Jeroen Rouwendaal
I wanted to buy a house and the selling party had engaged Simpel Makelaars. Perhaps I delved into the situation more than others usually do. I ultimately didn't get a good feeling about Simpel Makelaars. The responses that I received from Simpel Makelaars (if time was a factor; NB spelling not edited by me): - 'I had an unpleasant dentist appointment yesterday, so I couldn’t respond sooner.' - 'Unfortunately, X is the only one handling it and she has a day off today.' - “X is unable to return to you today and will let you know something …day.” Only afterwards, now that the purchase hasn't gone through, do I see these responses as potentially insincere. During the purchasing process, I was still acting in good faith. The sellers of the house had not honestly filled out the VBO questionnaire. Example: Are your buildings and structures and those of your neighbors completely on your own land? The selling party had entered 'yes', but this turned out to be incorrect when I checked the cadastral data. Simpel Makelaars appeared to be well aware of this situation, but professionally kept themselves at a distance. Simpel Makelaars acts on behalf of the seller, but avoids responsibilities. Some quotes: - 'Yes, that's how I see it too, but this is the answer I received from my sellers.' - 'Sorry they (= the sellers) haven’t responded yet. According to our sellers, this shed has been there for 25 years and not on the property boundary, hence why we didn’t report it.' - 'The current sellers completely understand that you want to arrange this with your new neighbor, but this will then have to be arranged after the transfer.'