Posted by
dimac4
19 yrs ago
10 days ago I settled on a property - over the last weekend I had a number of real estate agents (not the one I bought it through) call me with the following dialogue....
Hello Mrs .....
we understand you have just bought a property at .........
Are you interested in selling it if we can get you a good price?
(No)
Would you like our company to find you tenants? (no)
Is there anything we can help you with?
(no)
Thank you for your time....
I was shocked to say the least - firstly that my mobile number is so easily accessible amongst real estate agents now after a sale - must be on some record somewhere - because I only give it to people I want to call me (except of course those blasted spam calls. and secondly that they call at all hours of the day and night and thirdly the way they work the market...
any thoughts on this?? I was too shocked to ask where they got my number from.
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The realty companies appear to work together conspiritorially, sharing what I would assume to be confidential information such as the fact that you have bought a property, what you paid for it and your telephone numbers. The agents have no qualms about phoning at close to midnight to ask those same questions. A word of advice, never but never divulge you mobile phone number to any of them, not even the realty company who sold you your property originally. They are all parasites.
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Yes, they're a pain.
Maybe the solution - now that mobiles are so small (and cheap) - is to have two numbers: one with a contract and a number that is known only to your family, your boss and your lifelong friends; and one phone with a prepaid SIM (which you discard and swap for a new one every couple of months) and use for agents, new "friends" on whom the jury is still out, etc. That way there is at least a time limit on how long people can pester you.
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Dimac, I had exactly the same experience.
The transactions is public record (even found mine on gohome.com.hk much to my horror!) your contact details should be private, certainly the mobile no.
Although anyone can pay the search fee and find out who is the registered owner of the property, and then go to directory enquires to lookup the phone number of that person.
Plus, if you ever went to any estate agent and gave your mobile number (who hasn't?) ...they've got you for life !
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I am just annoyed how they are working the market- the dust has just settled on the sale and already they are hassling for sales ....for a good price of course...no wonder the property market is crazy here.
I do know the records and sale is public (I am still amazed (after 12 years) how people ask openly how much you paid for or sold your house - In Oz this is something you usually keep to yourself or let the rumour control in the street do its stuff)
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I have no problem with this. It makes the market very efficient and, if you are careful, you can make quite a bit of money if you get the timing right. The rates they charge are much lower than estate agents in the west and this, in part, must be due to the turnover. So spare a thought for the ladies and gents who work the phones; they are not all bad but you have to bear in mind that they want you to deal. Don't forget, this is Hong Kong not over-regulated Europe, Australia or (God forbid!) New Zealand.
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I think the lower rates (ie percentage of sale) are alot in part due to the high sale price of the properties - not much more.
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Maybe, or it's because of the infinitely higher competition among agents in HK. You can call agents here at 9 o'clock on a Sunday night and they won't bat an eyelid; if they have the key and the house is unoccupied, they will even meet you for a viewing there one hour later.
But when I called the largest property agent in Perth at 3pm on a Saturday, the cleaner answered the phone....
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But what about the cold calling at 10pm and 11pm, "Would you like to sell your apartment?"
"No, I'm happy with it thank you very much."
"But you paid $XXX for it and I can sell it for $YYY"
"Why would I want to sell it when I'm happy with it?"
"Because then you can buy something bigger and beter!"
These people must think the public is thick, that they won't realise that everything in a rising market everything would have gone up in price and that it will cost proportionately more for something bigger and better. And of course, the public wouldn't realise that the ones gaining on sales and purchases are the realty companies (as if). I find it hard not to be rude to the cold callers.
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Like any form of selling, it works because not everyone reacts rationally. I mean, it is hard to see a logical reason for buying a highly taxed product that is likely to damage your health. But plenty of people still smoke.
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Personally, I'm never rude to them....one day I might need their help urgently to sell my property. What goes around comes around...
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I agree with Silver lining, once I liked this building but there were nothing available, it was this agent who helped me to call everyone of the owners in that building day and night and finally managed to persuade one owner to sell it to me instead of renting out...I was so happy and really appreciate how hard that agent worked on this....but for most of the owners who answered her calls day and nights, probably thought she was a pest too... but I think she is great! it really depends on which side of the stick you are on....!!
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designvalue - I undertsand this- as this is how our property was found...but 10 days after settlement??? I would understand 12 months, 3 years, 5 years etc.
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