Good riddance
Every cloud has a silver lining:
Caught in the crunch - 4000 estate agents could be forced to close.Everyone has their own story about estate agents. (Remember that old joke about Peter Mandelson: Why do people take an instant dislike to PM? Because it saves time. For Peter Mandelson, read estate agents.) If you are bored by them, skip this post.
We bought our house in July last year. I sold my flat privately, and it was the most painless, most efficient, smoothest sale or purchase with which I have ever been involved. The estate agent through which we bought the house, however, was a nightmare to deal with, lying to us about the vendor's intentions, not returning critical calls, etc. We are still waiting for some of the documents to arrive from him! It was only when the purchase looked like collapsing because the estate agent told us the vendor had rejected an entirely reasonable request of ours that we contacted the vendor directly and discovered he was an entirely reasonable man. It was the agent playing dirty.
I've bought four houses in my life. Every estate agent with which I have dealt - all from big, so-called reputable firms - has lied to me. And I mean lied, as in telling me things which he or she knew to be fasle, rather than merely offering me false information by mistake.
I don't want house prices to collapse. I'm not that stupid. But anything which causes estate agents to go bust has something to be said for it.
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Water
April 14th, 2008 9:35amI'm sure they will be back ;)
Jennie
April 14th, 2008 12:46pmIt's hard to choose which are sleazier - estate agents or politicians.
London Calling
April 14th, 2008 5:32pmEvery small local shop has turned into an Estate agents, starbucks or new restaurant's and now with the housing crisis and rising food prices all are under threat, however people can live without ten estate agents, three Starbucks and zillions of restaurants in all cuisines on their high street, but the elderly,the disabled and local people can't manage without a local Post Office.
I agree with you Stephen, I don't think the tissues will be coming out the box too soon in sympathy for Estate Agents, but in their defense they are given new hairdo's and are then trained in the art of deception, just like any salesman or Politician, yes I said Trained, therefore its not just a case of getting a useless Estate Agent, as in your case, they are institutionally deceptive, the problem is, where will all the Estate agents go? and who will detox them and remove the pound signs from their eyes.
patricia
April 14th, 2008 7:06pmIsn't it interesting...!
When a columnist writes about something that does not affect Israel, a handful of people comment.
When Melanie Phillips spits her venom, she gets 80 people or so, the same ones mind you, frothing at the mouth in agreement.
So is the Spectator's rampant support of Israel a commercial, and not just an ideological, imperative?
max
April 14th, 2008 9:16pmPatricia, I think you're on to something. Have you considered a career as an investigative journalist?
sabetudo
April 14th, 2008 9:44pmt5, estate agents and so on; never mind your are a big boy now.
Ann
April 19th, 2008 7:21pmPatricia talking about venom? Oh, dear ... you need a mirror, darling: your anti-Israel venom comes from a very deep, very ugly place within you.