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Cheating Tenants

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  1. #21

    So I guess it is okay for all of you making anti-agent comments to have jobs where you get paid for your time and effort, while you expect agents to work for free!

    Yea that makes a lot of sense.

    Licensed agents have spent time and money learning the Estate Agency rules.
    They have spent time locating the vacant flats and landlords' contact details.
    They spend time showing indecisive whining immature babies with unrealistic expectations of what they can ACTUALLY get for $10K, many different flat options.

    And when they finally finally find an acceptable place, its okay to simply say "*uck off mate!"

    Yea, that real cool.


  2. #22

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    1,259
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Harvey:
    So I guess it is okay for all of you making anti-agent comments to have jobs where you get paid for your time and effort, while you expect agents to work for free!

    Yea that makes a lot of sense.

    Licensed agents have spent time and money learning the Estate Agency rules.
    They have spent time locating the vacant flats and landlords' contact details.
    They spend time showing indecisive whining immature babies with unrealistic expectations of what they can ACTUALLY get for $10K, many different flat options.

    And when they finally finally find an acceptable place, its okay to simply say "*uck off mate!"

    Yea, that real cool.
    I don't know what estate agents you are dealing with but does not bear any resemblance to the midland/centaland crew I have dealt with.

    I have no problem paying fees and have never weasled out, but if I did I wouldn't lose any sleep over it

    I would really appreciate it if the agent could have at least some knowledge of the properties I am seeing. Most of the time I think we are both going in blind. The number of places agents have taken me too that tick all the boxes of what I asked not to be shown. Complete waste of time.

    studied estate agency rules? pfft.
    Stu79 likes this.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    14,414

    You wouldn't happen to be Alan Harvey of Island property agency would you?


  4. #24

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    7,441
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Harvey:
    So I guess it is okay for all of you making anti-agent comments to have jobs where you get paid for your time and effort, while you expect agents to work for free!

    Yea that makes a lot of sense.

    Licensed agents have spent time and money learning the Estate Agency rules.
    They have spent time locating the vacant flats and landlords' contact details.
    They spend time showing indecisive whining immature babies with unrealistic expectations of what they can ACTUALLY get for $10K, many different flat options.

    And when they finally finally find an acceptable place, its okay to simply say "*uck off mate!"

    Yea, that real cool.
    Happy to pay a fee for services is a real service was provided. The equivalent of close to 8 percent of yearly rent for doing sweet fa by showing me a few properties, do a five minute search online, filling out some standard lease forms and paying a stamp duty and then disappearing in the night is a ripoff.

    Compared to say Australia where you pay 6-8 percent for complete management of rental properties it looks like estate agents have it pretty good in hk.

    The reason why people say f#@& off is your service is overvalued and not by a small amount, by alot.

    Sent from somewhere....
    Last edited by virago; 11-05-2013 at 09:45 PM.
    Stu79 likes this.

  5. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    You wouldn't happen to be Alan Harvey of Island property agency would you?
    Yea, I would; the one and only!

  6. #26

    The reason HK licenses agents is to protect the general public from getting ripped off like in the days of the free for all property business before licensing became mandatory.

    And the last time I checked, they do not just hand out licenses to anyone who wants one!!
    But if you know all of the vacant apartments in HK on a daily and hourly basis as well as the landlord's phone number, the I guess you are free to do it yourself.

    Here's and idea: the next time you get sick, don't go to doctor; treat yourself!


  7. #27

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    7,441
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Harvey:
    The reason HK licenses agents is to protect the general public from getting ripped off like in the days of the free for all property business before licensing became mandatory.

    And the last time I checked, they do not just hand out licenses to anyone who wants one!!
    But if you know all of the vacant apartments in HK on a daily and hourly basis as well as the landlord's phone number, the I guess you are free to do it yourself.

    Here's and idea: the next time you get sick, don't go to doctor; treat yourself!
    Alan, you miss the whole point. People, like myself are happy to pay for a reasonably priced service. At the moment it is not reasonably priced.

    Sent from somewhere....

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    904

    I dont find their commission extremely overpriced. They can easily show 10 flats to someone who doesnt know what he wants, and then rents feom someone else. I doubt many estates agents make a lot of money.

    You are certainly aware that if you are buying a branded product approximately 70% of your money goes in the pockets of importers, wholesalers and shops, Now, there is waste!


  9. #29

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    1,192
    Quote Originally Posted by virago:
    Happy to pay a fee for services is a real service was provided. The equivalent of close to 8 percent of yearly rent for doing sweet fa by showing me a few properties, do a five minute search online, filling out some standard lease forms and paying a stamp duty and then disappearing in the night is a ripoff.

    Compared to say Australia where you pay 6-8 percent for complete management of rental properties it looks like estate agents have it pretty good in hk.

    The reason why people say f#@& off is your service is overvalued and not by a small amount, by alot.

    Sent from somewhere....
    If you don't see value in estate agent services then fine don't use their services. However you are not entitled to sign up for said services and then refuse to pay afterwards because you (outside the terms of the contract) have decided that the agent hasn't provided something. The fact is, if you sign up with an agent you are signing up to be introduced to a property. To sign a tenancy agreement and then not pay the agent is out of order. Two different things going on here: one is whether agents are worth signing up with (legitimate) and two, not paying for something you have secured through them. Don't muddy the waters. One is not a cover or an excuse for the other, though I get the impression that some might think it is.
    Last edited by walkup; 12-05-2013 at 05:05 PM.

  10. #30

    Walkup, I agree with you.
    Virago seems to equate Estate Agents with bartenders and taxi drivers: you tip if you feel like it, and if not you don't.
    Well unlike the taxi ride, it is not okay to not pay the licensed Estate Agent his or her commission!
    Remember, if you don't sign a lease, they get nothing!