The offer I put in was significantly lower than the estate agent's asking price, so perhaps he wanted to know what sort of offers he'd really get instead of trusting the estate agent's estimate.

(Mind you, my offer was an opening bid and I'd have been willing to raise it, so if that was his plan then perhaps he screwed himself.)

That's exactly what happened with the flat I wanted last summer, and I'm still regretful about it. Wondering whether to write to her with a higher bid, still 8-( Bastards, all of them.