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Post by atavus on Apr 8, 2006 18:54:44 GMT 1
That must be why Croatian real estate companies charge 6% for very little. If any Croatian real estate owner is reading this and you only take commision from the person whose house you sell, I salute you, agents who take from either side are a sham.
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Post by firefly on Apr 8, 2006 19:37:39 GMT 1
BBC went undercover and exposed the kind of tactics UK agents use to secure a sale. Shocking stuff....you can watch it online on BBC website. "The secret agent" is the name of the program.
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Post by atavus on Apr 8, 2006 19:43:58 GMT 1
That is because most estate agents, in fact most agents of any kind are only interested in sealing a deal, at any cost, the only difference is, in England they charge a much lower % for their work.
Just to add, I watched that show and didn't find anything shocking in the slightest, they made a huge deal out of the estate agency who were linked to a loan company, clearly that kind of thing goes on all the time. The only thing I found amazing was the forged documents to aid people to get credit way beyond their means, I certainly wasn't surprised to see a Nigerian at the centre of it though.
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Post by firefly on Apr 8, 2006 19:47:03 GMT 1
Faking sellers signatures, producing fake passports, lying to sellers about nonexistant offers so that the price could be brought down....this is just a small sample of the program. We are talking big names like Foxtons. Watch the program first and then come back trying to defend UK estate agents.
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Post by mark2 on Apr 8, 2006 19:57:08 GMT 1
That must be why Croatian real estate companies charge 6% for very little. If any Croatian real estate owner is reading this and you only take commision from the person whose house you sell, I salute you, agents who take from either side are a sham. Thank you for the salute, Mark
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Post by atavus on Apr 8, 2006 19:58:45 GMT 1
That must be why Croatian real estate companies charge 6% for very little. If any Croatian real estate owner is reading this and you only take commision from the person whose house you sell, I salute you, agents who take from either side are a sham. Thank you for the salute, Mark If you don't charge the buyer, then fair play to you, I wish more would follow your lead.
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Post by atavus on Apr 8, 2006 20:01:58 GMT 1
Faking sellers signatures, producing fake passports, lying to sellers about nonexistant offers so that the price could be brought down....this is just a small sample of the program. We are talking big names like Foxtons. Watch the program first and then come back trying to defend UK estate agents. As I said I watched the programme, I won't defend any agents, but I don't understand why that is shocking to you? Pretending there is an offer on a house, shocks you? If your point is that Croatian estate agents are cleaner than uk agents, then please allow me to sit down before I die laughing, ever industry is bent here, not just real estate.
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Post by mark2 on Apr 8, 2006 20:10:16 GMT 1
The method we have introduced took a while for both parties to understand, the seller wants X-amount, we add a small percentage on top (less than 6%) The buyer pays the asking price or if they make a lower offer, we return to the seller and try and renegotiate both our percentage and their lowest price.
Unbelievably we have even veered away from the cash on the table purchase, bank transfers and even 3 monthly instalments now happen. The system works in our backwater of Croatia and hopefully may be the stepping stone. By the way, this isn't advertising, "BUY IN BULGARIA ...It's Cheaper but WILL become the next Benidorm"
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Post by firefly on Apr 8, 2006 20:24:00 GMT 1
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Post by atavus on Apr 8, 2006 20:24:19 GMT 1
Bulgarian men are apes, so that explains why it is so cheap.
My problem with the agents is that they are everything to everybody, I have no problem with a broker negotiating for the buyer especially in a foreign country, but I cannot accept that the same agent/broker should represent both parties and take commission from both parties, I vehemently believe it is a clear conflict of interests.
Estate agents are like any other business, some are good, some are bad, sadly like most sales environments the ones who bend the truth find it easier to be successful that those who do things in a professional and cordial manner.
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Post by atavus on Apr 8, 2006 20:34:48 GMT 1
I'm struggling with your point firefly, I have taken what I see as the most important quotes from the page.
My boss congratulates me on getting an offer on a flat that has been overvalued by £60,000. The newly-wed young couple viewing the property are stretched to their financial limit
Erm..her job is to sell the property at the best price possible, if she is only acting for the seller then I see no problem in that, the true price is whatever somebody is willing to pay, in all businesses most sales men have control of their profit margins and will charge whatever they can.
I soon discovered his mortgage brokers work closely with Foxtons' agents. They openly discuss potential buyers' budgets so they can squeeze as much money out of them as possible.
That is unethical, but it certainly doesn't surprise me, and I am sure it happens all over the uk, and all over the modern world.
Months later, we found an agent willing to go to even further. I was totally shocked when we were offered a fake identity in order to get a fraudulent mortgage.
That was the only part that surprised me on the show, it was a Nigerian con-man in a dirty little office, and his fake papers were helping people obtain credit by deception, I hope he goes to prison, but I don't think he was an estate agent.
This was an undercover investigation that had to prove a fixed belief, that agents were bent, it didn't in all honesty prove a lot, they have to shock people or nobody will watch it, but the only surprising thing at least in my eyes was the fake documents.
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Post by Knedla on Apr 11, 2006 2:45:29 GMT 1
This is now the 2nd time you have made a comment about Nigerians.... it is a bit discriminatory.
It is not just Nigerians playing these con games...... it is everyone... every race.
And pushing an appraiser to give you a higher value on a home is UNETHICAL.
An appraiser that is swayed to give a higher value on a property because the owner or sales person needs the value to be higher in order for the loan to go through is committing a crime.
These kind of things do go on and in the long run appraisers are going to cause a big, BIG problem for the economy because everything has been over-inflated!
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Post by atavus on Apr 11, 2006 9:38:04 GMT 1
It is not discriminatory, it is just in Croatia you don't have to be so pc, it is similar to saying most rapes are commited by men.
Or to say a hugely disproportionate percentage of street crime in London is committed by black youths, there may be many reasons why these statements are true, one thing that cannot be argued is, these statements are true.
So many of the world's scams come directly from Nigeria these days it is untrue, and we shouldn't be afraid to point the finger in the direction of trouble, of course that doesn't mean we hold it against all Nigerians, or label all men rapists, nevertheless what i said stands true.
There seems to be a problem is saying what is true, in case one appears prejudice.
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Post by elaine on Apr 11, 2006 16:38:08 GMT 1
Hear hear!! Well said.
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Post by Culchie on Apr 11, 2006 16:41:19 GMT 1
I've yet to meet one single Nigerian that has a proper tax paying job.....fact.
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