13th Jun 2026 (0 days ago)
Extremely poor service for both buyers and sellers.
The areas West Homes operate in are currently very buoyant, but that does not remove the need to carry out the basic duties of an estate agent: actively promoting properties to buyers, maintaining contact with interested purchasers, following up after viewings, and arranging viewing appointments that suit prospective buyers.
I have bought and sold property over the last 30 years and understand how the process works.
In December 2025, I made an offer over Home Report value on a property marketed by West Homes. My offer was unsuccessful, which was absolutely fine. However, despite discussing my property search requirements with the team, I was never contacted again. When I later queried why I was not receiving details of new properties, I was told my marketing preferences would be updated and that I would receive notifications of suitable listings. Despite this, over the following three months I did not receive a single email or phone call regarding any new properties. Every viewing I arranged was initiated by me.
On Monday, 8th June at 09:47, I called regarding a property that had been marketed since 29 May and requested a viewing as soon as possible. The earliest appointment available was two days later, Wednesday 10th June at 15:30. I was also advised that no appointments outside office hours were available other than a Saturday slot six days later.
I attended the viewing alone because I was keen to see the property quickly.
I have previously viewed three properties marketed by West Homes without my husband being able to attend, solely because of the limited availability of appointments outside normal office hours. In a fast-moving market, waiting up to six days for a Saturday viewing can place buyers at a significant disadvantage.
I liked the house and called the following day to arrange a second viewing so my husband could attend. Despite multiple attempts to contact the office, it took five phone calls and around 40 minutes before anyone answered. The only appointment available was 15:00 on Friday, which I accepted. My husband arranged to leave work early in order to attend.
Friday 12th June, on the morning of the second viewing, I received a call requesting feedback from my original viewing. I explained that I had already called and provided this feedback the previous day, and had a second viewing arranged. I was then asked to repeat the feedback because no notes had been recorded on the system. Once again, I explained how interested we were in the property and confirmed that my husband would be attending the viewing later that day.
Friday at 13:46, I received a missed call. I returned the call at 14:07 and was informed that the viewing had been cancelled because the seller had accepted an offer.
The seller is, of course, entirely entitled to accept any offer they wish. However, I found it disappointing that a viewing was cancelled less than 90 minutes before the appointment when prospective buyers were already travelling and had made arrangements to attend. My husband had left work three hours early specifically for this viewing.
While I appreciate that properties sell quickly in the current market, my experience was of poor communication, inadequate follow-up, limited viewing availability, and a lack of organisation throughout the process.
During my property search, I have viewed homes through several other estate agents. The difference in communication, responsiveness, viewing availability and buyer engagement has been stark. Other agents have proactively contacted me about suitable properties, followed up promptly after viewings and made genuine efforts to accommodate viewing requests. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here.
As a buyer, I was left feeling that interested purchasers were not being actively managed. As a seller, I would question whether every genuinely interested buyer was being given a fair opportunity to view the property, remain engaged in the process, and submit an offer before a sale was agreed.... Read more