Note of Caution

When anybody is contemplating using an, or any agent, remember..... for every honest there is a thousand dishonest. Walking a tightrope a 100 mtr in the air without a safety net  for the first time, carries less danger than than entering  any of their shops as many of you know, to your cost . Yes there are SOME honest ones, and they will all swear they're the one. Listen to all you are told..discount 99% as lies, of the remaining, discount 99% of that as the same, and  what's left, view with a jaundiced eye and  there may, I say may, just be a grain of truth in there somewhere, though I very much doubt it.  Get smart people, these agents can seriously damage your wealth. Take your brain with you from the airport, don't leave it behind.
                                                                        
                                                                                    

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Hi Alcon,

A touch cynical me thinks,but obviously you are entitled to your own opinion.

From that post i would imagine you have had a bad experience!?

Regards

Georgia

 

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Isnt it a shame Georgia that these other agents give us guys such a bad reputation. And Alcan I hope you find someone who who will honestly guide you through the pitfalls of buying property.

 

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"quote alcan -  for every honest there is a thousand dishonest"

Blimey with those odds that means between Gerogia, Rixxi and me one of us is a terrible crook

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OK,I GIVE IN HANDS UP,IT'S ME!!!

 

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That´s it then ....it´s the one with Haagen Das all over his face, I knew we would flush him out.

One can usually spot a dishonest estate agent because they have a strange habbit of turning  their kitchen appliances upsidedown!

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Yeah - and not sharing their choccy eclairs with anyone!

Goodness we all must be flipping quiet at the same time!!! Im even timing when to call me 3 clients - and thats about all I have to do today!!! (well I reckon I could find other work such as websiting but cant be arsed!) (can I say that on EOS?? )

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Oh I did Rixxie. Lucky for cynical old me, I had a lawyer, costly but worth every penny she saved me. Better to be out a several hundred euro's than a few hundred thousand don't you think.

So next time your all waxing on about what you can do with this,how you can extend that, put the pool over there, and the oldest one of all, "Why, of course it's legal. That's nearly as good as, "Of course I'll still love you in the morning'"                    Escritura?????? wat dat?

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Hi Alcan,

That is a serious dislike you have to my fellow kind!!!!!!!!!

Beleive it or not you do have my deepest sympathies if you have suffered at the hand of a rogue agent,but tar and brush spring to mind and counselling if you hang on too long to your hatred!!

In all seriousness though there are many that have suffered and many that have not,so if we call it a 50/50 split and you will have to take our word that the likes of myself,Rixxy and Gillespie are good guys.

Anyway it,s not Estate agents that want hanging from the nearest gallows it,s fridge freezer manufactures,they promise you the earth and 18 months later,DEAD!!

Regards

Georgia

 

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Always after the 12 month guarantee!

Alcan - we always ask for a nota simple and the LFO without fail. Our contracts have various clauses to protect the buyer including a 14 day cooling off period.

I havent got time to waste trying to force buyers to buy something they dont want - I match people to property and its how I have done for over 22 years in the business.

Im glad you sensibly used an independant good lawyer, unfortunately many trusting souls dont and likewise find themselves in the proverbial.

 

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Blimey Alcan, you're gonna get us chimps a bad name.

I notice that you've only just started posting here on EOS - maybe you've been looking in for a while, but if not, stick around, it's a great place to get things off your chest! But more importantly, it's a great way to exchange information & experiences, all for the greater good so to speak. Naturally any such forum, like most of the current batch of TV shows about buying/living in the sun, will attract mostly negative stories for the simple fact that most happy satisfied punters don't generally bother to make as big a deal about their experiences as those who have suffered misshaps.

It's a shame that you have obviously had a painful experience, and I hope that everything has sorted itself out now. On a positive note, you have no doubt learnt a great deal from this experience, and as such probably can offer some advice to others and help them avoid similar pitfalls. That's what we're all here for - to share our experiences and hopefully help others whilst learning new snippets of information that may help us.

I understand your cynicism towards agents. Anyone familiar with my own posts will know that generally I'm no big fan either (and am prone to the odd bout of cynical whingeing) but a word in defence of our beleaguered friends here. The fact that they are contributing regularly to this forum indicates (IMHO) that they are among the minority perhaps who do care and who do actually want to listen to the points of views of their customers, which I for one find quite refreshing and encouraging. Some of them even know what they're talking about and can provide very useful info at times

Having said that, by all means feel free to elaborate on your story (we're all dying to know!) and don't be afraid to slag off agents - they can take it, they have to, it goes with the territory. And besides, they've got their own message board for slagging off customers!

This message was last edited by Roberto on 4/11/2007.

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30% of Spanish estate agents will be wiped out by downturn

An article in the Spanish financial daily ‘Expansión’ quotes Óscar Martínez – president of the Association of Property Experts (Asociación de Expertos Inmobiliarios – APEI) – as saying that some 30% of the 60,000 estate agencies estimated to exist in Spain could go out of business in the coming property market slowdown. According to Martínez, the fall in demand for property, and an expected increase in regulation by both national and regional authorities mean that we can “expect a radical change in the Spanish estate agency business in the coming months.”

This was Gillespie's fault talking about "culls".

Guess this will please some more than others.!!!

Regards

Georgia

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That's scary news for you all Georgia.

It doesn't please me, I was happy with my Agent..............

Wish you all luck that it doesn't affect any of you personally.

Rgds,

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I´ll get me coat then boss

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Didn't I just read in another thread that you are about to "self cull", Gillespie? Rats and sinking ships spring to mind!

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Well Roberto I reckon if I stay in this business another year I shall end up putting back in what I earned in the previous 6 years. I´m sure we shall never return to the heady days of 2000 - 2005 so best get out while the goings good. I´ll review it at the end of this year but still worth preparing myself for the worst.

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Certainly there are going to be radical changes and with the introduction of regulation surely that can only be a good thing for the reputation of the business cant it. Will restore some credibility and faith so that clients return hopefully reassured they will not get stung the way they have been before. My opinion of you guys on this site is that while I have no personal experience of the way you work it seems as if you act with the best of intentions and no wish to suck the blood out of a client the way some agents do with unrealistic stories and expectations - as long as you can weather the storm, that will repay itself in droves or should do.

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I think you are right smiley.  Hopefully the legislation will be meaningful, can´t think what it will entail though?

Problem with regulation though is that it only kicks in after a client has been robbed, just like the UK. 

I placed my UK house for sale before Christmas with an agent in the Countrywide group.  Because of all the paperwork and far*ting about it took them 4 1/2 weeks to get the house on their website and in the window.  In the meantime I had done a private sale with the neighbour!!!

This was because of all the miss-representation and miss-selling legislation we had to conform to.

A friend of mine is a UK estate agent and knows of loads of amature agents near him who still get away with murder because they choose not to join any official body , so no code of ethics to live up to.

Same thing with rogue travel agents and that industry is regulated to death!  Yet we still get horror stories.

Maybe we only need one rule, if you are a bad boy, a big Canadian fur trader turns up and clubs you over the head

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Gillespie: "...still worth preparing myself for the worst."

Retiring at 46 and travelling the world is the worst? Good luck mate, I reckon you've got plenty to  about!

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Cheers Rob,

I just hope I don´t end up selling crappy houses in Chille

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