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Ozzie estate agents

Ozzie estate agents

Old Oct 5th 2005, 2:26 pm
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Default Ozzie estate agents

Landed in Melbourne 31 July, bit of a culture shock but we seem to have adjusted well.
Bought a ford focus 1.8 within the first week, furnished our rental as we brought nothing but suitcases, went shopping for food and decided to buy a house!!!!! Seems a bit drastic we know but hell if you're meaning to stay you have to make in-roads. So we viewed our first house.
Mmm! Def do things differently in the Antipodes lol. Open (for sale) houses during the weekend but mainly on a Saturday.
People please beware there are sharks out there, and i dont mean the wet ones this particular species lives in land just as hungry and just as slippery!!! They normally wear suits hold a A4 clipboard and a welcoming grin. Well actually it is more like a sneer , similar to the wide big gobbed grin an angler fish gives to its prey prior to a strike!!!!!!!! as it flashes its lure tantalisingly before it!!! Yes welcome to the sleazy, greasy, slimy world of the estate agent (or at least their henchmen).
Before we left the UK we were lucky enough to have no dealings with them as we sold privately, Yes we were lucky, we know but if you follow certain guidelines it can save a fortune.
So not having many dealings with the big beaked A4 wielding vultures we were shocked to say the least. no matter how many times you tell them what your criteria is, ie (something modern) they decide to sell you whatever rubbish they are struggling to get rid of!!!
Ours was simple we required three bedrooms two bathrooms and a double garage, somewhere nice, Let's say South Frankston and modern. Built in the last 8 years or so, we gave them our budget!!!! fat lot of good that was. They obviously dont understand we want to spend so much!!!!!!
"Could you stretch it to say??"
NO WE WANT TO SPEND X AMOUNT!!!! are they really that stupid or do they think we are??
You could not believe the different amount of connotations that a single estate agent could come up with!!!!!!
We have viewed up to and including approximately 60 houses before we chose the one that we really wanted within the specifications given . We have viewed two bedrooms houses , we have seen houses with one bathroom and we have seen houses with car porches. I have called them liars, i have called them thieves and i have called them names that should have got their backs up! But believe me it bounced of them like the proverbial water off a ducks back!!!!!!
I have even threatened one with contact to their governing body ( The REIV) and all he could say was, that they wouldn't do or say anything even if it were proved that they had lied. Well i am going ahead with my threat regardless.
I know that this sounds as though we are not enjoying our live down under but believe me, we are. In fact we love it and after all the arguing and shouting with idiots that see no further than their commission. We think that, all the effort to get here has been worth it. We have been lucky enough to buy a house with no mortgage and have a small amount left over. It is not a castle and it doesn't need to be there are just the two of us. we will make it work and we will make it a home.
It will be no thanks to the friendly shark on the corner of every street.
Oh by the way i dont want to pick out individual problems with individual agents. I would rather say that I have dealt with them all and don't believe a word they say.
Unless you are actually an agent that is prepared to stand up for yourself, I am sure I can spare the time to chew the fat with ya???
Happy to chat some more bout honesty!!!!
So buyer beware i think is the terminology lol its a joke but seriously stick to your guns tell them what you're requirements are and then maybe just maybe we can teach the vultures how to become straight and honest hawkers of their trade!!!!!!!
Good luck to all that are trying
Regards Chris and Andrea
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Old Oct 5th 2005, 2:34 pm
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Ah well! At least you can put it behind you now and get on with your life!!

It makes me laugh when I look at the Oz Estate Agents Web Sites. Who picks what pictures go in there?

Some of them don't even show the house from the outside. Others show the kitchen with dirty pots in the sink and on the table. If the house has a pool it will show you the pool from 15 different angles then show two pictures of the inside of the house. :scared:

I'm surprised they sell anything!!
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Old Oct 5th 2005, 11:59 pm
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

http://www.jenman.com/
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 1:13 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Totally agree with you as we are going thriugh the same problems ourselves. What really gets me though is that they blame anyone/thing for the current state of the market. A few months ago it was the Vendor Tax in NSW holding the market back, this morning I was reading it was petrol prices....nowhere have I seen that agents have been overvaluing houses to get huge commisions and now buyers are priced out of the market, or have realised that it is a case of the emperors new clothes. This also has and will continue to affect vendors who bought at the height of the boom, they paid over the top and think they can still get those prices. Seem to remember a phrase from the UK in the late 80's..negative equity and we all know that ended in a crash. Reckon Sydney could be next???
We are looking to spend $700,000 in South Sydney and basically the quality is terrible. In 5 months and 50+ houses we have found one decent one and then ended up arguing with the agent when he would not submit our offer because he thought it was too low. In the end another agent sold the house for roughly what we were offering, so we missed out, but at least he missed his commision!!!!
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 4:13 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

I quite like their approach of advertising most of the houses on the websites without a price - a sure fire sign that it they are asking too much.

IMO if it doesn't have a price (sports car, motor boat) if need to ask, you can't afford it - but why does it appear that the majority of houses on domain.com.au aren't listed with prices? For me it's a straight turn off from wanting to know any more about the house.

Anyway I think I'll have lots of funs with these estate agents when we arrive next year - lucking feeches!
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 7:22 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by ****** eejit
I quite like their approach of advertising most of the houses on the websites without a price - a sure fire sign that it they are asking too much.

IMO if it doesn't have a price (sports car, motor boat) if need to ask, you can't afford it - but why does it appear that the majority of houses on domain.com.au aren't listed with prices? For me it's a straight turn off from wanting to know any more about the house.

Anyway I think I'll have lots of funs with these estate agents when we arrive next year - lucking feeches!
The properties listed in Sydney that don't have prices would be because they're auction sales. You can ask the agent to give you a rough idea of price range for an auction sale - and they will quote a nice low price to make you think you're in with a chance. DON'T BELIEVE THEM! They have quoted the seller a nice high price - which bears no relation to the price they have given you.

The only way to get a good idea of the REAL potential price is to do your own research. You have to check out published auction results of similar houses to get a realistic idea of what places are going for.
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 7:25 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer
Totally agree with you as we are going thriugh the same problems ourselves. What really gets me though is that they blame anyone/thing for the current state of the market. A few months ago it was the Vendor Tax in NSW holding the market back, this morning I was reading it was petrol prices....nowhere have I seen that agents have been overvaluing houses to get huge commisions and now buyers are priced out of the market, or have realised that it is a case of the emperors new clothes. This also has and will continue to affect vendors who bought at the height of the boom, they paid over the top and think they can still get those prices. Seem to remember a phrase from the UK in the late 80's..negative equity and we all know that ended in a crash. Reckon Sydney could be next???
We are looking to spend $700,000 in South Sydney and basically the quality is terrible. In 5 months and 50+ houses we have found one decent one and then ended up arguing with the agent when he would not submit our offer because he thought it was too low. In the end another agent sold the house for roughly what we were offering, so we missed out, but at least he missed his commision!!!!
It's illegal for an agent not to submit an offer as it's usually in the contract he makes with a seller. Try going to the seller direct and asking why he hadn't been informed!
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 7:33 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by Handyandy180
Landed in Melbourne 31 July, bit of a culture shock but we seem to have adjusted well.
Bought a ford focus 1.8 within the first week, furnished our rental as we brought nothing but suitcases, went shopping for food and decided to buy a house!!!!! Seems a bit drastic we know but hell if you're meaning to stay you have to make in-roads. So we viewed our first house.
Mmm! Def do things differently in the Antipodes lol. Open (for sale) houses during the weekend but mainly on a Saturday.
People please beware there are sharks out there, and i dont mean the wet ones this particular species lives in land just as hungry and just as slippery!!! They normally wear suits hold a A4 clipboard and a welcoming grin. Well actually it is more like a sneer , similar to the wide big gobbed grin an angler fish gives to its prey prior to a strike!!!!!!!! as it flashes its lure tantalisingly before it!!! Yes welcome to the sleazy, greasy, slimy world of the estate agent (or at least their henchmen).
Before we left the UK we were lucky enough to have no dealings with them as we sold privately, Yes we were lucky, we know but if you follow certain guidelines it can save a fortune.
So not having many dealings with the big beaked A4 wielding vultures we were shocked to say the least. no matter how many times you tell them what your criteria is, ie (something modern) they decide to sell you whatever rubbish they are struggling to get rid of!!!
Ours was simple we required three bedrooms two bathrooms and a double garage, somewhere nice, Let's say South Frankston and modern. Built in the last 8 years or so, we gave them our budget!!!! fat lot of good that was. They obviously dont understand we want to spend so much!!!!!!
"Could you stretch it to say??"
NO WE WANT TO SPEND X AMOUNT!!!! are they really that stupid or do they think we are??
You could not believe the different amount of connotations that a single estate agent could come up with!!!!!!
We have viewed up to and including approximately 60 houses before we chose the one that we really wanted within the specifications given . We have viewed two bedrooms houses , we have seen houses with one bathroom and we have seen houses with car porches. I have called them liars, i have called them thieves and i have called them names that should have got their backs up! But believe me it bounced of them like the proverbial water off a ducks back!!!!!!
I have even threatened one with contact to their governing body ( The REIV) and all he could say was, that they wouldn't do or say anything even if it were proved that they had lied. Well i am going ahead with my threat regardless.
I know that this sounds as though we are not enjoying our live down under but believe me, we are. In fact we love it and after all the arguing and shouting with idiots that see no further than their commission. We think that, all the effort to get here has been worth it. We have been lucky enough to buy a house with no mortgage and have a small amount left over. It is not a castle and it doesn't need to be there are just the two of us. we will make it work and we will make it a home.
It will be no thanks to the friendly shark on the corner of every street.
Oh by the way i dont want to pick out individual problems with individual agents. I would rather say that I have dealt with them all and don't believe a word they say.
Unless you are actually an agent that is prepared to stand up for yourself, I am sure I can spare the time to chew the fat with ya???
Happy to chat some more bout honesty!!!!
So buyer beware i think is the terminology lol its a joke but seriously stick to your guns tell them what you're requirements are and then maybe just maybe we can teach the vultures how to become straight and honest hawkers of their trade!!!!!!!
Good luck to all that are trying
Regards Chris and Andrea
Can I just ask a question, do the Australian estate agents not provide written details of houses, like in the UK. And if so, do they lie about no's ob bedrooms and bathroms on them, and if not then why did you view properties that werent to your spec.

Just trying to save myself from the aggro you have been through
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 7:39 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by bex 66
Can I just ask a question, do the Australian estate agents not provide written details of houses, like in the UK. And if so, do they lie about no's ob bedrooms and bathroms on them, and if not then why did you view properties that werent to your spec.

Just trying to save myself from the aggro you have been through
Must admit I was wondering the same. We used property.com.au and domain.com.au and searched for properties ourselves, called the agents and met them directly at the houses we wanted to view, rather than going into agents and allowing them to offer a selection of properties. Have actually found most to be pleasant and not as pushy as uk agents. Of course there are going to be sharks everywhere and perhaps we've been lucky but its all gone fairly swimmingly thus far for us.
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 7:47 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by bex 66
Can I just ask a question, do the Australian estate agents not provide written details of houses, like in the UK. And if so, do they lie about no's ob bedrooms and bathroms on them, and if not then why did you view properties that werent to your spec.

Just trying to save myself from the aggro you have been through
They are frankly just not up to the standards you would expect in a first world country. Most put almost nothing of factual interest on the sheets; loads of guff about "Dress Circle Location" and "Immaculate" (ie., a doss house) but as for things like room sizes, rates, etc - forget it. Half the time the address isn't there either - you end up phoning over and over again to find that the place isn't anywhere near where you want.

We've been looking for over a year now!
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Old Oct 6th 2005, 7:50 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by bex 66
Can I just ask a question, do the Australian estate agents not provide written details of houses, like in the UK. And if so, do they lie about no's ob bedrooms and bathroms on them, and if not then why did you view properties that werent to your spec.

Just trying to save myself from the aggro you have been through
I wondered this myself....

There can be a bit of artistic license here with number of bathrooms - I have seen laundries which have a shower in them, counted as bathrooms, but that's about it. Occasionally you might see something described as 3/4 bedrooms - which usually means that you lose the dining room if you want 4 bedrooms. Otherwise what's published is usually correct.

What people have to realise is the Real Estate Agents are working for the sellers - they don't give a rats about buyers, even though they might smile at you. If you're buying you have to do your own research, and don't rely on the Agent for anything except to open the door.
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Old Oct 7th 2005, 12:28 am
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Default Re: Ozzie estate agents

Originally Posted by Rog Williams
http://www.jenman.com/
Many thanks for this i do hope people will read it especially the 13 mistakes that home buyers make!!
regards Chris and Andrea
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