Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman comments on the MHCLG announcement that it will professionalise the estate agent market: “We welcome the news the Government is introducing measures to professionalise the estate agent market. Requiring agents to hold a professional qualification and be transparent about any referral fees they receive should go a long way to raise standards in the industry and stamp out poor practice.

RIGHTMOVE WEBINAR: 11th APRIL 2:30pm-3.15pm

Agents and property professionals have been signing up for their tickets to this year’s TPO Conference ‘Raising Standards’ on Wednesday 13^th June, to be held at the National Conference Centre in Solihull, where Mark Prisk, former Housing Minister and local government minister, will be a guest speaker.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has today launched a new online training module exclusively for TPO members.

Buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords in and around Canary Wharf are being warned that a local agent has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme following a consumer dispute.

Wilkins Residential, a sales and lettings agent in Hove, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for one year and six months after the Ombudsman supported a complaint relating to non-payment of rent on three properties to landlords whose properties they managed.

Seekers Estate Agents, a sales and lettings agent based in Erdington, Birmingham, has had its expulsion

from membership of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme extended from two to three years, after a further consumer complaint was brought against the agent.

A sales and lettings agent in Hounslow has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for three years and six months after the Ombudsman supported three separate complaints relating to a series of failings, but predominantly for non-payment of rent to landlords whose properties they managed.

A sales and lettings agent in Luton has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for ten years after the Ombudsman supported a complaint relating to non-payment of rent received on 31 properties.

Seekers Estate Agents, a sales and lettings agent based in Erdington, Birmingham, has failed to pay awards totalling £4,137 following two separate complaints relating to a series of failings in their letting and management service.  As a result, the agent has been expelled from membership and registration for redress with The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for a minimum of two years.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has responded to the APPGEBE's call for evidence for its New Homes Ombudsman Inquiry.  TPO's response can be viewed here.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has responded to the Government's call for evidence into ‘Improving the Home Buying and Selling Process’. TPO’s response can be viewed here

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has responded to the Government's consultation paper ‘Mandatory Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents’. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) launched the consultation in November to seek views on how client money protection schemes should be implemented across letting agents. TPO’s response can be viewed here 

Protecting consumers in the lettings and managing agent market.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has responded to the Government's call for evidence paper 'Protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market’. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) launched a call for evidence in October to seek views on the potential regulation of letting and managing agents. TPO’s response can be viewed here

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has launched phase three of its national campaign with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to tackle lettings agents that are breaking the law by not displaying their fees. The next phase will see TPO contacting 117 letting agents in Plymouth and the surrounding region.

Have you reserved your place for this month’s Propertymark Regional Conference? The conference is open to all agents and is designed to keep agents up to date on government legislation and the day is structured to give agents a choice of sessions to attend featuring industry leading speakers to give delegates the flexibility to customise their own conference experience

Secure your place at one of the free roadshow events - find out more about the briefing sessions being led by Scottish Government, and a series of talks, workshops and networking sessions TPO and ARLA will be providing in December.  

TPO Conference: 13 June 2018 (The National Conference Centre in Solihull)

Book your place! We’re delighted to confirm that tickets for TPO's 2018 National Conference have gone live and to celebrate, we’ve launched a special Early Bird ticket offer, which is available for a limited time only.

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has imposed a six-figure fine on five estate agents for secretly agreeing to set minimum commission rates.

Today, The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has issued a warning to all estate and letting agents to act with caution, as fraudulent ‘buyers’ target agents with the latest computer virus scam.