Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mike Mitchell wrote:

Another house in the village has had its "Sold" board changed back to
"For Sale". This is the third house I know of where this has happened
recently. My house was valued, at least in part, based on the sale of
that house and that it had attracted much interest and numerous
viewings and received an offer at the asking price within ten days of
going on the market.

But now the sale must have fallen through, as it is now on the market
again. Maybe the reason is totally beyond anyone's control, like the
buyer dropping dead or something pretty terminal. But in the case of
another house where the same thing happened, I know relatives of the
vendors in question, and they said that the buyer had just offered
"some lame excuse".

Am I missing something here? I can't see any advantage to the agent in
pretending a house is sold when it isn't - because the "sold" notice will
put off any other potentially interested parties from investigating it.

But that doesn't matter, because the house will probably eventually sell.
What is most important is the 'sold' sticker next to the estate agents
phone number, so people can phone them to sell their houses.