1 in 3 people across the Lincolnshire area have been "gazumped"
Around 70 per cent of those have been left out of pocket
There are calls for greater regulation of the housing market after research suggested 1 in 3 people across the Lincolnshire and Newark region are missing out on their dream home because of so called gazumping
The practice is where a sale is agreed - only for it to then be given to someone who offers to pay more for it.
Of those who had been the victims of "gazumping" 72 per cent said they'd lost money.
We've spoken to Mike Cook from Lincoln, who's a Mortgage Officer with Market Financial Solutions.
He told us: "Gazumping is really where you've had an offer accepted - you may have paid for your valuation, you may have applied for your mortgage, you may have incurred fees."
"Then somebody comes along with a better offer and the seller may unscrupulously accept the higher offer."
If it's the dream home it's heartbreaking
"Well I think you need some kind of bond or commitment because if you both had a bit of money on the line for example that says if one of you pulls out you lost the money."
"So it can be quite a simple thing, a little but like tenancy deposits or some kind of exclusivity contract when an offer is accepted."
"If it's the dream home - if it's the next step up it's incredibly frustrating - it's heartbreaking."
"What you can do is build up a rapport with the seller - you could ask for an exclusivity - or some sort of thing."
"And of course have more than option - a backup option if the worse does happen."
"There's areas in Lincoln I'm familiar with - it's take many years to build an estate from the purchase of land to planning permission to actually getting diggers in site."
"I think this more things that can be done quicker."
"Actually it helps the local economy and gets more properties onto the market."