Bypassing the agent and offering directly to Owner

IMO A offer should be made openly and confidently and that respects the seller and the agent.
Your idea of a letter direct says you dont respect the agent that the vendor chose. The agent wont support your bid if they dont respect your approach. Also never make the statement that a offer is hell or the highway or final etc as you look to lack cred if you later up the price.

I have always offered less than asking and never encountered a time when I have had to meet the market. My offers have always been phrased as - I know its not quite what the vendor is asking but based on our approved finance etc we feel its a fair offer based on the bank valuation (they dont know what that is). We picked up our first home bidding less than another buyer. They hadnt applied for finance and we had. Our offer was solely conditional on final bank approval within 48 hours. Apparently the other bidders self employed and vendor was worried it would be a hassle to get approved. We learned that later.

Stay in touch with the agent. It will show you are keen but not in a rush to budge on price.

 

You are insulting the agent's intelligence, he/she will know what is going on. They are paid by a vendor to act on their behalf, not to act as couriers. They will not pass anything on. Find out the whereabouts of the owner yourself if you want to negotiate direct, but they most likely will tell you to go back to the agent.

 

As far as I am aware any written offers presented to a agent by law must be presented to the vendor and a rejection must be provided in writing if the offer is not accepted.

That's the problem with buying houses in Australia. It's like dealing with children all the time. People are so socially conscious of what the vendor or buyer will think of them that they try to place an agent between them so that they can feel better about things. Paradoxical in a country so bereft of social cohesion and community anyway. Nobody gives a damn in Australia about anyone else anyway. They can't communicate without getting upset so they need an agent?

Many countries don't even have agents, you walk up to the vendor you ask them if they want to sell their house, they say yes, you ask them what they want, if it's not crazy, you hire a valuer, you share the report or not, you go to your conveyancer, draw up a contract, send it to the vendor, they get a conveyancer themselves and then a final contract is drawn up and property sold.

 

Opinion FOR; supports argument that PI's are not trying to force up prices.

Opinions AGAINST; you are being a cheap-skate and trying to cut out the Agent?, but want him to do your running around for you, and hoping the buyer is that desperate into the bargain....I would tell you to **** off if I was the Vendor....

 

I don't think this is strategic, in fact I think it will back fire.
Work/massage the re agent, stroking the ego can work in your favour, especially if the agent is a male

 

welcome back, good to hear from you again, and calling a spade a shovel

 

The agent is there to facilitate the process. Why would a lowball offer delivered in a "confidential" manner give the owner more of a reason to even entertain negotiations with you?

I can't see it being perceived in any way except undermining and arrogant.

The best way to deliver your proposed envelope offer is to wait until the property is off the market..ie failed to sell with the current agent.

 

That post is from July?