An online agent is said to have insisted that it will accompany all viewings, and to have told viewers that they must not even approach the property on their own.

The agent is named as ‘abode’ in the thread, a link to which was posted up on EYE yesterday after it appeared on the Money Saving Expert site.

We have been unable to track down the agent, but according to the original poster who requested a viewing, they received an email laying down terms and conditions.

Prospective buyers “must not discuss the price with the seller, ask why they are selling, when they want to move (or when the buyer does) or talk about previous offers or viewings or anything else regarding the sale”.

Buyers were also told not to contact the seller directly at any time, and not to go to the property at any other than the precise viewing time.

The full email, which sounds like a standard one sent out to all prospective buyers, reads:

“A viewing is confirmed at the above property for *******. Please knock on the door when you arrive. Misunderstandings in the past which have caused sales to fall through, mean that the following terms must be adhered to by all buyers (‘buyers’ includes any party linked to any of the buyers) when considering a purchase of a property advertised by abode.

“Buyers must not discuss the price with the seller, ask why they are selling, when they want to move (or when the buyer does) or talk about previous offers or viewings or anything else regarding the sale. Please ask questions about the property itself only.

“In addition, and also to ensure the safety of buyers and sellers, buyers must not contact the seller directly at any time (this can often be tempting if buyers find they know the seller), and must not attend the property other than at the precise time we confirm.

“Polite sellers or their representatives may often appear accommodating as they want to sell, however buyers must not enter the property without our agent.

“All aspects of the sale must be conducted through abode central office, so if buyers wish to cancel or change the time of a viewing, or make an offer at any point, or if the agent has not met a buyer outside the property at the time agreed etc then please immediately contact central office by telephone ******* or email on ******** and buyers must not approach the property even if invited by someone purporting to be the seller or their representative until the agent locates them.

“If all buyers are happy with these terms then please reply with a range of dates and times you would like us to try to arrange for you to view and we will confirm by return email.”

 The thread has some interesting comments on it. What do agents think?