Estate Agent Gazumped

Not that I'm completely cynical or anything, but "Estate Agent Loses out in House Price Boom" is apt to make even the most trusting of souls a tad suspicious. The news editor of Brighton's Evening Argus, however, assures me that their cover story on April Fools Day (covered by Rebecca Burgess) is straight and above board. Here's how it goes.

Glen Mishon, a partner in Mishon Mackay estate agents wanted somewhere bigger than his five bedroom home in Hove and put the property on the market at OIRO £400,000. Having found a buyer, he then put an offer on a house he liked but was gazumped. Undeterred he put an offer on another property but was gazumped again.

Six months elapsed before another suitable property came on the market but in the interval prices had escalated in Brighton and Hove and Mr Mishon might easily have put his house back on the market for an extra £50,000. Honest man that he is, however, he choose to honour his agreements and refused to break a five person chain. Having been turned over twice himself he was unwilling to inflict the same on his prospective buyer.

Glen admits that professional considerations played a part. As an estate agent he has a reputation to protect, and gazuming buyers is hardly the way to maintain credibility. But it must have been tempting all the same: last February House Beautiful Magazine published a survey which indicated that when the chips are down more than 50% of us would happily gazump a close friend. Most be tough being an estate agent.

Bookmark with:

• Delicious
• Digg
• reddit
• StumbleUpon

Don’t know what this is?

Read the 50connect Guide To Social Bookmarking.