What the Agent Had Not Bothered to Check
There is a quiet assumption that runs through a lot of property transactions.
It is the assumption that the professionals involved have done the basic groundwork. That the agent marketing the property has read the details. That the information in the listing has been verified. That what is being sold is actually theirs to sell.
It is a reasonable assumption. It is also, as we have discovered more than once, a dangerous one.
The Search for the Right Property
We were sourcing properties for an investor client with a very specific brief. They wanted to create mini HMOs, properties where three double bedrooms could be achieved, whether through splitting a larger room, a loft conversion, or an extension. The location criteria were tight. The deal had to stack precisely.
We had sourced two or three properties for this client previously, so we understood the brief well. When a property came up that looked promising, we arranged a viewing for the following day.
The property was empty. The owner had passed away and probate was well advanced. On the surface, it looked like exactly what we needed.
The Documents We Always Download First
Before we view any property that we feel has a reasonable chance of fitting a client's brief, we download three documents from Land Registry as standard. The EPC, the Title Register, and the Title Plan.
This is not something we do after the viewing. We do it before, specifically so that any issues can be identified and considered before our client is even aware the property exists. There is no point generating interest or excitement around a deal that has a fundamental problem sitting quietly in the paperwork.
In this case, the Title Plan told us something immediately.
The land at the rear of the property was included in the marketing as part of the sale. The agent had presented it as a straightforward inclusion, a useful outdoor space that our client intended to use for tenant parking, which was an important part of making the deal work.
According to the Title Plan, that land did not belong to the property.
The Conversation at the Viewing
We raised it with the agent during the viewing.
Their response was not what we expected, though in hindsight perhaps it should have been. They told us they were not aware of the issue and asked if we could send them the Title Plan so they could have a read.
The document is publicly available from Land Registry. It costs a few pounds to download and takes minutes to obtain. It is, for anyone marketing a property professionally, a basic first step.
They had not downloaded it. They had not checked what was and was not included in the title. They had marketed land that did not form part of the sale as though it did, without ever verifying the detail.
At best, the marketing was misleading. At worst, it was false.
The Deal That Could Not Be Saved
Our client looked into the property further despite the issue. We explored whether there was any realistic path to resolving the land ownership question, whether the neighbouring owner could be identified and approached, and whether the deal could be restructured in a way that worked without the parking.
It could not. The parking was not a nice addition to the deal. It was central to it. Without that land, the numbers did not work and the property did not meet the brief.
The deal was set aside.
The Habit That Protected Our Client
What this experience reinforced was the value of a process we had already built but might otherwise have been tempted to skip when time was tight or a property looked particularly promising.
Downloading the Title Register and Title Plan before a viewing costs very little. It takes a few minutes. And on more than one occasion it has surfaced an issue that would have caused significant problems further down the line, after our client was emotionally and financially invested in a deal.
The agent in this story is not unusual. Plenty of agents market properties without conducting thorough checks on the title. They rely on the information provided to them by the seller, who may themselves be unaware of any complications. Probate sales in particular can carry title issues that have never previously come to light, simply because the property has not changed hands for many years.
As a sourcer, you cannot rely on the agent to have done this work. In many cases they have not. The responsibility for understanding exactly what is and is not included in a sale sits with you, and the best time to pick up a problem is before it becomes your client's problem.
Download the documents. Check the title. Do it before the viewing, not after the offer.
The few minutes it takes could save everyone involved a very expensive lesson.
I drove round and knocked on the door.
They invited me in and we sat down over a cup of tea. They told me everything that had happened, the missed viewings, the uncomfortable conversations with the agent, the frustration of watching time pass. And then, with a cautious brightness, they mentioned that they had found another bungalow.
They did not want to lose this one too.
I explained the situation as clearly and as kindly as I could. The street attracted first time buyers looking for a modernised home, or investors buying to let. In its current condition, the property was priced out of both markets. The DIY work, done with obvious love and care over many years, was not something the open market was going to reward with a premium.
They did not need me to repeat the offer. They asked me to take photographs, put together a presentation, and get a confirmed yes from our investor at £60,000.
I also made a point of working with their estate agent throughout the process rather than cutting them out. The agent had been instructed by the seller and deserved to be part of the completion. Six weeks later, the sale completed. The couple moved into their bungalow.
They got there in the end.
What Patience Actually Looks Like in Practice
This deal did not close because of a clever negotiation tactic. It closed because I stayed in touch without pressure, monitored the situation without interference, and was ready to move when the circumstances changed.
A few things made the difference.
Leaving the door open matters more than the exit. When a seller says no, how you leave the conversation determines whether you ever get another one. I did not argue the price, challenge their valuation, or make them feel foolish for their expectations. I simply told them I did not want them to lose something they cared about. That single sentence kept the relationship alive for six months.
Timing is part of the deal. The offer did not change. The property did not change. What changed was the seller's situation and their understanding of what the market would actually bear. Patience is not passive. It is the active decision to stay present until the moment is right.
Protect the seller's other relationships. Working with the agent rather than around them was the right thing to do, and it made the completion smoother. A seller who feels that their existing relationships have been respected is a seller who completes with confidence.
The no you hear today is not always the no that lasts. Stay in touch. Stay respectful. And be ready for the call when it comes.
Know your sellers as well as you know your investors. The deals will be better for it.
