So this just happened.

[Stevegoodey]

Got this from an agent today:

The details of your offer have been conveyed to our vendor and it has been
rejected entirely. She does not wish to enter into negotiations.

To be honest, we are very disappointed that you would choose to come in at
such a level, $250,000 which is $69,000 below the asking price. This is
quite frankly ridiculous and in the case of a 70 year old plus owner, very
upsetting.

We are very clear with you when we discuss or show properties to
you on what our owner is likely to accept, or what amount would not be
considered offensive.

If this advice continues to be ignored, and requests are made by you for us to submit completely unacceptable offers, we will be forced to
advise our clients of how you operate giving them the
option to not allow you through their property, or to allow offers
submitted on their behalf to be presented to them.

Unless you are prepared to come in at close to the asking price or above (as
discussed it is being marketed at Price By Negotiation Over $319,000) there
is no point in submitting any further offers on this property.

For future reference, we are not, and will never be able to show properties
to the You on Tuesday mornings. This is the morning of our
weekly meeting and when we view all the new properties that have been
listed. Please keep this in mind - most other days and times can be
arranged with prior notice.

[BigDreamer]

Wow - what an unprofessional email from a Real Estate Agency / Agent.

Out of curiosity, was this sent to you in a form of a letter via post or email?

I am certain that by law the agents must present all offers submitted in writing regardless whether or not they know what the vendor's expectations. They must at least verbally let the vendor know of the written offer.

On a side note, it sounds like a Barfoot & Thompson agent as I know they do caravan trips (not sure of the right terminology) on Tuesday mornings.

[jimO]

tell them to have sex and travel

[Damap]

Funniest thing I've read in a while. Awesome story for you to tell from stage but!

[speights boy]

If my dear ol' Aunt Mavis ever wanted to sell her penthouse apartment, this is exactly the type of agent she would want to hire.

[Leftette]

No offence intended, Steven, but I'm on the agent's side on this. You can sense their frustration. They must have had dozens of these wide-boy low-balling idiots try it on, and I guess it's simply wearing thin. To cap it off, if the vendor is indeed an aging lady (or perhaps just lost her husband) or for whatever reason is in a fragile state, to receive such an offer particularly when the advert reads ABOVE $XXX, who knows, perhaps she burst into tears.

Anyway the no offence part There comes a time when all of us making offers have to consider whether we're just being a try-hard cheeky pratt and to temper that greed just a little. imo.

[Davo36]

I agree with the agents entirely.

They should be working for the vendor i.e. trying to get a really good price for them. Especially when it's a vulnerable little old lady. It's their duty to protect her, not flick off her place to a trader for bugger all.

[lissie]

Steve Goodley - the agent is only telling you what both my agent and my solicitor has told me - be very, very wary of anyone who is part of your buying group. Your tactics are well-known - particularly the dropping the price down at the last moment on the basis of not being able to get finance for the initially agreed price.

As it is your purchaser being part of a property investment group was clearly stated to me when I had an offer from one your proteges. I am not 70yo, or inexperienced in property matters, and am not scared of conditional offers, that fail to confirm. But, frankly, you do the impressionable beginners, who follow your methods (having spent a lot of money on your courses no doubt) - no good service. Your buyer may well of got himself a good property, at market price, but missed out to my backup offer. The backup that was already in place because the agent didn't trust your protege.

I think the agent is working for their client, the seller, which is in fact their job

BigDreamer every agency I know of in Wgtn uses Tuesday am for their caravans.

[flyernzl]

I would say thats a sure sign of The Top Of The Market.

Agents get cheeky and arrogant.

"You have 10 minutes to look at the property and then make your cash offer - well above RV. If you don't, the next person waiting just outside the door will".

I have seen it before, in past decades.

After Hubris comes Nemesis (as the Greeks so painfully told us).

[Bluekiwi]

Ha very funny sounds like people are starting to get a handle on how you operate down there Stevey, time to move to another town

Time to move on from ripping off little old ladies ?

[lissie]

I would say thats a sure sign of The Top Of The Market.

LOL did you see the prices in the OP post - this is not Auckland we're talking about

[donthatetheplayer]

Classic! If the Agent / Agency don't like presenting offers perhaps they should be in another business. No reason the Agent can't just present to the vendor stating "we've received a low ball offer. We're obliged to present it to you. No need to take it seriously. We are good at our jobs! There will be other offers."

Buyers attend auctions and pay ramped up prices. Every time I've sat down to make an offer the Agent says "now I don't think that's going to be high enough. Are you sure you don't want to go higher? I think you'll miss out. There's other purchasers about to make an offer. It'll need to be over $xxx,xxx blah blah blah". They've tried to talk me into making higher offers than I intend to, even when the offers are at the listing price! It's just the way the game goes. Otherwise, all properties would just be sold at RV and we'd be done with.

[kiwibean]

I have had several agents I deal with saying that they have had enough dealing with these types of companies.

[donthatetheplayer]

Isn't it part of the territory though? You've got to take the good with the bad. They are happy with silly high offers or mind-blowing auction outcomes. The other extreme is silly low offers.

[Leftette]

In Auckland's market it's especially easy to understand why agents can dismiss low-ball-monkeys. Why bother with them? Plenty of buyers out there willing to pay what's appropriate. However I don't believe Steven's OP was in reference to an Auckland property given the price. That's still no excuse.