The Property Ombudsman has published new guidance to help home buyers recognise and avoid conditional selling, following the issues highlighted in the BBC Panorama documentary, Undercover Estate Agent.
The guidance reiterates that conditional selling, where an estate agent pressures a buyer into using specific services, such as its recommended solicitor or in-house mortgage broker, as a condition of accepting their offer, is prohibited under The Property Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice.
The new guidance aims to help consumers understand their rights and recognise when they may be experiencing unfair pressure or misinformation. If an agent insists that a buyer use its in-house or associated services, the buyer has the right to refuse and to expect to be treated fairly and reasonably.
Chief Ombudsman Lesley Horton said: “Conditional selling breaches our Code of Practice and has no place in a transparent property market. Estate agents must ensure that every buyer is treated fairly, with clear and honest communication at every stage of the process.
“Consumers should be able to trust that estate agents are acting fairly and equally, not using unfair tactics to influence their choices. Our new guidance is designed to provide home buyers with clear information about their rights and to remind agents of their obligations under the Code of Practice.”
Home buyers are free to choose their own insurance provider, mortgage broker and solicitor, and all offers must be passed to the seller promptly, regardless of what service provider/s the buyer has chosen to go with.
The Ombudsman says it will continue to monitor complaints relating to conditional selling and work closely with Government and industry bodies to promote best practice.
See TPO’s Consumer Guidance here.
