Update

Haa - didnt realize how that would read! Luckily it was my business partner having to handle that one. He didnt put her in the ozpital and I wouldnt lower myself - would hate to break a nail!! 

Unbelievably she was the sick one and he keft her with the phone - knowing we would ring as he supposedly left the wrong key. I couldt count the number of times the same thing has happened by other real agents and part time agents who dont want us to take clients around

Crikey - thats a good one but knowing my luck the bidding ould go down, not up! Im thinking of bringing in alternative auctions (I have a much better name but my Irish business partner wouldnt approve)

This would mean you start at the reseve price and go down.

Ive tried this out at a couple of auctins when bidding slow and its caught a couple of people out - including the owner!

Please tell me if Im getting boring - but sitting here with a coffee, looking at the sun breaking through the cloud to reveal an efervescent blue sky, Im also thinking of other stories to tell you. So here goes.

I sold a large villa (for the second time) and the buyer flew out to visit and meet with the owners, who were a male couple and could be difficult. So I wanted everyone to meet, the deal to be essentially struck between them with me there to advise and intercept if nessesary.

All was well. Then they decided I would be in charge of the buyers mortgage (sorry Smiley!!) Now, I have not ever got involved in that side, horses for courses and all that so I said I would approach our company bank - who had asked us about referring business, as they do!

So buyer duly sent all his paperwork over and in fairness there was a lot of it and rather complex as he owned his own business which was about to be launched on the stock exchange. He had a UK mortgage (small) and without getting too long winded I emailed it all on to our bank guy. Borrowings were 750,000 against a valuation of 1,550,000. I had a detailed email back saying yes all was fine (subject to valuation) and a break down of all the costs which I sent on to Client. He said yes!

So now we have pre-approval. Owners were in Brazil and flying back for one week for the survey. Thw week before they arrived I called bank man to arrange it. He asked me to go to the bank. I duly went and was asked about the valuation fee. I said - no problem, buyer has lodged 100,000 with his lawyer and will pay it -

I was then told that the bank would NOT lend the full amount but would go to 350,000 euros!!!!!!!! Unbelievable and I refered him to his email where the offer was granted!

His reply? Ah but now we looked at the paperwork and there isnt enough income!!!! How I didnt hit him I dont know. 

It created huge aggravation, I nearly lost the sale and the owners tried to cut me out of the deal because of it! I did get paid - after a struggle!

So any buyers out there who think the agents are bad, you need to see what tools we are trying to work with here!

Have a great day everyone 

I bow down to your superiority! I naively thought that a bank who gives finance would know what to look for. I know about the net income bit (vaguely) but thats why I sent the idiot the full paperwork file inclufding experian, p60s etc etc etc! He could have told me straight away there wasnt enough income instead of actually sending me a formal offer for the full amount! He said he would lend 325,000 euros but another bank the buyer went to, I think the Halifax, lent him the full amount he wanted!

Trouble is thers no rhyme or reason to it!!!

Why do they do it!?

sitting here still seething i thought i would get yesterdays experience off my chest.

I have had a villa on my books for approximately 5 months,it is well underpriced as the couple who own it and live here have to return to the uk for medical reasons.

Tthey are a lovely old couple that i have become very good friends with and we talk at least once a week.

Yesterday we had a couple walk in who wanted a villa in the exact location as they had friends there and had a relatively small budget,so i arranged a viewing.

As we have had 2 offers that have fell down in the past due to either dreamers or timewasters i explained that if an offer was to be made could it please be an educated decision about the area and not a spur of the moment decision,they replied that they knew the area very well and if the house was right they would know straight away,all good so far i thought.

So off we go with fingers crossed,just before we arrive at the villa they are pointing out all the shops and bars they know and 100 metres before the property is there friends place,great me thinks!

We arrive at the property and the viewing goes well all the right noises are made and after half an hour they ask for some time on their own to talk,so i dissapear to the garden with the owners who are now begining to smile,this is the one they say,airing on the side of caution i reply "fingers crossed".

After 15 mins the clients emerge fro the house and tell me they want to make an offer but can we do it in private as to avoid any embarasment,no problem i say and ask if there any questions for the vendor,so we all sit together and have a drink there is lots of shaking hands and kissing and after some time we head back to the office to make the offer,all the way back in the car they are very happy and "it's the perfect place",all good so far!

Sitting in the office i reiterate the fact that that the vendors have been messed about and is it definitely the place for them?,i am assured that this is their perfect place,now there is a word that we don't here very often!

So the offer is placed,the vendors are ecstatic,i am the best agent in the world and the clients dissapear to their hotel for the night after arranging solicitors,contracts etc in the morning.

At 10pm my phone rings and its the clients,"we have been talking it through and we would like to withdraw the offer,we have just spoken to our friends and told them we have bought a place next to them,they said that's great we will be able to see a lot more of you now,the trouble is my wife doesn't actually like them very much and this has put us off"

Stunned silence from my end and an "ok" is followed by the stark realisation that i now have to make a call to the vendors in the morning.

I have just spoken to my friends the vendors and broken the bad news on her birthday!,needless to say thay are gutted and will have to put off their move again,i have been an agent for 18 years and this part of the job does not get any easier.

To any prospective purchasers out there please consider implications before making decisions that affect other peoples lives so harshly.

I would rather go a month without a sale that have an elderly lady in tears on the phone as my first call of the day.

off my chest!Thank you for listening.

Hi georgia,

What a tale!

I am not an agent, but am allowed in here.....true ask Justin!

I could just see you face as you were typing the post, I bet you feel better now after bashing the daylights out of your keyboard!

It must be so frustrating to have timewasters like that, surely they both knew that the wife didn't really like the neighbours??? Don't they talk together?

Felt sorry for the vendors too, not a nice birthday present.

I wish them well for a future sale.

Kind regards,

Thats a bad one Georgia. We agents do get it from owners when you try so hard to sell and then the buyers just goes cold, sometimes they dont even bother to ring about it, fob you off and 2 months later the realization hits in.

And we are the ones that get it.

Fibby and Jeansis - your both very welcome to put your comments on this forum as are others wanting to comment about our stories.

Have a good one

Hi Jeansis,

Yeah based in Guardamar,was down at el raso yesterday with clients,good job you were not here yesterday,strongest winds i have ever seen in Guardamar,was blowing street signs over last nite!.

Good job really helped to hide the evidence of me kicking them all on the way home

Still growling a little bit but calming slowly.

Have you got internet down at El Raso?

Glad to see you back in the agents post.

Regards

Georgia.

Hi Georgia,

This is happening all too frequently at the moment. I have had a hectic 5 days with several real clients,  with offers flying everywhere.  I haven´t even informed one of the vendors yet because I have a bad feeling about the clients.  It´s been 3 days since the offer was made and the clients have not rung me back to see if it was accepted and I will not be ringing them.  It is a sure indication that they are not serious, as experience tells me when a client wants a property they hound you everyday until they have secured it.

A few weeks ago I had a little whinge at someone in another thread about being flipant when buying in Spain, people sign a contract and weeks later change their minds and want their money back.  I think it´s a cheek and developers should flatly refuse to do it.  How many times could a developer or agent have sold that property between times.

The excuses are great too, one client several months ago rang me to cancel a purchase because his mother in law had become ill.  This would not have been funny except a few days before, a client had cancelled because his mother in law hadn´t died as expected, so no inheritence!!!

More clients this afternoon and guess what??  they are viewing my house do you think I should tell my wife it´s for sale??

question to gillespie

in your post you mentioned you hadnt heard from clients for 3 days, i was wondering do you agents not get annoyed if clients ring everyday wanting news, i know i would be very guilty wanting all the latest everyday, do you all not mind being rang or am i just one of those annoying people that gets talked about in the office every time you eventually get off the phone?

Dear chrism1620,

I think what Gillespie was trying to say is that it's very strange not to hear from anyone who has made an offer within 3 days.

I would totally agree,if you offer on something surely you are awaiting a reply to see if it's accepted?!

As a general rule i personally prefer clients to call often as it a least means they are interested.

It's the deathly silence that's unerving.

Thanks georgia,

With that in mind I will ring when agent when I have something to ask instead of worrying im being a pest.

I really dont know how anyone could make an offer, then sit back and wait, I would probably be ringing every am and pm till i got an answer. Just like now, scanning eos every day hoping someone will put something on that is of interest to me.

I just want to feel im in contact with spain.

Thankyou to all agents, who work hard to  please all us clients, I to think clients should think of the agent sometimes to.

Too true smiley, it would be cheaper to leave her there, she does like the house

Chrism1620 - Gerogia is quite right, we all like the clients to keep contact with us during a sale, and when nervous clients ask me if I will stay in touch regarding the proceedure I always show them my statistics confirming that an average of 50 emails are exchanged from the point the client decides to buy until completion and beyond.  I am very happy to call clients everyday but sometimes I get the feeling they are the ones who get p*ssed off!  "It´s good to talk " as Bob Hoskins once said.

tinto - Sure, playing it cool as the buyer does work, but only if you are not emotionally attached to the properties you are makeing offers on.  I tried this once with a fabulous old farmhouse in Scotland and lost it to a lower bid because I sat back hoping they would sweat, my wife still hasn´t  forgiven me 15 years later, and just to make matters worse, we were told by the estate agent later that the farmhouse was in a housing zone that attracted a 100% restoration grant from the local authorites!!  That really hurt

Anyway, the client didn´t go for my house as it was considered "too far from civilisation", we are 7 minutes out of town.!!  Their original spec was for an old restored property in the countryside which it is!....work that one out guys!!