“I’m furious, I’m extremely disappointed, and I’ve lost the ability to look for another property, I’m just so depressed.”
Response
In response, a spokesperson from Strutt and Parker stated: “We understand it is frustrating and upsetting when a seller accepts an offer but the purchase does not go on to complete.
“The law on buying and selling in England and Wales means estate agents have a legal obligation to put all offers forward to a seller.
“In this instance, a significantly higher offer over the guide price was submitted from a party who had previously been introduced to the property and, due to the significant increase, our client instructed us to accept the higher offer.”
The spokesperson added this case reflects the current buying system in England and Wales under which gazumping is not uncommon.
“Until a property has exchanged contracts either party can change their minds on whether they wish to buy or sell right up to exchange of contracts,” they explained.
“We certainly do not advocate this, and it is not something we enjoy having to deal with, but it is a product of our current buying and selling process.”
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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