I was out with an agent on Friday to observe him during listing appointments. During the appointment, the seller said quite a few things that made me jjts about do a spit-take.
I felt that one in particular illustrated England's primary problem with the way they handle the real estate industry.
In England, it is pretty common for agents not to show the houses to potential buyers, but rather have the seller show the property themselves.
This particular agency charges a low, flat rate listing fee rather than a commission; they also charge extra if the seller wants their agents to handle the viewings.
When the agent got to that part of the listing pitch, the seller said "I know more than you do about the house and what problems it has, so I think you should handle the viewings... I'll be too honest".
This was after ahe pointed to a large spot on the wall where moisture was penetrating from outside so badly that the paint had come completely off the wall and there was a wet spot about 6 feet high by 3 feet wide, and said she planned on putting wallpaper on it to cover it up.
After the appontment, I asked the agent how he felt about the seller and the fact that she plans on concealing the water damage. He was not at all concerned about it. He went on to "educate" me on "caveat emptor".
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