Who's an estate agent?

[downsouth]

What with all the estate agent bashing that goes on here, whether deserved or undeserved. It would be good to hear from those at the receiving end of it. Are there any estate agents who log on to EDF? and if so what do think of the criticisms raised - parking, saturation, etc.. - do you agree or disagree? If you work in ED do you actually live here?

[Administrator]

I have just had to ban one user (someone at a local estate agent) for posting in the Residential section even after I sent them a warning not to. It was in fact the second warning to that particular company in 24hrs.

[lozzyloz]

They should be named and shamed

[peckhamboy]

And publicly flogged. We should start a campaign to have stocks and a ducking pond on Goose Green, for anyone who is (or is suspected to be) an estate agent.

[Jeremy]

To be fair, they weren't posing as someone else, they openly admitted that they were estate agents.

But that still doesn't make them welcome here!

[HennyPenny]

Sorry Jeremy,as an estate agent and having lived in ED for almost 20 years, probably far longer than you, and immensley loyal to the area, I have been an avid follower of the forum for some time, have made a few comments, and even replied in my very helpful way of recommending a window cleaner and removal firm, and I am here to stay!

I know my profession is hated, but then so are lawyers, politicians, and traffic wardens and I'm sure there is a sprinkling of them reading this column - are they going to end up in the stocks as well?

I don't work in East Dulwich/Lordship Lane, so am not responsible for being a little beetle. For me as a resident, the parking on my road is horrendous at all times of the day and night - and I am far enough away from the Lane to not have the decorated minis and beetles, most cars are (or rather the drivers are) frequenting the various bars etc. The popularity of the area is bringing the consequences - remember Clapham 15 years ago - it started getting trendy and look at it now, everyones coming here - where will we all go to next I wonder. As far as saturation goes, there is, judging by the numbers of properties F....... have available, enough to go round, but if you do look for example at their web site, they are picking up a lot of business in Brockley, Peckham and west Dulwich - they certainly will sort out the less than able/reputable agents on the block.

No doubt you will hear from me again......

[downsouth]

Hi Henny Penny - you are mostly certainly welcome.

Yes I thought Foxton's strategy was interesting too - the wider Dulwich area being lumped as one - the success of which I suppose only time will tell.

[Jingles]

Hennypenny, I am a lawyer, please do not put me in the same maligned category as estate agents.

Lawyers: 3 year degree; 1 year LPC; 2 years of solicitor training.

Estate agents: No qualifications or regulations

The Estate Agent industry in the UK is unlicensed and unregulated, so any old fool or failed-at academia-ex-public schoolboy off the street without qualifications or experience can set up shop as an Estate Agent. There is no official training required. That explains a lot already, doesn?t it?

*Lawyers are regulated by the Law Society, and the slightest misdemeanour means they will be 'struck off' practising.

Estate agents: a profession that includes backstabbing to the ultimate level; manipulating people into buying homes because their salary depends on it; a life of working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day; an occupation that requires no qualification at all, and has no consumer protection. In my honest opinion, the answer to that question is, ?a daft twit who carries a joy for inflicting misery?

Lawyers: you're protected when using one, as insurance indemnity is high.

Estate Agents: You have more protection when buying a tin of soup. Agents can laugh all the way to the bank without carrying fear of prosecution. It?s extremely hard to claim anything against Estate Agents, unless they do something blatantly illegal. It?s amazing how British consumers have more rights when buying a tin of soup than when they buy a house.

* Lawyers get paid a basic salary.

Estate agents: tend to get "Commission-based salary"

Their commission-based salary means they will try to sell you anything at any cost.

You can see from the threads on here alone that many of us living in the ED area have been less than impressed with the service received from local estate agents. It doesn't take a genius to work out why!

[Jeremy]

HennyPenny - sorry, when I said "that still doesn't make them welcome here"... what I really meant was I that their posts were not welcome on the property section of the site. Apologies for the confusion.

[Brendan]

"Lawyers: 3 year degree; 1 year LPC; 2 years of solicitor training."

But tact and diplomacy are skills acquired through experience rather than a prerequisite for qualification.

[lozzyloz]

Jingles, considering most Solicitors offices have benefited from the property boom, changes to freehold/leasehold law etc aren't you biting the hand that feeds you?

[downsouth]

Jingles Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hennypenny, I am a lawyer, please do not put me in

> the same maligned category as estate agents.

There are so many things wrong with what you've said in your diatribe that I don't know where to start. I am assuming you've had a stressful day at work. There was no call for the tone or putdowns in your post.

For your information many people would put your profession far lower in the popularity stakes the estate agents.

[HennyPenny]

I rather remember that my degree took a similar number of years - whereas after many years of selling property I also deal with happy, sad and bitter times with birth marriage divorce and death, diplomacy and professionalism is certianly a qualification high on the list of requirements. Spellin helps as well!

[*Bob*]

Just out of interest.. Are estate agents well-paid?

[mockney piers]

It's a bit out of date:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3405295.stm

Can't believe reality tv contestants aren't at the top!!!

Having said that HP you sound nice, you don't come across as having a hoxton fin.

How fat is your tie?

[Brendan]

And is it the same colour as your shirt? ;-)

[mockney piers]

That's more like it, admen, politicians, fat cats and stockbrokers!!

http://chicago.about.com/b/a/225273.htm

and the utterly trustworthy daily mail last year

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=420401&in_page_id=1770

wellll, you're still ahead of the politicians.

If esate agents start saying things like "we're in Iraq because Saddam was a bad man, it's got nothing to do with exploiting all that newly evacuated property in Baghdad" then they'll have sunk to the politicians' level.

Should this go to the lounge now do you think?

[Jingles]

Downsouth, perhaps you would care to tell me what was 'wrong' with what I said? I am just pointing out the basic differences in the two professions.

Loz, I am not biting the hand that feeds me as I am not a conveyancing solicitor.

[Jingles]

Thanks for that mockney. I see that solicitors and barristers aren't even in the Top 10 of most hated professions. Shame (for you downsouth).

HP: My points were not directed at you personally, but the estate agency profession in general. It isn't regulated, and that is a real worry.

[lozzyloz]

Oh, that's OK then. For a moment I thought you were acting as an ambassador for the Legal Profession and justly pointing out your lofty status in society.

[Jingles]

No, I just dislike Traffic Wardens and Estate Agents as a profession, and did not like being lumped in the same category as them. Apologies if it came across as 'lofty'?

[HennyPenny]

Gosh, that got the converstion going this sunny afternoon,or perhaps it's too near going home time! I'm also not the butch type to wear a tie, give me a pretty frock any day.

[Mark]

I don't suppose either of you drive a Porsche do you? ;-)

[*Bob*]

You've gotta laugh.

This forum has been fit-to-bursting with all manner of factless estate-agent cussing of the most unpleasant kind, especially since Foxtons appeared. But then the instant an actual real live estate agent makes themselves known and then someone levels some actual real facts against them - they get a welcome pack and a warm handshake!

[peckhamboy]

I can see the merit in some of what Jingles said (although it was maybe a little over-generalised), in that estate agents are effectively unregulated which leaves ample scope for abuse, although the worst of them no doubt rarely get very far. On the other hand, regulation doesn't necessarily equate to a good job or a trustworthy person, or the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal would be somewhat redundant. As with any profession, there are good estate agents and bad ones - HP comes across as one of the better examples - but the number of bad (or borderline) ones seems higher than in most professions, possibly because of an absence of training/qualifications, but more likely because it attracts a certain type of wideboy, and because most of the pay is made up of commission which encourages an attitude of forcing sales at any cost.

For the record, I'm a lawyer as well. And I was very happy with the agent through whom we bought our house.