Is this a scam???? ne body know?

[nsd_user663_6426]

I just wondered whether anyone on here thought this was a scam by estate agents to just get you on their books/sell your house.

My husband and I live on a nice street in a not so nice area (yes I know we should have done it the other way round but that was 8 years ago so it's done now)....Well anyway we need to move house to get our little one in a nice school (yes I never thought we would resort to this either but when the local kids tell you to f**k off through the primary school railings well you move).

Anyway we have to sell house before January as this is the time you apply for schools (only just realised this and should have sold sooner)...anyway we had this flyer from Dixons through the front door which reads.....

"Mr K has completed a search & find application form and is looking for a house on your street and is hoping to find his ideal home before xmas. If you are interested in selling please give us a ring on this number blah, blah, blah...."

Now is this a ploy to get our trade? I phoned the number and the woman from the estate agents confirmed that one of her clients was looking for a property on our street (apparently his friend lives in our road an he wants to live there too). She instantly arranged a valuation (same day i.e.today!!!!). We've had the house valued but even though this bloke is interested they're still asking us for money to advertise our house on the market (ranging from £99 - £350). We are keen to sell but obviously don't want to be suckers....what do you all think???

Cheers Lisa x

[nsd_user663_37330]

Hi Lisa i have no idea hun bout have a sister that will i have mailed her and will let you know asap.

jenni

[nsd_user663_32615]

Sounds a bit rum to me Lisa.

It's been over a decade since I last sold my house, but you never paid the estate agent to advertise - the deal always used to be that if, and only if they sold your house, then they would get an agreed percentage of the sales price. The percentage would be lower if you let them act as "sole agent" or higher if you were letting other agents try to sell it as well. I would be surprised if the world had changed much from this....

My advice is to get some other agents in to value your house as well and tell you what their terms are. Then you can make a choice about who to go with.

[nsd_user663_6426]

Thanks guys we thought the same, my OH seems to think it's just their way of getting our custom. It doesn't seem right that we pay up front for advertising, we didn't do that on our last property!

Cheers and thanks, and thanks to jennifluff for investigating more for me!

Lisa x

[nsd_user663_37330]

Lisa while awaiting reply, why not ask your neighbours if they had same cause it could just be maillist rubbish.

jenni

[nsd_user663_37042]

I've never owned my own home and don't have kids so tell me to shove off if this is totally wrong but isn't now to January a bit tight to sell and buy?

Could you look longer term and move before next year's intake?

[nsd_user663_6426]

Nah you're right Tropical, we're just discussing that exact same thing now. It's too tight a time scale so we could move but not get the schools we want anyway as we'd have missed the deadline. I think you're right, just came to the decision to leave it and see if we can hunt for ok/good schools now for Harrison to go to schollin 2013 that has places available in his year.

[nsd_user663_7469]

I would be tempted to ring the estate agents and say yes let this person view and we will pay you the going rate if they purchase, also if they have some one wanting to buy in your street put your own for sale sign up, nothing stopping you from selling your own property, its cheaper and no more hassle, we have sold our last 3 houses and all you need is a solicitor and a surveyer to make sure you have the correct paper work, oh and a few phone calls.

If it sells before Jan great if it doesnt you havent lost a thing, also ring the local estate agents to ask if this ellusive person has asked them for a property in your street.

Adds in the local shops near estate agents is also a good way to attract buyers, get a cheap mobile with a Pay as you go sim so you can use that for adds.

Hope you manage to find some where nice for your daughters schooling, I thought the catchment areas were extended?????

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

I am an independent estate agent in a rural area and come up again this kind of practice regularly, yes its usually a ploy.

It probably isn't an out and out lie, there will most likely be someone on their mailing list with that kind of requirement. We all have loads of people on our mailing lists, but the fact is that doesn't mean they will buy or even look or even be in a position to buy. Locally its something that the large corporate agents do all the time :mad:

Dixons are part of the Countrywide group my local competition within that group is also asking for up front fees for advertising, which certainly locally isn't the norm amongst the rest of the agents. To me that smacks of cash flow issues but that's just personal opinion but it will certainly be a group wide policy decision.

I don't recommend paying up front as if you find them to be rubbish then you've lost that money if you change to a different agent.

Of course if this person genuinely has a friend living in the road you could leaflet the road yourself saying you've been told that there is someone seeking to move to this road and you are wishing to sell, and try to cut out the agent all together It would serve them right as I'm 90% certain they are strongly overstating the situation.