seller/employer. Not buying their product simply because their manner is poor isn't always the best way to go
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

ninsaga said:
feel free to post your findings on [broken link removed]
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I am actually looking to sell in blanchardstown in the near future and so read this with interest - I'd be keen to know who not to use.

however I tried using the above site and could not find any ratings - I did as wide a search as possible and it still came up blank - not just for Dublin

so not much help there. Can the OP mention here or is it not allowed?

Thanks
Paddy
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

As far as I know the auctioneering profession is completely unregulated. All you have to do is lodge a bond and apply to a district court, give 2 minutes evidence and that is it. Members of the IAVI join voluntarily.

They are not professionals they are just jumped up sales people. No disresepct to salespeople!
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

paddyodoors said:
I am actually looking to sell in blanchardstown in the near future and so ready this with interest - I'd be keen to know who not to use.

however I tried using the above site and could not find any ratings - I did as wide a search as possible and it still came up blank - not just for Dublin

so not much help there. Can the OP mention here or is it not allowed?

Thanks
Paddy
Click to expand...

Arrange for Christina Wilson from Wilson Moore to come out and value your property.

I viewed a property that she was selling and she appeared very professional.
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

brodiebabe said:
Arrange for Christina Wilson from Wilson Moore to come out and value your property.

I viewed a property that she was selling and she appeared very professional.
Click to expand...

I sold in Blanch in early 2006. Christina Wilson is good but a tad expensive at that time. Paddy I sent you a pm.
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

extopia said:
He obviously got fat and lazy during the days when houses sold themselves, .
Click to expand...

This is a very true statement, my sister has an auctioneer in recently and she admitted that ""she has to relearn how to sell houses!"
 
Regarding the presentation of the property, many properties are let and the tenants can be quite unhelpful towards inspections with a complete no care policy, the landlord may not be local and unable to be present. The estate agents behaviour is unacceptable and without excuse. Estate agents are now in the real world and have to work harder and be more consumer friendly than ever to succeed. IAVI members are heavily regulated with a very strict entry level including degree qualifcations etc. If your unhappy with the estate agent find out who the vendors solicitor is and write a complaint, cc the client, to them.
 
Hi I am an agent commercial not residential (so no attacks please) new commercial agents must be qualified to degree standard and a member of IAVI and SCS ( society of chartered surveyors). I have been viewing houses for the past few months in my area and went to view a house on thursday evening with an agent. He had no clue who I was or what I do for a living but I ended up laughing at how crap he was. Similiar to the first poster the house was occupied when I viewed which I have no problem with but it was dark there was very loud music playing meaning we could not hear the agent talking. When we went outside I asked a few questions re structure an example of which was

Me -Is this house timber frame?
Him - Yes yes it is (Bloody house was built in 1940's or 1950's so there was no way it was)

Asked questions re planning but he did not have a clue so lied and got it wrong.

He was rude and shabby food stains on his shirt as we were leaving he asked where I worked so I said city centre. I was after going straight from work and in a suit so he said "do you work in reception?" I was horrified that he thought every woman in the city worked in reception so i came clean and said no I was a chartered surveyor. He looked at me blankly and asked was that like an accountant? now while i dont expect the general public to know what that is he works in property too so should bloody know so i explained that it was a commercial property agent at this he got mad and i mean realy angry he accused me of seeting him up and asked if it was a trap.

I cant believe these people are out there selling to people. If you are selling your home it is a huge asset so get somebody who knows what they are doing to sell it. You get what you pay for so get a professional.
 
standards or not, i would complain him to his business and to the owner of the 2 respective appartments by a letter addressed to the landlord, or else ask the tenents for the owners number or address. I viewed a 2 houses recently and have had similar problems with EA not knowing anything at all here are just 3 for example: when i asked where the washing machine was, she couldn't tell me, to the square foot of the house, it was 500 sq foot smaller than what they were advertising, to if the water supply was a well or mains, to me these are simple questions that every EA should know especially when they are charging fees of 1%..i think this fee should be done away similar to the way the solicitors fees have changed...
 
When you choose an auctioneer, you meet the person responsible for selling your property, you look at their previous sales record, you look out for tell tale signs of their professionalism i.e their showroom, brochures, manner, personal presentation and then you make an informed decision on who tho chose to represent your home on the open market.

I have met doctors, dentists, solicitors, plasterers, computer programmers etc that were not courteous or professional so it is not the an affliction suffered only by auctioneers. There are plenty of professional agents and firms out there that know how to best deal with property and it is in the interest of those selling to put in some ground work to give their house the best possible chance of making maximum selling price.
 
After the current property boom many EA offices have employed non-qualified people and sent them out to do inspections without proper supervision ie ' how to show the house in the 1st. place'. The best answer any EA can give is ' i dont know but ill find out!'
 
After the current property boom many EA offices have employed non-qualified people and sent them out to do inspections without proper supervision ie ' how to show the house in the 1st. place'. The best answer any EA can give is ' i dont know but ill find out!'
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You actually have this the wrong way round. Many of the employees during the 'boom' period were not qualified and and now to get a job in a 'good' office one would require a qualification, more regularly required is the degree level course favoured by the IAVI. The other side of this is anybody starting a new job in the practical sense will have initial teething problems, but the degree course gives them the added advantage of a background on law, planning, construction, valuations, and an element of building physics.

To answer a question on a property that you are not sure is 100% is negligible and you should consider them professional in their dealings if they do not have an answer and come back to you with a definitive reply at a later date (not too late). You would be surprised at some of the questions that people can come up with. there is also the fact that initially an auctioneer may not have the full facts on a house and cannot answer the questions on the spot. People want to view straight away, have the answers straight away and anything else is unprofessional!
 
Unprofessional is not not having the answers but rather when uncertain "kicking for touch" I would never show a property without certain basic facts about the property. The fees for seeling property these days are high enough that any principal in a firm should ensure that their employees tak time to review the file on a property before doing viewings. The examples of questions asked used in the above posts are not strange questions they are basic.
Selling property is a service industry and thus anybody working in the industry is offering a service which is been paid for. Part of this service is the agents knowledge of properties in the area. If the agent is new they should shadow a senior for viewings until they are able to go it alone.
Property qualifications do not show you how to conduct a viewing and it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that their staff know what they are doing.

The industry needs regulation and soon there has been enough talk of regulation time for action. A few bad agents are giving the rest of the industry a bad name. Time for the IAVI & SCS to step up and represent the industry and move some of their obsession in education to existing members and the industry.
 
Re: Snotty aggressive estate agent - professional standards?

ninsaga said:
feel free to post your findings on [broken link removed]
Click to expand...

Thanks for all of the replies. Above site looks promising but there's nothing on it yet?

The guy I dealt with seems to part own the company. I did ring and complain to his partner who was apologetic and seemed genuinely annoyed by his partner's behaviour. They're not members of any professional body.

Someone asked if I could name them here - I wouldn't say so. Had good dealings with Baxter and McPeakes when viewing 3 bed duplexes in Waterville though.
 
Unprofessional is not not having the answers but rather when uncertain "kicking for touch" I would never show a property without certain basic facts about the property. The fees for seeling property these days are high enough that any principal in a firm should ensure that their employees tak time to review the file on a property before doing viewings. The examples of questions asked used in the above posts are not strange questions they are basic.
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The fact of the matter is that alot of auctioneering firms are quite small and the resources may not allow for a senior agent to shadow a junior. The initial viewing of a house is quite often only that and serious clients tend to look a second time where they have more directed questions towards the property.

I agree that the basics should be understood and known by any agent showing a house and I wasn't pointing to the above posters simple questions as examples of what may be asked.

I also agree the IAVI and SCS need to push ahead to ensure that a new regulatory body is efficient and weed out the unprofessional agents currently in practice.
 
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