Beal's Estate Agents
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A never-ending litany of laziness and possible discrimination...
Had multiple poor experiences with Beals over the last several months... Three times had viewings booked for Saturday, only to get a call Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and the property has sold - no attempt from them to actually do their job and try to get the best price for their customer - they just fob you off last-minute and on to the next one. Then, when you're the buyer in a position to do a viewing and make an offer ASAP they suddenly "can't get you in" during the week (they lost their seller a sale above asking price on one occasion recently due to this attitude - I viewed it during the open day anyway, but by then was too annoyed to make an offer as I'd been told to 'go whistle' a week earlier despite being ready to go). Very disappointing and a bit suspicious that they'll get locals in during the week for viewings, but won't do the same for you if you're not from the area. And if, heaven-forbid, you have a full time job and can only view on Saturday, don't expect them to give a toss! Had several occasions where they've left a property on Rightmove for days or even weeks listed as "for sale" when in fact it's sold. They never apologise for it when you call and get told it's gone already. I think they do this on purpose because there aren't many properties coming up and they want their name showing up in your search results, so they leave them even though it's inconsiderate. You call them, they take your data etc. If you're a buyer, don't count on them to communicate effectively or lift a fingernail. If you're not from the area, expect the 'Cornwall treatment' - where they don't want people coming in from other parts of the country and buying up homes - you get a lesser service as a result. They'll deny it, but that's the simplest way to explain all the issues we've had with them. If you're a seller, don't expect them to do everything they can to achieve the best possible price for your property by following up all credible sales leads (e.g. an offer is made during the week, but there are buyers in a proceedable position with a large budget booked for a viewing on Saturday, yet they won't bother to call them and offer them the opportunity to view earlier or make an offer). They'll argue they're just doing what their customer wants, but buyers are customers too (not that they'll treat you like one) and I doubt the majority of their customers would be happy about them taking liberties with potential buyers on their behalf, unless they just want a quick sale. At the moment, sitting on their hands doing very little for their commission because the market is so strong right now and homes are selling themselves, but give it a year or so, the way the UK is going with inflation and the housing market will slump. Won't be able to be so lazy or selective then. I'd avoid Beals from now on because personally I had much better experiences with some of the well-known online-only agents.