Question: Would you like to See an Improvement in the Overall Standard of Service in UK Estate Agency?

Answer: Then it Could Be Time to Get Radical and Make Your Voice Heard.

I read an article quite recently in The Daily Telegraph that publicised The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle’s call for UK estate agents to “raise their standards”, in the light of the most recent figures (2015) – confirming a 32 per cent increase in upheld complaints against estate agents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Furthermore, the same article also went on to confirm that estate agency firms paid out an eye watering £800,000 in compensation awards to complainants in the very same calendar year (with the total showing an upward trend year upon year). So, I guess the question we should be asking is – are such compensation payments merely an “occupational hazard” for an industry that, in general terms at least, has a reputation for questionable ethics – or are standards of behaviour genuinely worsening?

In my view, if we are serious about getting to the bottom of this question, then it is the information that the Ombudsman has chosen NOT to release that is the real barrier to progress. For example, would it not be helpful to know the areas of the business where disputes most commonly arise? Or for that matter, have statistics available that confirm the names of firms or agency groups that serially offend?

Surely, such information would be much more helpful in giving us all better understanding as to the areas/issues/firms that require urgent attention within our industry, and more importantly ensure that punitive punishments are only handed out to those firms that consistently fall short of the TPO’s code of practice.

However, I do believe that the Ombudsman’s figures adequately illustrate that the POS (Property Ombudsman Scheme) does work in achieving some measure of redress for clients who feel that have been “wronged”. But year upon year, it would appear to me that we as an industry seem to learn little from the very statistics that would help us to make improvements to the way in which business is conducted in the UK.

So, can more be done within the industry by NFOP (National Federation of Property Professionals) and its affiliates to change member firm behaviour? Or is the policing of estate agency simply the role of the Ombudsman? Well, whether you would personally prefer your professional bodies to behave as a watchdog or a lapdog, if substantive change is to come about without government interference (which means mandatory licensing in some shape or form), then we could do well to learn from the travel industry, and the website “TripAdvisor”in particular.

Now I know that we already have websites such as “allAgents” and “rateragent” etc, but these web sites (and others like them) all suffer from the same major fundamental failing – that agent participation is voluntary. So by definition, all feedback/comment/complaint is limited to only those firms who have sought to willingly participate.

What is the answer I hear you ask? Well, please indulge me for a moment, and imagine a world with only one officially endorsed “TripAdvisor” style website for the property industry. But, the key differences would be :- A) Compulsory membership/participation for ALL estate agents, B) The full endorsement of national government, Trading standards etc and C) The site being run and managed by a “beefed up” Property Ombudsman’s office – funded through the mandatory subscriptions of all trading businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that fall under an agreed definition of “estate agency services”.

In addition, let’s say that every tenant, landlord, buyer and seller were invited by each and every estate agent to review the service they received at the conclusion of their dealings – wouldn’t this feedback, rating score, and the industry data that would naturally accompany it, allow a) the Ombudsman’s office to monitor trends and statistics, and take action against serially offending agents, b) Make the industry completely transparent to the public at large, allowing prospective sellers and landlords to select their agent on the basis of the reviews and score received (a la TripAdvisor), and c) Force consistently poor performing estate agents to improve or leave the business altogether?

Complete transparency it’s a scary thought isn’t it? But one way or another believe me, it is coming. So I believe that our governing bodies should not wait for the government (under consumer pressure) to force it upon us – but take the initiative and demonstrate some leadership and start lobbying now. That way, there is the chance of some measure of industry wide input as to how it will operate. More importantly perhaps, it would ensure effective self-regulation, and stave off the threat of mandatory government licensing (as proposed by “agent provocateur” Russell Quirk of e-moov).

So readers, if you agree with me, the revolution as they say, starts right here and right now – by you sharing this article with your own twitter followers and/or LinkedIn group and/or lobbying your MD or professional body. Then maybe, just maybe, we can create enough pressure for a major change in culture from within the industry, rather than waiting for the inevitable – and us all consequently moan about it, and maintain that we didn’t see it coming.

The author of this article is Peter Nicholls CEO of ideology consulting. For more information, go to www.ideologyconsulting.co.uk

Peter Nicholls

You May Also Enjoy

small house bird box
Breaking News

UK First Time Buyers better off than many other global nations

Is it really that bad being a first-time buyer? UK better off than many other global nations when it comes to affordability The latest market analysis from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, reveals that first-time buyers (FTBs) in the UK may be paying 63% more to get a foot on the property ladder than they…
Read More
new build homes colchester essex
Breaking News

Building Safety Regulator Reform

The Government has announced reforms to the Building Safety Regulator, including leadership, process and investment. The changes are hoped to deliver 1.5 million homes. The reforms pave the way for creation of a single construction safety regulator, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower enquiry. David Smith, property litigation partner at London law firm Spector Constant…
Read More
Breaking News

New anti-money laundering rules now in effect: what landlords need to know

New anti-money laundering (AML) rules came into effect this month, marking a significant change for landlords and the lettings industry as a whole. The new rules mean financial sanctions checks are now required for all lettings, regardless of how much rent is charged. Here, Steve Bond, managing director of residential lettings for Beresfords, explains what…
Read More
Breaking News

What landlords need to know about the upcoming Renters Rights Bill

The government’s long-awaited Renters Rights Bill is one of the most significant overhauls of the private rental sector in decades. While it has not yet received royal assent, the legislation is expected to come into effect late this year, or early in 2026. With the bill moving closer to becoming law, Steven Bond, managing director…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage approvals bounce back in May

The latest figures show that: – Mortgage approvals on house purchases for May sat at 63,032 up 3.9% from 60,656 in April. The monthly increase seen in May marks the end of four months of previous decline, with approval levels having fallen each month since January of this year. Approvals are also 2.5% higher than…
Read More
Breaking News

Money and Credit – May 2025

Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased by £2.8 billion to £2.1 billion in May, following a large decrease in net borrowing of £13.8 billion to -£0.8 billion in April. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 2,400 to 63,000 in May. Approvals for remortgaging also increased by 6,200 to 41,500…
Read More