National Trading Standards has published new guidance on referral fees received by estate agents across the UK, which will make previously hidden fees open and transparent to consumers.

The new guidance was produced by the NTS Estate Agency Team with assistance from The Property Ombudsman, NAEA Propertymark, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Guild of Property Professionals and the Property Redress Scheme.

The Property Ombudsman has announced the line-up of influential industry speakers in its annual conference, ‘Raising Standards’, taking place on 10 July 2019 at The National Conference Centre in Solihull.

As part of recent governance changes, TPO has set up both a consumer and an industry fora, representative of the whole property sector including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As of 1 January 2019, The Property Ombudsman (TPO) is approved by the RICS to provide Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) on all surveying services provided to consumers. This approval extends TPO’s current approval for residential agency (lettings, estate agency and property management), making TPO the only ADR provider approved for consumer-facing disputes for all surveying services.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme is delighted to officially announce that its annual conference will take place on Wednesday 10th July 2019 at The National Conference Centre in Solihull. Discounted Early Bird delegate tickets and exhibitor rates are available for a limited time only.

Buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords in Manchester are being warned that a local estate and letting agent, trading as Property Solutions GB and operating from its branch in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme. In addition, the agent does not currently appear to have any professional memberships or any Rightmove or Zoopla accounts.

OJ Residentials Limited trading as Oscar Jones Residential (OJR), a sales and lettings agent based in Canary Wharf, London, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for the non-payment of a £3700 award.

Agent expelled for non-payment of awards

Camborne Properties Limited trading as Harper Brooks, a sales and lettings & management agent in Liverpool, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for the non-payment of awards.

Buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords in Halifax are being warned that a local sales and letting agent trading under two different names, Secret Property and Wara, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for failing to pay an award of £2,300.

A local letting agent in Middlesbrough, TeesSurveyors Lettings Ltd (TSL), has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for failing to pay awards in two cases relating to non-payment and late payment of rent. The awards total £3,133.06. This means TSL is not registered with a redress scheme, which is a requirement of every sales and letting agent in order to trade legally*.

The Drake Lawson Limited trading as Alexander Reed, a sales and lettings agent in Isleworth, West London, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for the non-payment of three separate awards.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) urges businesses to become a member of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS), which is key to strengthening consumer confidence and protection by adopting more effective methods such as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

The Property Ombudsman has been working on several key changes to both its Board and internal processes.  These are changes which were flagged at TPO’s Conference in June and in trade articles and in the Annual Report earlier this year. As membership numbers grow following Ombudsman Services’ decision to withdraw redress to consumers in the property sector, the changes will support greater efficiency and effectiveness for both consumers and agents.

Consumer Protection Regulations: The Property Ombudsman’s approach to resolving Disclosure Disputes 

Bower & Bower (B&B), a sales and lettings agent in Exeter, Devon, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme. 

Buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords in Coventry are being warned that a local sales and letting agent has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for failing to pay awards totalling £8,583.63.  This means the firm, Lawrence Property Consultants Ltd (LPC), is not registered with a redress scheme, which is a requirement of every sales and letting agent in order to trade legally*.

National Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT), with the support of The Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme, have today launched a survey to assess the use of referral fees among estate agents.

A case that The Property Ombudsman was asked to review came from a leaseholder concerning the manner in which the managing agent for the block dealt with a water leak at the property. 

A case that The Property Ombudsman was asked to review came from sellers concerning the offer received and the commission fee payable.

A case that The Property Ombudsman (TPO) was asked to review came from a potential buyer concerning information provided by the agent when marketing a property for sale.