Despite not being “qualified” or “licensed” I have run a successful business that has sought to shatter some of the consumer unfriendly practices that many NAEA members take to be perfectly fine, such as getting people to sign contracts with long tie-ins, charging a little old lady two per cent but a businessman one per cent, asking people to sign a contract while they stand over them so not giving them a chance to read the inevitable small print, deliberately over valuing to win business knowing that their contract gives them time to knock the price down in a month or two, etcetera, etcetera. And that, as you are I am sure aware, only scratches the surface. At the 2010 ESTAs, which are based on questionnaires filled in by both buyers and sellers, our small company came 20th out of all the estate agents in the country, so we are perhaps doing something right. It is clear to me that the NAEA scheme is exactly that – a way to justify themselves and to try to force people to join. Membership of the Ombudsman is what protects consumers, not the NAEA. As for Grant Shapps, may I ask what formal qualifications he has to stand on his soapbox? A degree in politics? Perhaps it’s time to licence politicians. Nigel Adams
BigBlackHen.com Welwyn Garden City
Dear Sheila,
The recently launched NAEA licensing scheme is fundamentally flawed. It is not fit for purpose. It is an optional scheme that is limited in that it is only available to NAEA members, which accounts for only approximately 30 per cent per cent of all estate agents. The qualification criteria is also questionable in that a branch is eligible to be ‘licensed’ if a single agent either holds a formal industry qualification or meets criteria through length of service in residential sales. Where this leaves the agency when that individual is on holiday, off sick, out of the office or leaves that agency is unclear. More importantly, why having a single individual that is ‘qualified’ enables an agency to be licensed is beyond me. Surely it would make more sense that any individual working in estate agency that undertakes dealings
‘The NAEA scheme is fundamentally flawed, it’s not fit for purpose.’
with the public as part of housing transactions needs to qualify? Despite what I say above, I applaud the NAEA for their efforts. The underlying principle behind what they are trying to achieve is the right one. They are only doing what they can given they are a membership organisation with no legislative authority. Grant Shapps has asked for a
private sector solution and, judging by his comments, seems delighted that the NAEA has presented him with one. He’s wrong. In this situation, it’s abundantly clear that the private sector is unable to come up with a universal solution that works for all, genuinely improves standards and enhances consumer confidence in, and sentiment towards, our industry. Licensing is necessary, everyone
knows it. Government intervention, and legislation, is necessary if licensing is to work. Mr Shapps, listen to the industry as a whole, not just the NAEA, and give us the support we need to implement real, long lasting, change. Peter Grant, MD, VTUK Witney, Oxon,
Re: Signboards
Dear Sheila, Interesting article – I’d be up for a ban on ALL boards such as they had in Farnham twenty years ago – a ban which was instigated by the agents themselves; but if just one other agent uses boards, we ALL have to use them. What gets my goat is the
plethora of illegal boards everywhere I look. Boards on street corners, multiple boards on blocks of flats, boards which say ‘Too Late’ or ‘Spoken For’ or ‘Sold’ when the only permissible wording is ‘For Sale’ or ‘Sold subject to contract’. We have several proper agents in this area who flagrantly breach the rules as well as others who simply don’t know any better. Regards, Richard Stubbs Richard Stubbs, Virginia Water
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PROPERTYdrum JANUARY 2011 23
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