Topic ID 5868
If you are thinking of using an estate agent to sell your house don't be fooled by Steven Oates promise to have people flooding through your door. They will give you all the talk about what they can do for you and you will think you'll have one very nice estate assigned to you for the duration of your sale but in fact they will pass you around as if you are in a doctors surgery. You will never know who you will be dealing with and they will let you know that they are in control of your house sale rather than you, bearing in mind you're paying them. Their customer service is poor considering their tag line is "Hertford's leading estate agent". They don't do any more for you than any other estate agent can. They seem to forget without your money they wouldn't be earning anything.
Reply ID 80188
Wow; you seem to be expecting good service from an estate agent. It simply doesnt exist - estate agents are in an impossible position which means they fundamentally cannot please both buyer and seller. In perhaps 5-10 years time they wont exist at all - and we'll all laugh in a pained way that we ever had to use them.
Reply ID 80190
As in any walk of life. If you allow yourself to be trampled over, you will be trampled over. Estate Agents and Letting Agents (who in my book are even worse) are used to supine customers dancing to their tune. Stand up and be counted and their attitude changes rather quickly.
Reply ID 80193
I have to say I have do have some sympathy for Estate Agents. Many people want to sell their house for as much as possible and buy a house for as little as possible - the person trying to reconcile those two mutually exclusive goals is your humble Estate Agent. All that said I have sold two and bought two homes with the assistance of Steven Oates in the last 10 years and overall been satisfied with the outcome.
Reply ID 80195
We bought our current house through Steven Oates. [Insult removed by Admin] who seemed to have no idea at what stage the sale was at at any point throughout the process. We sold with Lanes, who couldn't have been more helpful.
Reply ID 80199
Lanes are generally good. We vowed not to use Steven Oates after the horrendous service we received when looking to buy a flat in Hertford. They were hopeless.
Reply ID 80201
So if you were looking to buy in Hertford and Stephen Oates were the only agent marketing your "dream house" are you honestly saying you would not view the property? Not forgetting that an unsolicited approach to the vendor by yourselves would be equally as underhand as some agency tactics. The phrase “necessary evil” springs to mind.
Reply ID 80207
quote:Why would an approach to the vendor be "unsolicited", they are after all advertising that they want to sell a property, and why would it be "underhand"?
Originally posted by Victor Meldrew
So if you were looking to buy in Hertford and Stephen Oates were the only agent marketing your "dream house" are you honestly saying you would not view the property? Not forgetting that an unsolicited approach to the vendor by yourselves would be equally as underhand as some agency tactics. The phrase “necessary evil” springs to mind.
Reply ID 80209
quote:I bought my house direct from the vendor even though it was being marketed through an estate agent. The buyers chain collapsed several times and caused no end of problems. The vendor was a neighbour so I knew of their intention to sell from knowing them and not via the estate agents. Nowt wrong with that.
Originally posted by Victor Meldrew
So if you were looking to buy in Hertford and Stephen Oates were the only agent marketing your "dream house" are you honestly saying you would not view the property? Not forgetting that an unsolicited approach to the vendor by yourselves would be equally as underhand as some agency tactics. The phrase “necessary evil” springs to mind.
Reply ID 80210
If you and your neighbors were friends and you were originally made aware of there intent to sell by them prior to the agent marketing the property, then I do not see that anyone would have a problem with that.
Reply ID 80408
I don't expect the world and I can only imagine how hard it must be to try to keep both vendor and buyer happy and yes I agree using an estate is a necessary evil. No one wants to lose their hard earned cash when it comes to using estate agents to do all the running around for them but if I am going to do that I want it to be with someone that cares and not someone that tells me what they think I should be doing. Not all estates are 'evil'. Keith Ian have be more than accommodating to the extent they even call or email to let me know things they perhaps don't have to. Steven Oates told me they were doing 110%, personally I think KI have more than surpassed themselves with that claim! I know estate agents have to give out sales pitches and can't email or text everyone but they are playing an important role in helping to change people's futures it's only right they should show they care where your money is being spent, or at least not give you loads of jargon saying they'll do this and that for you and then just gloat when they've got your business and go back on their claims. As in any walk of life. If you allow yourself to be trampled over, you will be trampled over. Estate Agents and Letting Agents (who in my book are even worse) are used to supine customers dancing to their tune. Stand up and be counted and their attitude changes rather quickly. It's exactly that reason that I chose not to go with SO so really I haven't allowed them to trample at all. Re buying from a Vendor after seeing their house for sale through an estate agent....doesn't that bring up the issue of a contract signed by the vendor with the estate agent?
Reply ID 80522
Steven Oats the 'brand' are awful. I have never dealt with such bad estate agents. Steven Oats 'the man' whos company is simply homes.biz maintains the qualities upon which his original company was based and has excellent customer service. He went far beyond todays expectations of estate agents.
Reply ID 80524
quote:You are right! He managed to arrange the destruction of a magnificent building (in a conservation area) on a Sunday claiming the chimney was unsafe just so he could get the land for personal gain. The bloke is devious in my opinion, always has been in my dealings with him. I have never dealt with Steven Oates Estate Agents which he has no association with now, apparently.
Originally posted by Louis M
Steven Oats the 'brand' are awful. I have never dealt with such bad estate agents. Steven Oats 'the man' whos company is simply homes.biz maintains the qualities upon which his original company was based and has excellent customer service. He went far beyond todays expectations of estate agents.
Reply ID 80526
I thought that Steven Oates the person had no connection with the company. I have dealt with neither but I have read far more criticism of the man at simply homes than the estate agency..
Reply ID 80529
quote:This is my understanding too, regarding the building that was destroyed on a day when no enforcement action could be taken. Despicable.
Originally posted by James007quote:You are right! He managed to arrange the destruction of a magnificent building (in a conservation area) on a Sunday claiming the chimney was unsafe just so he could get the land for personal gain. The bloke is devious in my opinion, always has been in my dealings with him. I have never dealt with Steven Oates Estate Agents which he has no association with now, apparently.
Originally posted by Louis M
Steven Oats the 'brand' are awful. I have never dealt with such bad estate agents. Steven Oats 'the man' whos company is simply homes.biz maintains the qualities upon which his original company was based and has excellent customer service. He went far beyond todays expectations of estate agents.
Reply ID 80531
blimey I'm quite glad we got rid of Steven Oates and didn't choose Simply Homes. I have to say though there is one person at the SO office who was quite out of the ordinary for the company, he's name is Sam. I've heard his reputation is great and his service was pretty good, it's just the company ethos that lets everything else down.
Reply ID 82345
We just moved out of Byde Street. Lanes were EXCELLENT, especially James and Simon. Friendly, non-slimey, and proactive - they went out of their way to make the sale go through.
Reply ID 82347
quote:This thread is a discussion about Steven Oates
Originally posted by Gilberto
We just moved out of Byde Street. Lanes were EXCELLENT, especially James and Simon. Friendly, non-slimey, and proactive - they went out of their way to make the sale go through.
Reply ID 82368
I must say I am quite shocked to hear that Steven Oates are getting such a bad rep! But I have to say that they cannot be any worse than KINGS. I cannot comment on the way they deal with Sales but when it comes to lettings FORGET IT!!! They are rude and extremely unprofessional. They act all nice and appear accommodating whilst getting you in the property but once your in and signed on the dotted line then BAMMM your feelings don't really matter.
Reply ID 82371
Again, this thread is a discussion about Steven Oates Estate Agency. If you have comments about another agent, please post them on the relevant thread or start a new one. If you are going to post critical remarks it is advised that you are specific about your criticisms. This helps us to weed out posts that are aimed at damaging an agent's reputation, rather than genuine experiences.