Bidding advice-can someone bid on your behalf?

J

Jetskib

Guest
We have just pulled out of a sale with an EA after the surveyors report highlighted a major structural problem with the house. Our problem is we have seen another house we like but it's with the same EA. The new house has an asking price (significantrly) lower than what we agreed for on the original house but our problem is that the EA now knows what our max price range is.
Do we have to bid ourselves or could we get someone else (family/friend) to bid on our behalf?
What are the regulations on this if any?
thanks....
 
Standard law of agency question:

Yes, anyone can bid on your behalf without disclosing who you are.
(Undisclosed agency).

Caveat: If however they say "I am bidding for myself", then they cannot bid for you.

Lots of old case law dealing with this - where farmer A doesn't want to sell to farmer B, so farmer B gets C to bid on his behalf.
 
Quite apart from the specific question but important to point out, the EA does not know what your max price range is.

He knows what your price range was for the other property. Why not express your interest in the cheaper property and play the game the other way. Compared to the house we wanted, it does not have x,y,z, so we would be willing to offer .... If only it had the ....

If a hotelier sees you coming out of a booked out 4-Star hotel next door and he is offering 3-star accommodation, do you think the hotelier would be expecting you to pay 4-star prices. Certainly your interest last time will affect how the EA approaches it, but with the right approach, you could meet him head on.

Consider going to see it with him, and rule it out. Wait a week or two, and make a reluctant offer.

Much of the above is of relevance assuming you are not referring to identical houses !
 
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