Dealing with Estate Agents

The house that I currently live in has been on the market for about 4 months now. So far, no one has put in any offer. Every week, people will come to view the house and I have to put up with certain inconveniences such as staying in to let them in the house. Actually to make things easier for myself, I could have agreed to letting the agent keep a key for themselves so that they can come as and when they like without me being at home. But Adrian and I didn't like the idea. So far, I'd been very accommodating towards them and whenever they called me to book a viewing, I'd say OK unless I had prior arrangements to go somewhere. But they'd been rather 'cheeky' on several occasions.

1. A few no-shows and the agent didn't bother to call and tell me. Very annoying when I had stayed home to wait for them.
   
2. One bloke from the office rang me up to say all their agents had been booked for viewing and asked me if I could kindly show a couple around. I thought since I'd be at home anyway, I agreed.
3. I had to be somewhere last Friday afternoon when someone had booked to view the house. So I loaned my key to the agent. There was going to be another viewing the following day and we were going out so I asked them to keep the key. When I rang them to ask for my key back on Saturday afternoon, one guy (Tom) said he was rather sure the key's in the office but that he had to check it with Matt and would call me back within minutes. An hour passed and then Matt rang me to make arrangement for a viewing on Monday. I asked him if my key's in the office as I wanted it back. He said he's not sure as Oliver (the one who lives near me and hence the person I pass the key to) is on leave and so the key should be with him and not in the office, hence I won't be able to have it back that day. I asked him what about the viewing that afternoon. Someone should have the key. He then apologised and said he didn't know there had been a viewing but could miraculously tell me that it was Carol who did the viewing and so she's the one with the key but would only be back in the office at 5pm and that if I need the key urgently, I could go pick it up on Sunday between 11am and 3pm. In the end, I didn't go get my key as we were out the whole day. On Monday morning, Oliver rang me while I was at work and told me that he would bring the key along with him for the viewing that afternoon. But about 5 minutes before the appointment, Matt rang me to say he's running a few minutes late and if I could show the people around. I asked if he was going to turn up at all and he said no and that he would drop my key through my letterbox afterwards. I said I'd just let the people in and let them wonder around themselves. Now he rang me from his office. If he's running a few minutes late, he could still turn up since I'm very near to the office. Anyway like I had told Adrian many times, since I am at home, I don't mind just letting the people in. Did I get my key back? No. No sign of key, no phonecalls from them. I waited and waited till it was after-office hours thinking that perhaps Oliver would drop it off on his way home. 7pm. Still no show. So I rang Oliver on his mobile to ask him whatever happened to Matt and my key. He said he would bring it to me within the next hour. You've guessed it. He didn't. I've had enough! The following day after work, I went to the office without calling them. I walked up to Oliver and it still didn't occur to him that he had 'forgotten' to pass me my key. I plainly said to him 'Can I have my key back please?'. Very drama he was. He went 'Oh! Yes! I forgot about your key last night!'. Haha! As if I believed him. Anyhow, I just wanted to get the key back. Not then end though. There's a number tag chained onto the key. He asked if I wanted to leave it. I thought it's no harm and said fine. Then he brought out a form and it read 'Key Loan Form' and tried to get me to sign it. Wait a minute. It's my key and I kindly lent it to them. Now they want me to sign a form to say that I'm loaning it from them? I kept repeating to him it's my key and why should I sign the form? I'm not loaning my own key from them! He tried to explain that it's just so that when I next loan it to them, they'll know it's that number and which house it belongs to and beat this - so that they'll know where's the key. DUH! What kind of reasoning is that? I told him IT'S MY KEY and when I want to lend it to them again, they can tag it on again. He could see that I was getting crossed and so took the tag off and passed it to me.
   
4. This afternoon, another viewing. Oliver turned up at 2pm and said that if the people turn up within the next few minutes, can I just let them in because he has to get back to his office as he'd forgotten to take his mobile phone with him. I told him the appointment's at 2.30pm. He showed me a puzzled look and said the office must have made a mistake. I am sure it's at 2.30pm because I wrote it down in my diary. Then he told me he's got another appointment at 2.30pm but he'll rush to the office and either he or Matt will be here at 2.30pm. I naively believed him. A couple knocked on the door and there was no sign of Matt or Oliver. The man told me the agent rang him and said to just knock on the door and I will show them around. Now that's news to me. No one asked me to show them around. But I let them in anyway. The lady said that's very cheeky of them and that they'll wonder around themselves.
   

After this incident, I am getting really annoyed. I had been nice to them all these while and they're really pushing it. The next time they want me to do a viewing for them again, I'll ask them if they're paying me commission, just to be sarcastic. I don't mind doing it if they ask me beforehand. But I don't like being lied to and not being asked. I wanted so much to ring Oliver up just now and tell him it'll be nice for him to ask me to show the people around before they turn up. I'm won't lend them the key anymore. If I'm going to be out, they have to choose another time when I'm in. Adrian wasn't happy that I'd been showing people around and that I drop the key and pick it up myself most of the time. He feels I'm being bullied. I told him I'm just trying to make it easy for my landlord so that when it comes to us moving, there won't be any problems. But it seems like doing good deeds don't necessary pay.