What does an estate agent do?

Iamnobody

It's interesting that the same people who say you don't need an Estate Agent are advising you to use them to get a valuation...

That's not cricket to me. If you want to do it yourself be completely self sufficient and check sold prices. And base you price on those and current asking prices.

What makes people think that it's ok to get a free valuation if you have NO intention to even instruct an agent?

Axe_meister

Iamnobody said:

It's interesting that the same people who say you don't need an Estate Agent are advising you to use them to get a valuation...

That's not cricket to me. If you want to do it yourself be completely self sufficient and check sold prices. And base you price on those and current asking prices.

What makes people think that it's ok to get a free valuation if you have NO intention to even instruct an agent?

Why do you go to a music shop to try an instrument/pedal/amp and the buy online

Axe_meister

Hopefully estate agents will up their game and offer a real service just like a good guitar shop

Iamnobody

Axe_meister said:

Iamnobody said:

It's interesting that the same people who say you don't need an Estate Agent are advising you to use them to get a valuation...

That's not cricket to me. If you want to do it yourself be completely self sufficient and check sold prices. And base you price on those and current asking prices.

What makes people think that it's ok to get a free valuation if you have NO intention to even instruct an agent?

Why do you go to a music shop to try an instrument/pedal/amp and the buy online

I don't.

Handsome_Chris

Axe_meister said:

Iamnobody said:

It's interesting that the same people who say you don't need an Estate Agent are advising you to use them to get a valuation...

That's not cricket to me. If you want to do it yourself be completely self sufficient and check sold prices. And base you price on those and current asking prices.

What makes people think that it's ok to get a free valuation if you have NO intention to even instruct an agent?

Why do you go to a music shop to try an instrument/pedal/amp and the buy online

Is it because you're a wanker?

Axe_meister

Well I do like a good tug now and again.

Bridgehouse

Axe_meister said:

Well I do like a good tug now and again.

Does this make you happy?

professorben

Based on all the responses thus far, I can see I have only dealt with poor estate agents.

I will admit it's been only from the buying side thus far, but they really do fuck all.

Assuming they turn up on time, and have the right keys, and are able to actually unlock the property and disable any alarm system ( none of which is guaranteed in my real experience) they will then glumly lurk in the corner of the room offering no advice or 'sales'  
they don't know the council tax band without exception 
they don't know the eco rating of the house
they don't know the local school catchment area
they are blissfully unaware of any local knowledge and have no interest in discussing it. 
 

professorben

ThePrettyDamned said:

professorben said:

Fuck all. 

They are the pharmacists of the property world. 

You mean they save lives and contribute to global health research using cutting edge techniques?



I'll ask my brother what he does, he manages an estate agent's branch. He gets consistently high praise from his customers and is really highly regardeed - although I truly don't know what he does. 

Are you confusing someone that works in a pharmacy with someone who is a pharmaceutical researcher?

Garthy

Iamnobody said:

It's interesting that the same people who say you don't need an Estate Agent are advising you to use them to get a valuation...

That's not cricket to me. If you want to do it yourself be completely self sufficient and check sold prices. And base you price on those and current asking prices.

What makes people think that it's ok to get a free valuation if you have NO intention to even instruct an agent?

Because in my experience they don't think twice to knife you, then ask for thousands of pounds in return. The majority of people will say a house move  can be the most stressful time of your life, yet estate agents only ever seem to add to that stress. 

Dominic

I can't imagine why people would assume it's perfectly ok to canvass / borrow the expertise of an agent or two with absolutely no intention of using one …………..that is just wrong.If somebody responded to your Strat for sale and asked you to pop over to their house with it ,played it for 30 mins and said I'll let you know then you would be pretty pissed off to find that they only did it to double check that it was indeed the model they liked before they confirmed their Thomann order online !
  There is an old saying …" If partnerships were so good then why didn't God have one "…….
The same goes for Agents of all types - Why do all top Authors, Screenwriters, Sports Stars ,Actors etc have an Agent ?They promote and enhance the client's opportunities and brand value ;even if it is £1million a year to be the face of a new hair shampoo !
The reason is because a GOOD agent brings enhanced value with expertise and connections.Forget the word agent and substitute the word Marketeer -it doesn't matter what the commodity is ; good marketing , presentation and promotion will always increase Perceived Value .For the sake of 1.5% or even less it's a complete no-brainer.
The Bransons,Trumps and Murdochs of this world get rich by taking a big picture view not small-minded thrift to save 1%
If you have a Tuppence home then sell it through a Tuppence marketing budget -if you want to maximise the value of your biggest asset give it the promotion it deserves……it is a proven fact that the general public feel more comfortable and secure buying through an agent's office - old tradition dies hard.
 A lot of people are also forgetting the negotiation stage - it can be embarrassing and compromising to barter on your doorstep ………a skilled agent ,as a third party removes the stigma , hints at other interest,cajoles with examples of recent prices obtained and makes a far better and substantiated job of talking the buyer's offer up and negotiating on your behalf -one phone call can up a bid by thousands -I'd say that was a bargain for 1% especially as they have paid for the advertising,local papers ,internet etc ……..BARGAIN !
 

ThePrettyDamned

professorben said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

professorben said:

Fuck all. 

They are the pharmacists of the property world. 

You mean they save lives and contribute to global health research using cutting edge techniques?



I'll ask my brother what he does, he manages an estate agent's branch. He gets consistently high praise from his customers and is really highly regardeed - although I truly don't know what he does. 

Are you confusing someone that works in a pharmacy with someone who is a pharmaceutical researcher?

Nope. I studied a few pharmaceutical modules at university, so some of my friends are pharmacists. 

They have to check over prescriptions and know more about the drugs than doctors do - they correct prescriptions (which can be bad enough to overdose). They also work in formulation and assist in clinical research on the side.

They work in the NHS and their job title is, "pharmacist". 

You're probably thinking of the guys who work in Boot's. Most of those are retail assistants, although they often have a well qualified pharmacist working there to check over prescriptions and provide advice where needed.

McSwaggerty

professorben said:

Fuck all. 

Agree....fuck all..

Just like Travel Agents....I mean who uses them nowadays ?

You can sort it all out yourself, and save yourself some dosh.

professorben

ThePrettyDamned said:

professorben said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

professorben said:

Fuck all. 

They are the pharmacists of the property world. 

You mean they save lives and contribute to global health research using cutting edge techniques?



I'll ask my brother what he does, he manages an estate agent's branch. He gets consistently high praise from his customers and is really highly regardeed - although I truly don't know what he does. 

Are you confusing someone that works in a pharmacy with someone who is a pharmaceutical researcher?

Nope. I studied a few pharmaceutical modules at university, so some of my friends are pharmacists. 

They have to check over prescriptions and know more about the drugs than doctors do - they correct prescriptions (which can be bad enough to overdose). They also work in formulation and assist in clinical research on the side.

They work in the NHS and their job title is, "pharmacist". 

You're probably thinking of the guys who work in Boot's. Most of those are retail assistants, although they often have a well qualified pharmacist working there to check over prescriptions and provide advice where needed.

Yep fair point I am referring to the people that work in Boots/Lloyds etc....

its a bug bear of mine. 

I hate the system used. 

Ive been to the fully qualified doctor, who had acess to my medical history and has asked me questions about the issue etc. 

Hes written me a prescription which I take to the pharmacy.

Here begins the trial:

I hand the assistant the prescription 

They put it in a little plastic basket

It gets put on the side for an indeterminate length of time regardless of the number of customers in the pharmacy 

They take it out of the little basket and read it. 

Ten mins or so later they walk over to a drawer take out the number of tablets or whatever written down on the prescription and pop it in a bag. 

Bag gets placed back into into a different coloured basket 

more time passes. 

Assistant picks up bag and loudly calls out my full name. 

I approach the counter. 

"Address?" She asks......
"Why?" I counter
"Its to confirm you are who you say you are" she states. 
"How does that confirm anything? I handed you a piece of paper with my name and address on about 15 mins ago" I point out 
"it's policy" she counters
"it's less an id check than a short term memory test" I say

I then repeat my address to her in a manner suggesting I'm struggling to remember it. 

Ive also given the wrong address several times until she's actually told me what the address is. 

Ive used my wife's national ID card as proof of identity collecting prescriptions IN MY NAME. 

On several occasions I've pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket and read the address off of it to them. 

Phamacies boil my piss. 

Garthy

A Pharmacist walks into his shop and sees a pale frightened man leaning against a wall, he asks his assistant "what with the chap over there?"
"He came in for cough syrup this morning but I couldn't find any so I gave him a whole bottle of laxatives instead" replied the assistant.
"You fucking idiot! You can't treat a cough with laxatives"  bellowed the chemist.
"Sure you can, look at him, he's too scared to cough".

HAL9000

professorben said:

its a bug bear of mine. 

I hate the system used. 

Ive been to the fully qualified doctor, who had acess to my medical history and has asked me questions about the issue etc. 

Hes written me a prescription which I take to the pharmacy.

Here begins the trial:

I hand the assistant the prescription 

They put it in a little plastic basket

It gets put on the side for an indeterminate length of time regardless of the number of customers in the pharmacy 

They take it out of the little basket and read it. 

Ten mins or so later they walk over to a drawer take out the number of tablets or whatever written down on the prescription and pop it in a bag. 

Bag gets placed back into into a different coloured basket 

more time passes. 

Assistant picks up bag and loudly calls out my full name. 

I approach the counter. 

"Address?" She asks......
"Why?" I counter
"Its to confirm you are who you say you are" she states. 
"How does that confirm anything? I handed you a piece of paper with my name and address on about 15 mins ago" I point out 
"it's policy" she counters
"it's less an id check than a short term memory test" I say

I then repeat my address to her in a manner suggesting I'm struggling to remember it. 

Ive also given the wrong address several times until she's actually told me what the address is. 

Ive used my wife's national ID card as proof of identity collecting prescriptions IN MY NAME. 

On several occasions I've pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket and read the address off of it to them. 

Phamacies boil my piss. 

Yes, I know what you mean...

In the post office with my 'undelivered item' card...

Me: I've come to collect this parcel

Man behind counter.: Got any ID?

Me (proffering old passport): Passport any good?

MBC: Sorry, it's out of date

Me: I'm identifying myself - I'm not thinking of going abroad