*Caution* when choosing housing agents

[lynnsharmin 0]

I wanna share something about my BAD EXPERIENCE with an agent from P*O*N*X agency.

Saw him from the papers and called up to view the house he was marketing.After seeing a house we liked,got him to sign for us to purchase the flat.At the same time,he 'offered' us to use his service to sell our current flat.So after much thinking,we finally decided to use him as well.

The problem here is,even before the first appointment for the resale of my current flat,i have already mentioned and told him that i am only ready to move out end of March,and i will settle my bills till end of March (which i did already).So he said that he will draft out a letter to be signed by both buyer and seller and request to the HDB officer to make the 2nd appointment on the end of March.But to my shock and dissapointment,HDB letter came and the date was mid March!Where am i gonna stay then!

All this while,he has been ignoring my SMS and refusing to pick up my calls.

I am very dissatisfied with his service and intend to lodge a complaint if i find out that he did not even fax to the HDB officer (which i will find out)

I called up the HDB officer and found out that he did not FAX in the letter for me!

After i had received the completion date letter from HDB,i on my part made my own arrangements to meet the buyer of my property to discuss personally on the handing over of keys date.(so sad i had to do it myself,as my 'agent' kept mum all these while not even SMS'ing me to ask or even to talk about the HDB letter!)

I went to see the buyer and luckily he was kind enuff to let me stay for another one more week after the 2nd appt..

One day before the 2nd appt,agent called me but my fiance picked up my phone and told him i was overseas.He sounded 'worried' and said that i might incur charges from HDB.Hearing and after saying that,he hung up.

ON the 2nd appt,me and my parents were at HDB lobby for the appt,waiting for our no to be called.

What made me furious was that this rogue agent appeared but stood a distance away frm us!My dad had to approach him to ask his regards!I was thinking to myself,and i should pay for this kind of services?Not assisting me for my 2nd appt?Even when my number is being called up,the owner's agent were the one who called us into the room.

AFter all the papers had been signed,my agent dissapeared!!nowhere to be found..and he did not call me up as well for that whole week till the handover of keys!

On the day of the handover,he came to my place with a glum look on his face,to pass me the invoice for his services!i was so **** pissed that i did not say anything much and went away.

But on that day itself,i went to CASE to lodge a complaint and at the same time emailed the agency about my dissatisfaction and attaching my CASE letter.

What they replied to me made me even more angry!They said since i had lodged a complaint with CASE,they would not get back to me but would get back to CASE.Hey am i not the consumer here????

SO i went to Small CLaims Tribunal and had attended a mediation last Wednesday,they refused to refund me on the amount paid(The agent took $6k from the buyer of my house-without letting me even see the cheque!).The property agency claimed that it is not their practice to do refunds of commisions.

Hey btw,the rogue agent did not attend the mediation at the Small Claims,they sent a rep down.

So the 2nd mediation,he has to turn up)

What do u people think of my chances?I've got all my proofs and submitted the docus to the Small Claims.

Waiting for another appt with the mediator now

[raincole 0]

I hope you would win. Lots of encourgement.....

Why the agent took 6k from the buyer? Don't the buyer have their own agent??

[lynnsharmin 0]

I used this agent's services to buy/sell.When i sold my hse,he sold it at $6K above value.

So this $6K he claims it is his commision!

Now i am filing against his company cos his company juz bo chap when i sent in an email regarding this agent's unsatisfactory services.

Am in the midst of gathering all additional evidence+strong words to say to the mediator on my next consultation with him and the agent.

I am determined not to let him do what he does to me to other people and naive consumers in the future!

It should teach him a lesson should i win tis case!

I hope you would win. Lots of encourgement.....

Why the agent took 6k from the buyer? Don't the buyer have their own agent??

[Phantom 1]

Seems that there are alot of issues of unethical / unprofessional agents around.. I personally had a good experience because the agent is my buddy.. At first I didn't want to get involved and told him to go with my wife and my mum...

But after looking around.. he feedback that he thinks I should go along.. so after hearing his "side of the story" i decided that to move things along... i told missus phantom and mum that I'll take over... hee hee... coz they were concerned abt the place being new and whereas I didn't care... to me as long as the layout is good, we're going to reno anyway..

so my agent/friend will keep me updated every week and arrange viewings abt 2 - 5 a day on a weekly basis.. we actually wanted to buy a 4room.. and he suggested me to buy a 5room because i don't need to top up much cash for 5-rooms in the market whereas almost every 4room needs cash topup.. before all this he also told me that he wanted me to do a financial plan with him to see what property price level would be comfortable to look at so he can focus on a price range...

it was an overall very good experience.. because my friend normally only do private properties.. gave me a discount also.. hee hee... so I think i'm fortunate..

I used this agent's services to buy/sell.When i sold my hse,he sold it at $6K above value.

So this $6K he claims it is his commision!

Now i am filing against his company cos his company juz bo chap when i sent in an email regarding this agent's unsatisfactory services.

Am in the midst of gathering all additional evidence+strong words to say to the mediator on my next consultation with him and the agent.

I am determined not to let him do what he does to me to other people and naive consumers in the future!

It should teach him a lesson should i win tis case!

whoa.. that doesn't sound right.. i thought that its 1% only?

unless your house was 600,000.00...

anyone can confirm on the agent fees?

[shmj 0]

it was an overall very good experience.. because my friend normally only do private properties.. gave me a discount also.. hee hee... so I think i'm fortunate..

whoa.. that doesn't sound right.. i thought that its 1% only?

unless your house was 600,000.00...

anyone can confirm on the agent fees?

As far as I know (just sold off my current flat):

Agent's commission for selling off yr flat shld be 2% (max), but you can negotiate it down. Some agents offered at 1% even.

For buying a flat, the commission shld be 1% only (max).

The commission shld be based on the selling or buying price. Not how much the flat is sold above the valution price unless there is a written and/or mutual agreement with all parties concerned.

[HSH21 1]

My agent charged me 1% for selling and 0.7% for buying...

[yuanyuan 0]

I feel for you...I had the same experience...I will not go through any friend's friends or relatives anymore...You cannot fired them like the way you would with others. I learnt my lesson. For everyone info, I closed my deal right before CNY and I did not even receive a cheap CNY card or message from my agent, except an invoice to pay him...SEE, very money faced huh!

ekhoehl, strongly agree w u ! i never have any deal w fren and relative.. very "pai seh" if u wan to say no or make a complaint..

[neanea 0]

how to make this agent from P*O*N*X agency lose his license?

[vintlay 0]

There should be an upfront agreement stating on agent fee and not wait till the deal is closed to discuss about agent fee. As a guideline, agent fee is negotiable downwards unless otherwise quoted in the written agreement. Still in doubt, can email me.

[Mousehunt 0]

Pro*Ne* again?????

[neanea 0]

Pro*Ne* agents are S*IT

[wng 0]

E** worst!

[juliet_tan 0]

As far as I know (just sold off my current flat):

Agent's commission for selling off yr flat shld be 2% (max), but you can negotiate it down. Some agents offered at 1% even.

For buying a flat, the commission shld be 1% only (max).

The commission shld be based on the selling or buying price. Not how much the flat is sold above the valution price unless there is a written and/or mutual agreement with all parties concerned.

Sorry, isn't the final transacted price the valutation + whatever is asked for? So the commission is based on this final price?

[raincole 0]

Should be but these are only guidelines. Anything goes as long as you are able to negotiate and achieve your aim (without going too far at the other expenses).