This week has largely been an exercise in flat viewing. While I have seen a great many things, each one had some small flaw (or flaw with the price) that caused it not to work out. From this exercise, I have learned much about the psyche of the letting agent.

Act 1.
They begin with a twenty minute conversation to your mobile asking a wide range of questions that make little sense at all. Where to you live now? Do you like it? What do you like about it? and then on to more nonsense such as, well why did you choose this area? What does your ideal flat look like? What type of building should it be in? and on and on til your not quite sure what you have said.

Act 2.
The meeting. Most all of the agents try to get you to come to their office and meet rather than to the property. This may be so they don’t have to move unless you really show up but more than likely so they can whisk you through the streets of London in a flash car. However, all of the ones I have met are in a constant search for the flat keys (who has them..colleague, building manager, other letting agent, and so on). Half of your time is spent chasing around the keys rather than viewing the flats. The other half is looking for a place to park the said flash car and/or procuring a parking permit ticket. So the actual time in the flat is maybe five to seven minutes for you to decide your fate.

Act 3.
The calls. Once they have shown you around and spent about 45 minutes to an hour with you, the barrage of calls comes in over the next several days. “Oh this has just come on the market, but we have no pictures. You must see because it will be gone quickly”. This and my other pet peeve, (ie knowing nothing about the flat in terms of council tax, utility usage, other fees) makes me curious why we are paying an administration fee to these guys!! Other than the calls, there is oddly not any pressure to make a decision other than the “other person” out there who may be placing an offer.

The search continues….