Despite conjuring up images of glorified Dixons sales assistants with shiny hair in shiny cars and even shinier suits, a lot of estate agents can be relied on to handle the biggest and most significant transaction of several people's lives in an expert and efficient manner.
Nonetheless, dealing with estate agents can be a veritable minefield of dishonesty and hidden costs. And inspite of the property market seemingly stuck in recovery mode because of the economic downturn, complaints about estate agents continue to be being measured inside their thousands.
Actually, the Property Ombudsman - an unbiased service that resolves disputes between consumers and sales and lettings agents - saw a 40% spike in cases in the initial quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.
But just how do estate agents unhappy buyers and sellers, and what can be achieved to prevent such instances?
Most complaints about realtors materialise consequently of misleading information, bad advice, sneaky terms and conditions hidden in the small print and plain old unprofessionalism.
There are numerous items that could make a mistake so it's imperative that you keep your wits about you and do as much as you are able to to avoid engaging the services of a dodgy estate agent.
Should you wind up with a poor agent, you could see your dreams shattered and your bank-account relieved of tens and thousands of pounds with nothing showing for it but weeks of stress and disappointment.
How to find a reputable estate agent
First thing to do before engaging the services of any estate agent is to make sure they're properly accredited.
The majority of estate agents are members of either The Property Ombudsman (TPO) or the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and should really be registered by the Office of Fair Trading-approved Estate Agents Redress Scheme.
With the appropriate accreditation, you may be sure any complaint you make against your agent will be reviewed properly in line with the relevant code of practice.
Also, don't be afraid to ask agents how long they have been in the industry for and simply how much training they've had. Working together with a seasoned and experienced professional will surely help your peace of mind.
If your estate agent is not associated with any recognised bodies or is dangerously under-qualified, then they're not really worth the trouble. Would you actually risk thousands of pounds of your hard earned money and your biggest asset with someone you can't trust?
Another great reason for consternation amongst sellers is some estate agents'attempts to claim commission on a purchase even when these were not directly active in the transaction on the foundation they introduced the buyer.
In a recent court case, the judge ruled that whenever an estate agent makes a state for commission, they have to prove these were the effective reason behind the sale. In other words, they must have introduced the purchaser to the purchase, not merely introduce them to the property.
Furthermore, agents who are members of the TPO or NAEA don't have any to commission if you withdrew their instruction more than 6 months before the sale.
Those people who are not part of the bodes, however, can claim as much as six years so be wary.
Some estate agent contracts include a clause which states that if the agent finds a'ready, willing and able'purchaser, then they've right to claim commission no matter whether you sold your property to that purchaser or not.
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