Common scam by estate agency websites, beware! The unfortunate true of Real Estate in Pattaya...

[KittenKong]

Really you should try dealing with estate agents in UK....they don't even do assisted viewings....

They dont attempt to charge 5% commission either.

I expect that most people here know that the main reason agents in Thailand like to accompany buyers on viewings is to ensure that a deal isn't done behind their backs.

[sustento]

What the OP has described is hardly a scam. It does show that the agents are crap at maintaining their websites.

As to the owners of properties he calls about speaking very little English.......um, this is Thailand, go to your country and speak Thai to a landlord and see how far you get.

[Pattaya Pat]

I know how it works fella, a 10 year old would, but it still is NOT a scam. If a supermarket advertises they sell coke on a board outside but when you get in there they don't have any so you buy some sprite instead? Does that mean you have been scammed??

If they are selling an identical item at an identical price then this would not be illegal. However this isnt what happens with real estate agents. The advert may be for a 3-bed detached house with sea views for 2MB but when you actually get inside the only thing they have is a 2-bed house with no view for 3MB.

Also, has it not occured to you that the property company may not have updated their site, etc.

Of course it did. This is why I specifically said "if done deliberately". That said, some listings and ads have clearly been out of date for months if not years. There is no excuse for not keeping listings up to date on a weekly basis.

You are not even worth talking too.

That is indeed more like the attitude one expects from an estate agent here. No staying power.

There's nothing like a good old generalisation is there.

[norrona]

Really you should try dealing with estate agents in UK....they don't even do assisted viewings....

They dont attempt to charge 5% commission either.

I expect that most people here know that the main reason agents in Thailand like to accompany buyers on viewings is to ensure that a deal isn't done behind their backs.

correct on the latter yes.....

but as a purchaser or renter you will not be charged, you will get a price agree on it and off you go.... it's entirely up to you if you want to do it, nobody holding a gun to your head...

if you feel aggrieved as a seller or renter then simply do it yourself.... after all it's really easy isn't it.

[FiftyTwo]

Really you should try dealing with estate agents in UK....they don't even do assisted viewings....

They dont attempt to charge 5% commission either.

I expect that most people here know that the main reason agents in Thailand like to accompany buyers on viewings is to ensure that a deal isn't done behind their backs.

Most of the houses I purchased and sold in the UK had assisted viewings.

How come my experiences are different to yours?

[Pattaya Pat]

Mmmm. I wonder why King Kong is so bitter with all things estate agents?

[Annonymous]

In Pattaya my old companies slogan was 'we find you a property free of charge'

"we find you a property free of charge" OH REALLY?! maybe you forgot to mention the 1000 or 2000 bahts from the rent that goes to the agency each month!!!

[Barefoot]

"Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud used in retail sales but also employed in other contexts. First, customers are "baited" by merchants' advertising products or services at a low price, but when customers visit the store, they discover that the advertised goods are not available, or the customers are pressured by sales people to consider similar, but higher priced items ("switching")." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait-and-switch

[DD13]

In England

Estate Agents & Double glazing sales people

All come from "eggs" out of the same nest....

Most would find it difficult to "hold down" an intelligent useful job...

But the English estate agent does have a much higher standard of dress than some people working in some of the agencies here.....

Here there appear to be a lot of "chancers" who need work permits to stay here, and think "I know, I will become an estate agent".....

[sustento]

In Pattaya my old companies slogan was 'we find you a property free of charge'

"we find you a property free of charge" OH REALLY?! maybe you forgot to mention the 1000 or 2000 bahts from the rent that goes to the agency each month!!!

If 'you' is the renter and the agency don't charge 'you' then what the poster says is true but you really don't think that they offer their services for free do you?

[norrona]

In Pattaya my old companies slogan was 'we find you a property free of charge'

"we find you a property free of charge" OH REALLY?! maybe you forgot to mention the 1000 or 2000 bahts from the rent that goes to the agency each month!!!

oh dear

[norrona]

In England

Estate Agents & Double glazing sales people

All come from "eggs" out of the same nest....

Most would find it difficult to "hold down" an intelligent useful job...

But the English estate agent does have a much higher standard of dress than some people working in some of the agencies here.....

Here there appear to be a lot of "chancers" who need work permits to stay here, and think "I know, I will become an estate agent".....

you can put a monkey in a hugo boss suit but it's still a monkey!

I fail to see what relevance peoples dress code is to this thread and whether or not they can actually do the job or not just because they aren't dressed to your standards?

work permits cost money and require the individual to pay taxes....if they have no ability then whats the point of having a work permit or pay the taxes... chancers.....well that does sum up many individuals who spend long periods in Pattaya in my experience and certainly not just confined to estate agents...

[DD13]

In England

Estate Agents & Double glazing sales people

All come from "eggs" out of the same nest....

Most would find it difficult to "hold down" an intelligent useful job...

But the English estate agent does have a much higher standard of dress than some people working in some of the agencies here.....

Here there appear to be a lot of "chancers" who need work permits to stay here, and think "I know, I will become an estate agent".....

you can put a monkey in a hugo boss suit but it's still a monkey!

I fail to see what relevance peoples dress code is to this thread and whether or not they can actually do the job or not just because they aren't dressed to your standards?

work permits cost money and require the individual to pay taxes....if they have no ability then whats the point of having a work permit or pay the taxes... chancers.....well that does sum up many individuals who spend long periods in Pattaya in my experience and certainly not just confined to estate agents...

Excuse me if I don't get into a discussion with you......we are obviously different people

[norrona]

In England

Estate Agents & Double glazing sales people

All come from "eggs" out of the same nest....

Most would find it difficult to "hold down" an intelligent useful job...

But the English estate agent does have a much higher standard of dress than some people working in some of the agencies here.....

Here there appear to be a lot of "chancers" who need work permits to stay here, and think "I know, I will become an estate agent".....

you can put a monkey in a hugo boss suit but it's still a monkey!

I fail to see what relevance peoples dress code is to this thread and whether or not they can actually do the job or not just because they aren't dressed to your standards?

work permits cost money and require the individual to pay taxes....if they have no ability then whats the point of having a work permit or pay the taxes... chancers.....well that does sum up many individuals who spend long periods in Pattaya in my experience and certainly not just confined to estate agents...

Excuse me if I don't get into a discussion with you......we are obviously different people

you are excused

[NanLaew]

by the way the OP is interested in properties but doesn't state their budget, what they are looking for or anything on a forum where there are many owners possibly looking to rent and maybe contact him direct.... it goes back to the old saying 'you can't help anyone when they don't want to help themselves'

Cheers

Long-term rental of a small European-style independent house with garden, budget is 20k max. Anywhere from Pattaya, East-Pattaya (would like to avoid busy Soi Khao Noi if possible), Jomtien, East-Jomtien (Soi Chaiyapruk is good) to Na-Jomtien and even farther...

From what I have already visited, I have reasonable expectations but still have preferences for large non-barred windows, bright colors, modern style.

Anyone with a house that'd match please feel free to send me pictures!

Stop being a lazy arse and try harder. Not even a mention of room count and other amenities required?

I used one realtor that had great follow up service to assist but disregarded the 5 others that inevitably had out of date websites and sent me alternate lists of places that totally didn't fit my very specific needs regards style, cost and location. After I had a short list of properties, I made my first long weekend of hunting which was great for ruling out AREAS. Then I discarded the useful realtor and used several of the flashier websites that had maps and along with google earth, spent the second long weekend doing my own research and going into the villages. Yes you have to get out in the heat but in my experience (posted elsewhere), if I called a number on a sign, got an answer and told them I was waiting at the property and wanted to see it IMMEDIATELY, they would find someone, even a maid, to come with the keys and let me in. By the third long weekend, I had a short list of 5 houses to show the wife. She also picked the one I liked the most and we moved in 6 weeks after the initial search started.

Result, 5 year-old, 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom villa on the Darkside, 10 minutes from the lad's new school, 15 minutes from Foodland, 60 minutes from Suvarnabhumi, corner lot on cul-de-sac (minimal traffic), kitchen, part furnished, washing machine, internet and cable TV ready, double car port, shady garden, communal pool, 17k month, 6-month lease, 2 months security.

PS.... what you describe is NOT a scam.

Edited October 4, 2013 by NanLaew

[KittenKong]

Really you should try dealing with estate agents in UK....they don't even do assisted viewings....

They dont attempt to charge 5% commission either.

I expect that most people here know that the main reason agents in Thailand like to accompany buyers on viewings is to ensure that a deal isn't done behind their backs.

Most of the houses I purchased and sold in the UK had assisted viewings.

How come my experiences are different to yours?

I wasn't actually agreeing with the other poster; just pointing out that whatever UK agents may or may not do at least they dont try to get 5% for doing it.

My brother viewed many houses in the UK recently and was always accompanied by the agent as far as I know.

[KittenKong]

I expect that most people here know that the main reason agents in Thailand like to accompany buyers on viewings is to ensure that a deal isn't done behind their backs.

correct on the latter yes.....

but as a purchaser or renter you will not be charged, you will get a price agree on it and off you go....

Oh please, not that old chestnut. Buyers/renters inevitably pay the agent's commission.

if you feel aggrieved as a seller or renter then simply do it yourself.... after all it's really easy isn't it.

No need to worry about me. I always either DIY-it or just use Thai agents who normally are not as greedy as the farang sort. They are also usually much more competent.

[KittenKong]

Mmmm. I wonder why King Kong is so bitter with all things estate agents?

I'm not bitter at all; I just have little time for incompetent clowns of any type, especially when they pretend to be professional when they clearly are not. "Financial advisers", "lawyers", "media moguls" and affiliated "networkers" would be more expat groups for which I have little time, and for the same reasons.

[sierra01]

Substitute airlines for estate agents, phone about a cheap flight....sorry sir that ones gone but we do have this slightly more expensive flight. Hardly new is it?

[gmac]

Any way is good to attract customers.

Most people don't know what they want and their ideas are often wrong.

Once they are in the office they listen, understand that they are wrong and know nothing (not even what they really like), then buy what is available and that is proposed.

Simple.

Utter rubbish. Most people have a pretty good idea of what they want and a what they want to spend. They get conned into paying far more than they intended by being shown something better than they wanted after scamming them in with a property which would have been more suitable but as mentioned by the OP mysteriously already sold.

[bangkokstick]

Thanks to confirm, you have just explained that they are retarded enough to be able to buy what they didn't want, so maybe it is because they didn't really know what they want...

[NanLaew]

Thanks to confirm, you have just explained that they are retarded enough to be able to buy what they didn't want, so maybe it is because they didn't really know what they want...

That's why I panned the 5 'agencies' that ignored my specific wants and offered me totally wrong alternatives. In retrospect though, I know the area very well so the DIY approach was easy peasy. I would reckon that the average punter who can't tell his Chaiyapoom from his Nernplubwan may be at the mercy of the lazy, more indolent realtors and lose focus, especially if doing any viewing on the weekends when traffic is murder. I did my snooping around over long weekends and drove myself to the villages. It may be more of a 'captive audience' scenario when you are at the mercy of the agency driving you between places.

Still a great time for the OP to get 'er done being rainy (floody) season and all. No point in having a real bargain, new build with a view when you need a boat to get beyond the driveway.

[LennyW]

Seriously though, there is a few places in Ban Chang that would tick all your boxes.

[Phil Conners]

One classified ad has been removed.

Come on guys, do not take the opportunity of a discussion to make it into a list of classifieds, we have http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/ for that.

[Rimmer]

A post discussing moderation has been removed.

[paddyjenkins]

its called bait and switch. used by scammers and conmen all over the world. you don't get much slimier than real estate agents, more than half are conmen and scammers so why does this kind of thing surprise anyone?

[PattayaPhom]

The problem lies with the owners. Enlisting a property we always ask the owner to keep us updated, unfortunately very few do. I have lost count the amount of times I have had to contact other agents as we have sold a property they have listed also. Apart from contacting each owner on a weekly basis which would take all week to do with over 1,000 listings there isn't anything that the agent can do. The onus really is on the owner to inform all agents they have listed their property with of the current situation. Scam, definitely not. Lazy vendors yes!!!.

Sent from my ST27a using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited October 5, 2013 by PattayaPhom

[LennyW]

its called bait and switch. used by scammers and conmen all over the world. you don't get much slimier than real estate agents, more than half are conmen and scammers so why does this kind of thing surprise anyone?

It is only a scam if you pay for something and did not receive what you thought you had paid for, false advertising perhaps but not a scam, too many people use the word scam without knowing it's meaning.

[JSixpack]

Apart from contacting each owner on a weekly basis which would take all week to do with over 1,000 listings there isn't anything that the agent can do.

Sending out a weekly or fortnightly bulk email would take only a few minutes.

[Asiantravel]

its called bait and switch. used by scammers and conmen all over the world. you don't get much slimier than real estate agents, more than half are conmen and scammers so why does this kind of thing surprise anyone?

It is only a scam if you pay for something and did not receive what you thought you had paid for, false advertising perhaps but not a scam, too many people use the word scam without knowing it's meaning.

What ever you want to call it the bottom line is that it's deceitful and dishonest conduct