A bit of a property rant/question

[Sukkafool]

So my significant other has decided that she would like to buy a flat as an investment. after a week of liasing with an agent and trying to set up a viewing for a place - she finally manages to get a viewing on saturday morning. The agent himself was not there but sent someone else to help.

The property is on the market forR495K, She contacted the agent and said she would like to put in an offer of R480K on the flat. and i quote
"I would like to make an offer of R 480 000 for this apartment.
Please advise what the next steps are in order to get the process started.
Should the offer be accepted, I would require a bond. Your colleague that I met on Saturday mentioned you have a very good originator I can make use of.
Please advise"

HIS reply is as follows:

"The price is R495 000 – 00….

Why would you want to offer less?"

So my question is ……is he being a dick? Am i for thinking he is? Is this because his name is Hannes and English is not his forte'? Surely you dont speak to prospective clients that way, this guy has been a pain to deal with since first enquiry.

 

[itareanlnotani]

He's being a dick.

An agent has to present the client with any signed offer, regardless of price.

If he was doing his job, he would ask her to come to the office, to sign an offer to purchase.
An offer of 480 is very close to the asking price too, I'd have started with 450k

Never hurts to bid low, at worst, the owner is going to negotiate upward, or refuse your bid, at best you buy the place for what you offered.

I'd have a chat with the agency (assuming he's with one, and complain).

 

[Sukkafool]

Well to be blatantly honest I did reply to his mail and kinda blasted him a bit because i also leaned towards him being a dick, I sent this:

Hannes


I have been forwarded your reply to Ms Louise ------- Enquiry pertaining to purchasing an apartment In Buh Rein estate. Your conduct thus far has been appalling and the fact that you have now sent her an email stating

"The price is R495 000 – 00 Louise….
Why would you want to offer less?"

is ABSOLUTELY out of line on your part. If she as the potential client would like to make an offer on a property not only are you duty bound to deliver said offer to the client but the fact that you reply to her in such an unprofessional manner is absolutely disgraceful.

To which i received this gem as reply:

I’m sorry……………., and who are you?

The asking price is R495 000 – 00 and if I am to take a lessor offer, I must be able to tell my seller why.

The property is priced to sell quick so…….., you are welcome to make an offer of R495000 – 00."

I am needless to say completely blown away by this prize…...

 

[Sukkafool]

Oh and he is the HNIC of his agency franchise…..A rather well known property group.

 

[itareanlnotani]

The asking price is R495 000 – 00 and if I am to take a lessor offer, I must be able to tell my seller why.

I'd had been tempted with "Because this is my offer you knobhat?"

Go complain to his property group head office.
Explain you'd like to put an offer in on a property, and the agent is playing silly buggers.

 

[SYNERGY]

Tell him that he's being reported to the Estate Agency Affairs Board

 

[ToxicBunny]

Report him to the EAB, and revise offer down to R400k for his pathetic behaviour.

I would also get in touch with the seller directly (if possible) and inform them of the behaviour of their agent, and that you are submitting a new lower offer for the property due to that behaviour.

 

[Sukkafool]

Well i thought i would keep it factual and not emotional as I like keeping paper trails of correspondence and in this case in case I wanted to take it further so I replied with this:

I am her partner and as such she asked me about your reply.
You can tell your client that you have received an offer of R480 000 for the property, they are welcome to counter offer.
Should you not wish to even take this offer to your client by all means be so kind as to let us know.

Thereby leaving the door open to him to blatantly tell me that he will not be taking the offer to his client, sadly he did not bite but did reply with this:
"I have received a full offer pending bond approval.
Should there be a profile problem on the buyers side or the banks is not interested in the application for some reason, I will let you know."

So perhaps he did get an offer, perhaps he did not and simply does for some reason not want the possible commission or to deal with us, but I think yes, I will be reporting this to their head office.

 

[hellfire]

Well to be blatantly honest I did reply to his mail and kinda blasted him a bit because i also leaned towards him being a dick, I sent this:

Hannes


I have been forwarded your reply to Ms Louise ------- Enquiry pertaining to purchasing an apartment In Buh Rein estate. Your conduct thus far has been appalling and the fact that you have now sent her an email stating

"The price is R495 000 – 00 Louise….
Why would you want to offer less?"

is ABSOLUTELY out of line on your part. If she as the potential client would like to make an offer on a property not only are you duty bound to deliver said offer to the client but the fact that you reply to her in such an unprofessional manner is absolutely disgraceful.

To which i received this gem as reply:

I’m sorry……………., and who are you?

The asking price is R495 000 – 00 and if I am to take a lessor offer, I must be able to tell my seller why.

The property is priced to sell quick so…….., you are welcome to make an offer of R495000 – 00."

I am needless to say completely blown away by this prize…...

Is this Hannes Buys?

 

[itareanlnotani]

EAB is going to do absolutely nothing.

Unless you have it in writing from him that he's refusing to take a written offer made by yourself, nothing is going to happen.

i.e, something like

we formally make this offer of R480,000 and would like you to come to bring the paperwork for us to sign.
and he comes back with I refuse... its pointless.

Complaining to his agency head office, will cause some minor inconvenience for him though, as he will have to explain why.
Make sure to keep copies of all mails, and call times / lengths / description of conversation etc for reference if needed.


Given its Buhrein, it is possible these are developer apartments for sale, and that is the minimum sale price that the developer wants. Even so, as a developer I'd definitely want to hear an offer for 480 on a 495 property...

As an agency, I'd concerned that my agent isn't being more proactive, and selling to an interested buyer.

And as a buyer, I'd be pissed at the real estate agent...

I could see the buyer forcing the agent to reduce his % on the deal due to this, but I don't see much else.

 

[Sukkafool]

Appreciate the input Isheed_cn.

 

[Sukkafool]

Realistically speaking I have no desire to do business with someone like this And aside from reporting his dismal professional etiquette to his superiors there really is not much point in pursuing it, Really just wanted to be sure I was not misreading the situation and that he was in fact being the bell end i thought he was. LOL. Oh well, moving swiftly along to find the next place in that price range with an agent interested in actually doing a deal.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Well i thought i would keep it factual and not emotional as I like keeping paper trails of correspondence and in this case in case I wanted to take it further so I replied with this:

I am her partner and as such she asked me about your reply.
You can tell your client that you have received an offer of R480 000 for the property, they are welcome to counter offer.
Should you not wish to even take this offer to your client by all means be so kind as to let us know.

Thereby leaving the door open to him to blatantly tell me that he will not be taking the offer to his client, sadly he did not bite but did reply with this:
"I have received a full offer pending bond approval.
Should there be a profile problem on the buyers side or the banks is not interested in the application for some reason, I will let you know."

So perhaps he did get an offer, perhaps he did not and simply does for some reason not want the possible commission or to deal with us, but I think yes, I will be reporting this to their head office.

Trust me, he didn't get an offer...

Estate Agents love using this line, and I can only assume that this oke uses all the lines from their playbook if he behaves like this.

 

[itareanlnotani]

I'd probably start here -

http://www.property24.com/for-sale/buhrein/cape-town/western-cape/12841

I see Harcourts, Remax, IPC, Peter Kotze, Engels & Volkers are offering property there.
I'd contact all of the agencies that aren't the ones for the agent and explain that agency X isn't interested in your money, and you're looking to buy a property, and put the chain of emails from offending agent below.

CC the head office of offending agent on the mails, try and include top people if possible.

That should cause some things to happen. If you know the developers mails too (Buhrein), might want to cc them in too.
I believe its MPSD - http://www.mspd.co.za/contact/

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

He is legally obligated to present the offer.

 

[itareanlnotani]

He is legally obligated to present the offer.

I believe thats only if its an offer to purchase - i.e. a signed offer from the buyer, *and* the seller has not said ignore offers from under a certain value (and the offer is under that value).

Its fairly common for agents to lie though - remember if they sell the property for more, they make more money, so there is incentive to be dishonest - you're effectively penalized for being honest.


Estate agent board is pretty toothless - https://www.eaab.org.za/disciplinaries/conduct_deserving_of_sanction_by_estate_agents

Even so, agent should be doing some penitence here, there is no excusing putting off a potential buyer

 

[Sukkafool]

Agreed, Penitence is due, if only for being a douche.