One crazy estate agent Part 1

There’s a few moments in your life where you have to deal with someone who just doesn’t have a handle on humanity. This is one of those times.

Me and my girlfriend just got back from a viewing and agreed this is house we could move into. Let’s put an offer in.

After the phone call with the estate agents, something seemed a bit off. I had offered £10k less then the asking. The estate agent, who just happened to be the MD said if I could offer the asking price she can accept it striaght away. I held off.

Surprise! The next day an offer came in from a potential buyer for the asking price but they didn’t give it away, instead I was offered to do…. something?

“So what can I do here?”

“Well it’s up to you.” I could sense some smirking in the voice but maybe it was me.

“I’ll get back to you.”

We decided it put in the asking price, still dubious but we could accept the cost over a long mortgage.

Surprise! 30 minutes later the vendor accepted our offer… Hmmmmm.

Timelines are going to be interesting here. It’s the 28th March (Day 1). An email on the same day:

I will now need solicitors details, please let me know if you would like me to recommend some good solicitors.

Ok great I think, just send me a list. My response:

That’s great! I don’t have any solicitors lined up, so if you could send me a list that would be helpful.

And

No problem, please speak to these people and let me know who you are working with as soon as you have selected one, thank you.

To make life easier I will ask them each to contact you with a quote.

Wut? Umm thanks for sending my information across. Anyway it’s now Day 2, 9:21 a.m.

Good morning, I just wondered if you have selected a solicitor to work with on this purchase?

I explain that from yesterday only one has got back to me and they couldn’t work with my mortgage provider. I will get back once I have made a decision.

4:04 p.m.

How you getting on? Any progress with speaking to solicitors?

I ignore them…. for today.

Day 3. Ahh what a nice morning. Oh what’s this? An email from 8:51 a.m.

Good morning Harvinder,

As I explained on Tuesday you were selected over the other asking price offer as I was under the impression you could move more quickly on this purchase. The vendor is now telling me that we should take the other offer if we don’t have solicitors on file this morning. Can you please come back to me in the next hour with your choosen firm! I don’t want to have to terminate the sale so soon, but we will need this to move along swiftly.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, if you need my advice please do call the office.

I explain I have now chosen a solictor and give the law firm details. A bit annoyed she is using this mystery buyer to push the sale.

11 minutes later…

Just spoken to <Law firm> and they don’t seem to have a file for you…

I give her the case number and suddenly get a flurry of emails from the estate agent with my solictors details which even I didn’t know and an agreement to proceed.

Then nothing…. for weeks.