Can I Report This?

[davidbslee 1]

My share is best to check HDB recent resale price from the HDB website by Blk number and location. When during my hunting for flat, I forget to check HDB recent resale price and give my COV counter offer to seller but luckily difference not alot from the HDB recent resale price.

[capricorn-asia 0]

That's all the tricks of the trade. It is a very disillusioning thing.

I find my own agent also playing around when he should be helping me.

Hi,

I would like to share my experience with my housing agent and would like to invite you for feedback.

I got to know my agent thru ST ad. He was very diligent in arranging for viewing initially, even offering to pick me up everytime. But I started to have 2nd thought about him after I expressed my interest in the flat I'm currently in process of acquiring.

On 1st viewing, I like the unit immediately. My agent also brought an old couple and they were expressing so much interest to the seller. Trusting my agent to protect my interest, I pulled him aside & asked what's the market COV for a unit of this condition. He said it's between 30k-50k (owner is asking for 50k). My budget was 25k but I liked the unit, so I shared with him my concern.

When I got home, he text me that the seller received an offer of 30k. Trusting this is true although it appeared strange that within a span of 4 hours (after I left) and on the 1st day of viewing, there's already an offer. Next day, I arranged for noon 2nd viewing with my family. Prior to that, I asked if the offer was made by the couple, he said no, in fact the couple wanted to offer 35k when they get their cheque from the buyer of their current unit 4 days later. I asked if he could help close the deal for me. He was non-committal & said his partner will meet me for the viewing.

When we reached, the seller was entertaining another group of buyer who left shortly. After viewing with my family, we proceeded downstairs to discuss while agent's partner was held back by the seller. Then I learnt from the partner that the group before me has also offered 30k but was asked to hang around the block as the seller would like to see my offer. Not wanting to lose the unit, my bottomline became 30k. I offered to issue a cheque immediately matching the same offer. Partner discussed with seller & returned saying the seller was unhappy & said even if I offered 35k now, he would not accept. He wanted 40k.

That's way ridiculous so I left. Few hours later, my agent called & said if I could offer slightly more than 30k, he could help talk to seller. I was angry with the seller's bad bahaviour & insisted my ceiling is 30k. Few minutes later, my agent called & asked if I could bring the cheque down to the seller that same evening 'cos he said yes deal.

I feel that my agent has not done much in negotiating on my behalf. Even when I have difficult questions for the seller on the first viewing, he brushed them off with subtle comeback. I had to do my own talking & asking questions. In fact, I suspect he is also the seller's agent as when I asked the seller if he had no agent, he said yes he has & left it at that. I suspect they are in cahoots and lied about the last offerred COV after I expressed my interest to him. His partner signed on the OTP as the seller's agent. My agent told me the seller advertise the unit himself & wanted him to just do the paperwork, tehrefore he brought his partner instead. I was diligently checking the classified every week & don't remember seeing the ad for this unit. Could my guess be right and those buyers were just actors?

After making the deposit & initialing on the OTP, my agent is not as responsive in picking my call & also lapses in the things I asked him to do. He even asked me to use his banker & lawyer (I supposed for a referral fee) when his lawyer charges me more. Eventually, I used my own. He asked if I could put his name as the person who referred me. I get turned off by his money-driven acts.

Please let me have your view on the incident and whether I should report this case, who can I report it to & whether it's okay to report it when the purchase process is ongoing.

Thanks folks.

[Taby 0]

Thanks folks for sharing your valuable experiences. I'll be more armed for my future liaison with housing agents & their ploys.

@owentch, I'm gonna take your advice to put the past behind me and move on with the things ahead. Looking forward to reap the end harvest! :-)