Real Estate Agents - AARRGGHHHH

I may be missing something here but if you are selling a property and you engage an agent they are supposed to help you sell the property - RIGHT? This means dealing with interested buyers - RIGHT?

I'm a buyer who works overseas and I need to do research online and by email. My first IP was simple - small, quick, just to get into the market to learn about the process. The agent I dealt with, well, she was great - prompt replies, useful information supplied and went above and beyond to make it happen in a short timeframe when I visited Oz.

Now I'm TRYING to spend money on a 2nd property and cannot get anyone to respond. Yes, I have had maybe 3 agents promptly reply and answer all of my quieries, but the rest - WOW.

Most wont respond at all, others do, but say if you don't give your phone number (I'm overseas) or come to the opening then I cannot help you. Or they respond days later with only 1 of my questions answered and ignore the rest. I find it hard to believe the complete lack of effort that I am seeing. Additionally, so many places are still listed despite being sold ages ago - I had one that I discovered was sold over 2 years prior but was still listed for sale. My favourite is when they don't respond to you at all - not even to tell you it has been put under offer or contract - but if it falls through, all of a sudden they email with enthusiasm.

I actually wanted to buy the 2nd property straight after the first - I found a great place but the agent wouldn't deal with me until I sent him a phone number - I asked him to communicate by email and he wouldn't. So I missed the opportunity to see the place and didn't purchase it as I headed back overseas - poor owner lost a sale (sold, but 4 months later).

I don't know if I am doing something wrong. But, I have money, am genuinly interested in the places that I enquire about, but I'm getting nowhere. All I can say is - the small number of agents that have been polite and efficient are the ONLY ones that will get my business when it comes time to sell.

 

Why don't you call up the first super-agent you dealt with and get them on the hunt?

 

Done, and they are, but many places out there. Not really the point either.

 

I'm also overseas. And recently bought a place to test the waters (but this involved flying back to do in person).

I've found agents to be pretty responsive to basic price enquiries via email. But I also assume that they get snowed under with emails from dozens of people just kicking tyres, so if I'm serious about a property I will follow it up with a phone call. IMO just being 'overseas' isn't a reason to not use a realtime communications channel that shows you're serious... if anything, I would imagine that an out of country buyer would be seen as a long shot by most agents.

Now that I've met some agents face to face, they are perfectly happy correspond via email, or talk on the phone.

 

I have tried so many different ways. Sometimes I don't mention I'm overseas, or If I do, I am clear that I have a representative that can inspect a property, pre-approval etc etc. Plenty of detail to show I am serious. Plus I hate talking to them on the phone - they are like car salesmen - on and on. Surely if you were selling a place and engaged an agent and they acted this way you would be decidedly displeased.

 

Actually for sales, talking on the phone is better than by email, because people are more obliged to respond real time. Face to face even better.

 

Tell them that you're based OS but can only call you between 2am - 4am

 

Better for whom? Not me...the person buying.

 

Tell them that you're based OS but can only call you between 2am - 4am

Awesome idea

 

Better for the seller. You dont matter as much unless you throw in a signed contract and a deposit.

fact is buyers who wont provide a number or go to the open are mostly tire kickers. You might not be. But the seller would rather the agent follow up from open homes than someone who only wants to do email. Play the odds.

if you dont want to talk to them, get your rep to actually go to opens, shortlist down to a couple and actually make offers.

 

As a serious purchaser why don't you try using a buyers agent
Sure it is an additional cost, but they may well find you a great property and likely at a great price

 

I was quoted close to 10k for a buyers agent and it is way to much for the properties I'm looking at.

Most of the comments seem a little bewildering to me. Perhaps I am really missing something. I'm trying to buy property from a person who is being paid a lot to facilitate this service. They should accommodate me.

 

Look at it from the agent's perspective though. He's dealing with enquires from probably dozens of complete strangers. How's he to know how serious you are compared to anyone else?

I'm in a similar situation- got to check available to check out promising places for me, have mortgage pre-approval, already know the area, etc. But I know that from email alone I don't come across as a promising lead.

This changed completely once I met agents face to face and I could speak to them. I've now got a couple who actively email me without prompting.

Also, $10K for a BA doesn't strike me as significant...that's literally a single increment at any auction in Sydney.

 

Gah, sorry. Typo. Bloody phone keyboards :/

Above should have read that I also have family available to inspect property for me.

 

How you see yourself (interested buyer wanting info) is not the same as how you are seen by the agent (random email request) esp compared to other buyer inquiries (who go to opens and leave phone numbers).

Btw what questions are you asking the agent?

 

Have you got your finance sorted?
Can you show them a pre-approval or something to prove you're a serious buyer?
Kinda reminds me of trying to sell a car privately and you get an inquiry from someone overseas who promises to send someone local to buy it on their behalf... Even if they're serious I'd [prefer dealing with someone local, not the exact same situation I know but similar feels.

 

Love this advise - I always keep an eye out for listing from a few agents.
They're terrible at getting quality pictures, giving descriptions (often leaving off the size of the block in areas which can be developed) and pretty poor communicators.
They're great to buy from if you can get a hold of them!

 

When selling, I would be very concerned about dealing with an overseas buyer and no phone number. Screams "scam alert".

 

I doubt that would be likely in the property market, where solicitors get involved pretty quickly. I from what I saw of the suburbs that I saw, that's more likely to suggest "Chinese money."