Your contract with the estate agents

[Pommier]

Chrissie, if it is indeed the same viewer, then whoever they view with first is the only agent they can buy through. If you really think that there's a strong chance that it's the same person then if I were you I'd wouldn't let the first agent (with the lower price) bring his client until after the second agents visit.

[mint]

[quote user="Mikep"]I suggest that you make careful note of any potential buyers introduced to you, by whom and when - ideally confirmed in writing to the agency (say, as a "thank you" note after the visit). Then, if a second agency tries to introduce the same people, say at once that you are already in contact.
I can't see that you would lose out, no buyer is going to make a higher offer for the same property through a second agent. That way you could save yourself a lot of hassle - and you have some paperwork to support your case.
Incidentally, our agents seemed to put much more effort in to persuading me to drop the price, than they did into finding prospective buyers.
[/quote]

What an orderly person you are, sour70!  Incidentally, as I have often mentioned the "sweet" is meant to be ironic [:)]

I will up my attention span and take better note of names and dates and so forth in future.  Thank you for the tip.

How you hit the nail on the head with the statement that I have highlighted!  It was after the agent tried to get me to lower the net vendeur (by some 8k) that I wrote here to remind other people, but mainly to remind MYSELF that the agent doesn't work for the interests of buyer or seller but principally for his or her own interests.

And to Chrissie, am I missing something or isn't it more NORMAL to discuss price after the viewing rather than before?  Personally, if someone wanted to negotiate the price first, I'd say why don't you view the house to begin with and see if you liked it and if it was suitable BEFORE we talk money.  I am no card player but I don't like to reveal all my hand upfront.

 

[Chrissie]

Thanks for all that: has reassured me a bit that we don't need to worry over which agent has which viewer etc.  (Slightly academic as at time of writing this neither of them has come back!)

I agree that it is normal to discuss price after viewing, but the market is very poor for large houses (this is a LARGE house!) and the current advertising price with all our agents is, in my opinion, now too high.[:(]   Had been planning to go round them all and drop the price again sometime soon.  Hence the (in my view) reasonable requests as to whether or not we would be prepared to negotiate.  No firm prices were discussed but indications were danced around!  Let's face it, at the end of the day you have to get a viewer inside the gate before they will even think about buying.  And I used to get infuriated, when we were buying, by agents who took us to houses high above our budget.

Chrissie (81)

[PaulT]

Chrissie perhaps the potential viewers also feel the property is over priced and have said to the agents 'no use us viewing that property unless it is a realistic price' hence the agents contact before any viewing.

[mint]

A warm glow suffuses my whole body.........OK, I've been to the gym and I have had a whiskey or two but, most importantly, I have had an offer for the full asking price and I am now having to do all the necessaries.

Chrissie, I wish you all the very best with all my heart and I hope that you too will sell your property tout de suite.

I have had a sort of test run and that was before I was able to provide the figures for emmissions and so on and that was in November.  Then, 36 days ago, I provided all the info that was missing and also dropped the price by 5 grand plus put more photos on the internet.

Since I did those 3 things, I have had, on average, one viewing a week and I SEEM to have achieved a sale this evening.

To anyone attempting to sell, I'd say, bon courage, there ARE people out there wanting to buy.

My buyers have flown in all the way from St Omer this weekend, so do NOT give up hope [:)]

Thank you to Cinders, Wooly, Rabbie and all my friends on here who have wished me well.  I am grateful for the support but please do not celebrate too soon....there's many a slip, as they say [:-))]

[woolybanana]

YEAH!!!!!!!! I shall drink several bottles when the acte is signed, meanwhile, just one.Wheeeeee!

[mint]

Oh, Wools, now it's YOU who is sweet!

And you are incorrigible!

Plus I don't know anyone else who can find any old excuse for a drink as you can!

[kiss]

[Loiseau]

Whew, glad to hear that, Sweets. I have been wondering all day.

The banana only got a whole bottle to himself because a bottle of white had to be opened in order to put a splash on the delicious chicken he was cooking, and i got to drink the remains (as he won't touch white), thus liberating the usual nightly bottle of red entirely to him!

Angela.

[mint]

You are spoiliing him, Angela!

But why not?

And merci beaucoup for the kind thoughts!

Is that chicken his special recipe with the lemons?

BTW, if you have a nice recipe for pintade, I wouldn't mind having it.  The last 2 pintades I did, one cooked slowly in wine and one roasted in butter didn't taste great, nice-ish but not anything to write home about [:'(]

[Gardengirl]

Good morning, Sweet. I've just switched on to look at the meteo and thought I'd see if there was any news on your house. That's splendid news! Given the time of day I'll just raise a glass of orange juice and save something more in keeping when it's all signed and sealed. Hope all goes smoothly for you both.

[mint]

Good morning GG and thank you so much.

For the info of those interested (and perhaps of some help and taking an idea mooted by Mikep), I have started a Sale Diary.  In it, I note the dates and briefly the action/s I take.

For example, today's date, email to notaire requiring list of documents I need to supply to him.

I should be able to keep track of what I ask of whom when and whether any action is needed on my part.

[Mikep]

Well done it getting the sale at your full price - exceptional!

Could I add a few thoughts on negotiating, for others' benefit, although you clearly don't need them. I spent a good few years as a contract negotiator (IT projects, not property!):

• the reason the buyer will want to negotiate the price before the visit is exactly why you don't want to - he's testing you and looking for a "free" reduction, and will usually come back later to ask for more, especially if you reduce now.
• it's usually best not to trade money for money, but trade a reduction for something helpful to you - for example, "a small reduction may be possible if you (the buyer) have no house to sell, don't need a mortgage, can sign a compromis within four weeks . . . " This positions you as working with the buyer for mutual benefit, rather than banging heads.
• Is there any other way the buyer can work to your benefit? For example, we ended up selling many heavy items of furniture to our buyer, and even my French car, which I would have had to dispose of anyway. It was all at quite low prices, but saved him a lot of initial expense and gave me 15,000 euros cash in hand with no hassle. 

• we even did the deal with the bulk of the payment in sterling, saving each of us 1% or so in conversion costs and bank charges. The Notaire had to approve it, but he was quite happy.
• Finally, don't rush to reduce. I sold another home many years ago to a family with young children. Their parents brought them round to choose their bedrooms, and then wanted to discuss the price . . .! Let the buyer build some emotional commitment first (and especially the buyer's wife, excuse the sexism s.v.p!)  

Hope this helps others in the future!

[mint]

[quote user="Mikep"] Let the buyer build some emotional commitment first (and especially the buyer's wife, excuse the sexism s.v.p!)  Hope this helps others in the future!
[/quote]

How I agree with that!

The parents first came round, took photos; we built up good rapport.  The mother said her daughter (the buyer) had had a coup de cœur, upon finding our house on the internet.

I made sure they knew I had another viewing straight after the weekend.

The following day, the father asked whether  I would bloquer other visits just until the young couple themselves could come at the weekend.  Specifically, he said that he'd requested this because they had to book return flights from wherever (northern France).  Well, the next visit was planned for Wednesday so I lost nothing by agreeing straightaway.  The father was grateful and so was the daughter when she rang.

By this time, not only had they buyers built some emotional commitment but also monetary commitment by buying plane tickets.

The couple duly came on Sunday but, not only that, they brought the young woman's 3 siblings, 2 teenaged boys and a girl of 9 years old.  Of course, this was looking good.  It was obvious that this was a close family and that they'd all want their daughter/sister living closer to them than St Omer.

As with most houses, there were, shall we say idosyncrasies, but I decided not to mention those until the end of the visit.  By then, everybody had developed some sort of emotional commitment (just as you have described) and could see themselves using the large séjour when the family come to visit, they could have their barbeque in the garden, etc etc.

So, no need to mention any "defects" or drawbacks until the purchasers get emotionally attached.  After that, once they have decided that they want the house, then is the time to mention anything negative and you'd see them sweep their own objections aside.

It was something I'd learned years ago when I was in marketing briefly [:D]

[YCCMB]

Don't be too hung up on the sexual stereotyping. Whenever we view houses, I'm in charge of being "not too keen" and am often cited by OH in discussions with the Estate agent, along the lines of "My wife wasn't keen on....." whilst OH does the deal, trying to convince the agent that they're both working together to win over the evil old bag (me). On the contrary, if I view for the first time alone, and then we do a second viewing together, OH can point out (ostensibly - and sometimes in reality) to me all the things I've missed which make it a Bad Idea.

[Loiseau]

Sweets, sent you a pm (recipe)

Angela

[mint]

Thank you, Angela.  Have been out all evening making flowers (in company with about another hundred people) for the félibrée which is, as the poster might say, coming to a town near us!

First time in this particular town for some 40 years, (once every 40 years is not too demanding, is it?) so I don't mind giving some time to making flowers to decorate public buildings.

Betty, I can just see you and Mr B, playing the good-guy-bad-guy parts in some convoluted murder mystery![:D]

Mikep, it's as you say, have had emails from all the agents now, saying well done, etc.  Also, don't worry about the formal letters, just send us a message.  House Selling Diary getting filled with all sorts of bits and pieces already.

Edit:  no joy with the PM function tonight, Angela.  Have sent an email via the Wooly Wonder.  Thanks both.

[Cendrillon]

Just caught up with this Sweets, good news re the house sale and fingers crossed it all goes through smoothly.