BettyBoop

Can anyone tell me why estate agents in Oz will not return my emails for info. on rental houses?
We are emigrating next month and hoping to have a six month rental property set up for us arriving...risky I know, but as it's only six months I'm sure we can live with it.
We want to do it this way as we have a 10 yr old, and don't want him to have to chop and change schools etc.

It's not as if we're going to on of the big cities where there is loads of competition for rentals!
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

DagBoy

No idea why they would not be answering your enquiries - are they direct enquiries from the agent's own website or through the "contact this agent" things on realestate.com?

If the latter, try the former - or find the name of the agent and look it up on www.whitepages.com.au and see if a fax number is listed - then fax them.

I see you are going to Bundy. Why there? Just being nosey because half of MrsD's family live there.

Cheers,

DagBoy

BettyBoop

hi Dagboy,yes I have been emailing 'contact this agent' sometimes 4-5 times for the same property! I feel like a serial emailer!!
We are on the SIR visa...nearly went to Maryborough...but hubby has been offered a job in Bundy...
Would love to hear anything (?) about the area, good and bad...if you have the time..
I'll try as you suggest re:estate agents
cheers again.

chr1sarter

Where to start. Ive been here in perth nearly 8 days now, and started contacting real estate agenst on day 1, and still they dont bother returng your calls, even if you are here. they are the laziest, bunch of ignorant un helpful shits you will ever meet. Most agenst are not interested in Rentals. They onyl care when you are buying, as they get paid large commissions. Even if you go into their shops, they dont care, cant be bothered to get your information, just hand you a photocopy of the houses they have, with no pictures. Even when you ring to make an appointment, they wont concider meeting to you, until you have driven by the house first. We have also had the problems, where they will not show you around a property they are letting, until they have 5 or 6 people interested because they dont want to keep going back to the property. Its a nightmare. Also there is a shortage of property here, and there are lots of people looking.


We need to find somewhere by end of August, and im not confident we will. Staying at our folks house, but need our space with our kids. Sorry to give bad news, but real estate certainly wont get back to you if you are in the UK.

Thinking about setting up my own real estate business, just for expats, and taking all the rentals, and give a good service. One day maybe.

Hope you get sorted out.

chris

BettyBoop

tahnks for the info. need to try a new tack me thinks!
best wishes in your search also.

TopCat3

Welcome to Customer Service, Australian Style. Sorry.

BettyBoop

and here was me thinking I was leaving all that c**p behind us!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :scared:

movetoperth

Real Estate agents are a law unto themselves, but the main reason they don't contact you (apart from not being bothered) is that most rental properties are not on the market for more than a few days, they presume that you wont make a commitment until you have viewed the property so don't see any point in replying. They wont actually know at the moment which properties they are going to have available for next month.

Rental Agents are probably the worst industry to have to deal with, they don't have to work to rent the property out and they know they wont have repeat business from you so the service sucks (as my 8 year old would say).

Obviously i don't know the situation in Bundy, but i would never, ever recommend anyone renting blind here in Perth as i have seen some rentals which look great on the internet, but on viewing are barely habitable.

Lynn

BettyBoop

thanks everyone,
Lynn that's certainly food for thought....may book hotel for a few weeks to start...
God, it just doesn't get any easier does it?

NIGENABBY

Hello

Firstly, I am not trying to defend real estate agents, I (as a general rule) think they are as big a bunch of crooks as the next person.

You may find one of the reasons they are not contacting you back is that most property viewings in Australia (rental and sale) are done via 'open house' that is the property is open to the general public at a time and date for half an hour or so. Many people then put in a rental application then and there. The agents do not need to 'get back to people' as they have numerous applications on the spot.

I totally agree this is poor customer service, but rentals are done on volume alone the more they can rent quickly the more money the agents make.

I know this does not help in your current situation. I would advise you to find a local agent (white or yellow pages are good).

Good luck

ossigeno

Oz estate agents make UK estate agents look excellent. They won't return phone calls or behave in anyway that could be considered pro-active. Ideal scenario would be to bypass the estate agent.

You will have a slightly different experience if you call an estate agent and tell them you have a property to sell.

Three Legs

"Hi from all the staff at L J Hooker ...."

"Our reputation is YOUR guarantee ..."





Three Legs

coxfamuk

What about if you email them telling them that you have over a million to spend on a house, but you first want to rent to get a feel for the areas and what schools etc. I wonder if the carrot of a big spend would motivate them?

Storini

Another nasty shock comes when you come to sell. Some agents require the seller to put money up front to start marketing your property; and, they can require a regular payment every month to carry on marketing it. Not at all like the UK, where commission is earnt only on a sale achieved.

BLC

Excellent advice