Cash trolleys, Porsches and pampering - buyers' desperate acts revealed

To demonstrate the lengths some buyers will go to make sure their offer is accepted, NAEA Propertymark has asked its agent members to share the most extravagant things they have seen buyers do over the years.

One buyer is reported to have presented themselves on the doorstep of the seller to pay the full deposit in person to secure the transaction. Another offered to buy the owner's Porsche - an offer which was accepted and sealed the deal for the eager buyer.

Meanwhile, one buyer took the owner of the property they craved away to a country manor hotel for a weekend of pampering and another took a similar approach by inviting the vendor out for an indulgent dinner at an expensive restaurant. 

Some purchasers are keen to put their money where their mouth is - one agent shared the story of a buyer who brought the full asking price in cash in a gingham shopping trolley to try and get the sale over the line.

Other buyers took a more long-term approach - one keen gardener said they'd landscape and tend to the owner's new garden for two years free of charge if they accepted the offer on their current property, while another offered to pay a full 12-month tenancy for the sellers to go and rent somewhere else.

One prospective purchaser really trusted the estate agent - they put down an offer without seeing any photos of the property, having only read an email description and seen a blurry video of the home in question.

And finally, sometimes it seems good old-fashioned throwing money at a problem works best for some buyers - one offered £32,000 over the asking price to secure a property that was already under offer, while another offered the seller £50,000 after they withdrew their home from the market.

"We hear many bizarre stories about buyers trying to woo sellers in a desperate bid to secure the deal, but this is something that can be easily avoided," says Mark Hayward, chief executive of NAEA Propertymark.

"Experienced agents will anticipate any issues that could arise and prevent potential buyers from having to go to these extremes to secure an offer on their dream home.”

Have you encountered any bizarre gestures from buyers trying to get a deal over the line? Let us know in the comments below.