Estate Agents?

Has anyone had poor service from an estate agent? Can the word 'professional' ever be applied to them? Do you think that they pay themselves vast amounts of commission that totally unrelates to the actual work done? Do we need them or are there better alternatives to buying and selling properties? Oh, and as the housing market is depressed, are they crying into their coffee with the lack of commission? Nice answers only please ...

they are a joke really..the problem is:

anyone can walk into an office and start renting and letting property....one agent told me after years of dealing with them only buying from them would sell through them their commission is silly...anyway he said that when the market is high like it was till recently agents don't have to do anything property sells itself bcoz pple are scared of missing out..so you just turn up and show them the property...and always say there is loads of interest...and the person panics and hey presto another sale....at the moment loads of them will be out of jobs...esp the Johnny come lately....lol....

There were those who worked in an agents for a while got a bit of experience and set up unprofessional little joints when the markets were high....they really need to be shut down...so unprofessional...

Don't think we will get a better alternative to selling/buying bcoz its a gravy train and too many pple making a hell of a lot of cash out of the present system to want to see a change...

i had trouble selling my house, and my estate agents were brilliant. Saying that, i think the commission they get is too much, the solicitors do all the hard work for much less than what the EAs walk away with.

i love this question, i think that are the biggest bunch of w////// i have ever had the bad luck to come across,their has to be a better alternative. good luck to you.