Are auctioneers really that busy?

[brokeagain]

I just got mortgage approval at beginning of week so I contacted a number of auctioneers on properties that I had been watching. Out of 6 contacted, only 2 returned my emails! When I tried to arrange viewings outside office hours they made it sould like I was really putting them out.

I have never met such an unenthusiastic bunch in my life.

Can I go directly to the sellers if the house is advertised with and auctioneer?

I wonder if the prople that own the house that I am trying to view know what they are paying the auctioneers for?

 

[Jazz01]

Hi, could be a number of things... re emails; they may only check them periodically or they had someone on the front desk to do that & that person is gone so that side of things "builds up". If interested in a property, I would always ring, leave contact details if you can't get the specific auctioneer for that property & ask for the time when they will contact you.

Viewings out of hours should be a norm... there should not be an issue there, even for those who are selling. I have my own place up for sale at the moment & 80% of the viewings are out of office hours... when looking around myself, then mostly out of hours & am always accommodated...

Good luck with any purchase.... hope you get what you want...

 

[Molly]

An estate agent I know gets very frustrated when after hour viewings are requested as she does so little 9 to 5, she would much prefer to do viewings during the day.

They used to do a rota system between 5 people for evening viewings now they are down to only two staff she has to do all evening viewings which disrupts collection of children from child care and means looking for evening child care as her husband works abroad.

She is of course aware that she must do evening viewings as it may lead to a sale which pays commission which is her bread and butter. I can however understand her frustration given her particular circumstances.

 

[onq]

Molly I suppose its a stupid suggestion but I have to post this -

In professional service industries where a lot of work is done out of office hours would it be preferable for estate agents to mind their kids in a home office environment during the day and arrange for babysitters at night?

This could address what I am sure are two major issues -

- the significant cost of full day care during working hours
- the ability of the estate agent to attend out of office hours

I'm not trying to hi-jack this thread but I have worked from a home office for over a decade and for me the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

ONQ.

 

[Vanilla]

The problem with after hours/weekend viewings is that there are so many time wasters- I know auctioneers feel that if someone is really that interested in a property they will arrange to take time off work to see it- and if they don't, well were they really all that interested in the first place?

We've sold a few estate properties in the office and believe me, if you wanted to be busy showing properties at the weekend you'd have no problem but ask someone to view during the week and you really weed out the ones who are serious.

 

[onq]

That's a very fair comment Vanilla.

While I will go out of my way for a client if I'm appointed, I've met my share of time-wasters on weekends.
In some professions, the practice seems to have grown up whereby laypeople expect you to advise them for nothing.
The only contrary comment I'd make is that not everyone can take time off to view properties during their working day, especially now.

ONQ.

 

[bacchus]

Out of 6 contacted, only 2 returned my emails!

I don't think emailing is the way to establish first contact. There are too many time wasters using text/email.

 

[choccy]

don;'t forget estate agents are getting paid about 2% of the value of a property just to sell it- a big whack of money for not a huge amount of work when compared with other building professionals such as architects etc . if this involves a couple of 7pm viewings ..and a couple of hours on a sat morning......so what !! ..... most people don't want to / can't view houses at 10 am on a tuesday.

as for taking time off work- thats usually not something you're going to do for every viewing especially as the average house purchase may involve looking at up to maybe 5-10 houses in an area. so i think its a bit cheeky for estate agents to say people are timewasters if they book a viewing just to check a place out. its the biggest purchase of your life you gotta give it the time its worth.

 

[Manuel]

God how times have changed! Now people who would consider viewing as many properties as possible before making the biggest and riskiest purchase of their life are "time-wasters"!

How quickly people forget the significant part that Estate Agents played in running this country into the ground. Now they expect sympathy if they miss Coronation Street because somebody might actually consider making a purchase ...

I for one haven't forgotten - and won't forget - the behaviour of Agents over the 10 years from the late 90s on and they won't be getting any sympathy from me over their childcare costs.

 

[Complainer]

There are too many time wasters using text/email.

And lots of busy potential buyers using it too. If you provide a business email address, you need to treat it seriously. If you're not going to check it frequently and respond to messages, then get rid of it.

 

[nai]

And lots of busy potential buyers using it too. If you provide a business email address, you need to treat it seriously. If you're not going to check it frequently and respond to messages, then get rid of it.

Agreed - if you're advertising a mobile phone/email as contact details you should be paying as much if not more attention to them than just answering calls. If i contact someone via txt/email because that is how they advertise themselves I would expect an answer within a maximum of 2 hours - almost everyone has a smart phone capable of receiving email these days.

 

[T McGibney]

If i contact someone via txt/email because that is how they advertise themselves I would expect an answer within a maximum of 2 hours.

This is utterly realistic. I can guarantee you that any service provider who manages to reply to each and every email & text within 2 hours is not doing much work apart from replying to emails and texts.

 

[dereko1969]

I feel kind of dirty defending EAs for the second time in a week on here, but does no-one think that perhaps the sellers have an influence over the EAs in not wanting their evenings disturbed?

No-one is going to want the owners in situ when they call around to view a house and the owners won't want to be there either, so perhaps that's part of the problem the EA know they're going to have to persuade someone to stay out of the house for an hour at least. They may also try and arrange for a few people to view the house at the one time. Obviously it will all depend on how motivated the seller is.

Agree that contacting by email is pointless and that the EAs should not publicise their emails if they're not going to keep up to date with them.

 

[brokeagain]

I work full time and i am very glad to have a secure job in the current climate. I would not expect my employer to give me time off to view houses. I willprob view 5-10 house before I finally buy, that would be a lot of time off!

As for Agents not replying to emails...what a joke! Seriously, are they running a business in the year 2011 or 1989? Don't they get paid to correspond with potential buyers? It may be inconventient for them to show a house in the eve or at weekends but I'm sure that is the job they signed up for.

 

[onq]

I feel kind of dirty defending EAs for the second time in a week on here, but does no-one think that perhaps the sellers have an influence over the EAs in not wanting their evenings disturbed?

Nope.

Any seller in today's market will bend over backwards to suit buyers.

If they haven't adopted that attitude, don't be surprised if there's no sale.

ONQ.

 

[snowy]

i was told by one ea that 930 was too early for a viewing but when I asked for one after work they said no. I then suggested the next day as i was off work and she said they were too busy.

i never got to see the house and its still for sale

 

[MrMan]

Nope.

Any seller in today's market will bend over backwards to suit buyers.

If they haven't adopted that attitude, don't be surprised if there's no sale.

ONQ.[/QUOTE

You only have to look at this site to see how views differ, so don't be surprised as to how people view their home. Some people will bend over backwards and others expect to sell it while they are at work.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I just got mortgage approval at beginning of week so I contacted a number of auctioneers on properties that I had been watching.

Why not just pick up the phone? If you're serious about a property, then there's no reason not to just ring the agent with a list of prepared questions. Agents are always going to be that bit more receptive and will provide a better feel for a property when confronted over the phone (or better yet, face to face) about a property.

When I tried to arrange viewings outside office hours they made it sould like I was really putting them out.

Most agents will do viewings on a Saturday, usually they will block book appointments, which is perfectly understandable. I am sure that if you had a more friendly relationship with an agent, they would be more willing to accomodate a viewing, knowing that you weren't just a tyre kicker would give them impetus to go the extra mile.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Any seller in today's market will bend over backwards to suit buyers.

If they haven't adopted that attitude, don't be surprised if there's no sale.

Sorry, but that's ridiculous. If I was an EA and I got a text from someone I didn't know from Adam requesting to view a house at 7:30pm some night, I would probably reschedule. On the other hand, if I knew the buyer, knew he was mortgage approved, knew he was serious about buying a property, knew that his expectations were close to my clients, then I would be more amenable to doing an out of office viewing.

I really don't understand this aggression towards estate agents, most are decent and I am pretty sure most have feelings and families too.

 

[newirishman]

Sorry, but that's ridiculous. If I was an EA and I got a text from someone I didn't know from Adam requesting to view a house at 7:30pm some night, I would probably reschedule. On the other hand, if I knew the buyer, knew he was mortgage approved, knew he was serious about buying a property, knew that his expectations were close to my clients, then I would be more amenable to doing an out of office viewing.

I really don't understand this aggression towards estate agents, most are decent and I am pretty sure most have feelings and families too.

I guess the point the poster is trying to make is that he doesn't here anything back from an EA. I agree with your exmaple above, but I would expect that the EA calls me back (or sends me an email back with any questions) if I have sent an email / text beforehand. Just ignoring any email or text is the pain. I have seen enough of those myself, and I usually send an email to the EA, expecting they would call back to handle any questions or agree on a viewing appointment.
Not responding at all is just unprofessional.