What can we do about lousy housing agents??

GiG SG

Hi

Recently, my fiancee and i got an agent, PT, to sell a HDB unit for us.
However, we have found the agent to be highly unsatisfactory.

Our grouses against him are as follows:

1) My fiancee asked him, way before, if we can stay for free in the flat for at least 1-2 months more, after the sales is completed.

He assured us that it is ok with the buyer, as the buyer does not intend to move into the flat immediately. It is only during the 1st appointment that he reverted that the buyer is not agreeable to the free stay and told us to talk to the buyer ourselves.

I am perfectly ok with paying some rental, except that the agent should never have promised what he cannot deliver.

2) He changed the first appointment date, on request of the buyer, without consulting nor informing us. We only know upon getting the letter from HDB, the 1st appointment date has been changed..

Is he an agent for the seller or for us, the buyer?

3) No copy of OTP from him.

Even after the first appointment is over, we have yet to receive our copy of the OTP from him.

4) He can NEVER be contacted.

His number, 9880xxxx, is always answered by his assistant, who seem very bo chap. Talk to her sometimes like she cannot wait to put down the phone. Also, she always say that he is meeting clients now (no matter what time of the day you call, morning, afternoon, evening no difference) and cannot be reached or is too busy. You can request she get him to call you but he will NEVER return the call.

What i like to know is this.
1) What avenues, are there for us to deal with such agents? It seems like we are at his mercy?

2) I ABSOLUTELY am not going to pay him his fees because why am i paying fess (which is for services rendered right?) for someone who disappears 99.99% and worst of all, CANNOT be contacted at all?

3) Will the agent's company actually do anything about him?

4) Can i sue him for breach of contract? Or anything? Police report for fraud? ( CASE frankly seems quite powerless in singapore )

5) Is there anything??? that can be done against such agents?

I do appreciate if someone can offer me some avenues by which we can deal with such agents. He obviously think that he can get away with anything and we can do nothing about it?

Any assistance is really appreciated.

T.Ryousuke SG

Dun sign any exclusive doc from any agent.

T.Ryousuke SG

You can reduce the comm.

kenn3th SG

complain to CASE Laughing

thelesis SG

I see.. but you already sold your flat?

mrsmall SG

print his photo and all his noncence done for you
issue the flyers in mrt station
and write in the new paper forums
and inform his company
dont pay anything to him
knnbucb if me i kick his/her backside
and apply permit to speak
in the speaker corner

banzie SG

change another one without paying…

GiG SG

thelesis :
The unit is not sold yet but 1st appointment is over.

T.Ryousuke :
Is it really possible to reduce or dun give him the commission? Cos frankly, his service is really lousy. ( i am buying another hdb with another agent, whom i'll gladly give commission to becos the service is 1st class, always contactable and willing to consider request ).

kenn3th : will give that a try also

mrsmall :
banzie :
i would really love to do that! However, 1st appointment already over, dunno if possible to change agent now? Will we still have to pay him?

thanks all.

thelesis SG

As long as u dun sign exclusive, the agent cannot do anything to you but the HDB procedure already done?

Homebody SG

The fact that you signed OTP, paid deposit means you have agreed to engage that agent to help you sell your property, regardless if you have signed exclusive to sell' with the agent. Furthermore you have gone for your 1st appointment.

You should complain to the agency that the agent represents and delay commission payout until all matters regarding the case is resolved. However, you still need to pay commission to the agent whether you like it or not as he is responsible in helping you get a buyer.

Usually you will encounter 'uncontactable' agents when the agent has too many deals and doing too big a scale. He/she will have an assistant to screen phone calls.

Rule of the thumb:

1) Never engage the service of very popular agents who boast of doing a lot of deals. They won't have time for you and see to the details of each transaction.

2) The level of trust and ease of communication you have with the agent is what counts most.

Not advisable to change agent since you have gone through 1st appointment. Just go through the 2nd appointment with him and move on.

the_fallen SG

+1

just give CASE the agent's name, and the company which he/she is working for than let CASE follow up on the case will do.

don't need to spend so much time cracking your head.

GiG SG

Thanks All for your advise, have already written a letter to the company.
However, the company told me that the transacted address for the unit is not found in their records.

The agent told them that he is only helping his friend, later he say cousin, to sell the unit. ( there was another agent, from another agency at that, during the initial discussions and the 1st appointment but who did nothing and was not the person that we discussed terms with )

So the company can do nothing except give him a letter of warning, which i think is not sufficient.

Does it mean that if 2 agents from 2 different companies team up to provide lousy service, than we consumers can do nothing as one can claim he has nothing to do with the transaction and it is registered with the other company?

1) PT's contact was in HDB's system as our agent's contact.
2) The OTP was with PT, he forgot to bring on 1st appointment and had to go back to get it
3) The other agent didn't even know we requested for free stay. PT was the one that informed us the buyer's father-in-law wants them to move in right away
4) i actually called the other agent and ask if PT was his relative, cousin, or related in anyway. Initially, the other agent denied it. Later, when i say PT said is his cousin, then he admitted and said is distant relative!

Somehow, it is hard for us to believe that he is only helping out his cousin.
Man, i really wish someone can do something about him, later he use this scheme to trick some elderly into selling their unit how?

Are housing agents registered under any regulator in singapore? Can we get his license (if there is one) revoked or something?