London's awful estate agents are cratering, warning of a "prolonged downturn" in the housing market

Yes - except UK estate agents are somehow worse.

In the US, most agents have to have some form of accreditation, are insured, actually do some work and you always deal with a named person. In the UK they seem to have no training, you never seem to get the same person twice when trying to buy or sell your house, they do fuck/all, it’s practically impossible to get redress when you are inevitably missold something and you are guaranteed to be left in the lurch at a critical moment.

Their only qualifications appear to be thinking hair gel is still ‘a thing’ and being willing to drive a shite car (usually a Vauxhall Corsa, but Foxtons have to use Minis because a Corsa wouldn’t be allowed in the areas where they operate).

Put it like this, I’d rather fly coach class with United than deal with a UK estate agent ever again.

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When I was looking for my rental in Cambridge, one of the estate agents we were meeting with was 30 minutes late; left us standing outside the property in the pissing rain. Showed up, and very officiously took attendance because they schedule multiple prospectives in the same viewing. Ordered us around the property, and wouldn’t answer any questions. We left after seeing two rooms. I told our relocation agent I thought he was an incompetent, officious 20-nothing shit, and we took all other properties from that agent off our viewing list.

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