How do I choose an estate agent to sell my home ? Part 8 - Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies involved in the governing of Estate Agents
All estate agents dealing with residential properties must join an approved Redress Scheme. They are the Property Ombudsman and The Property Redress Scheme and agents have to register with one of them.
The Property Ombudsman and The Property Redress Scheme can consider complaints raised by consumers against members of their schemes, however they are not authorised to take enforcement actions or make decisions on potential breaches of legislation. They will report breaches and/or criminal activity to Local Trading Standards, who are responsible for enforcement of legislation and regulations.
The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) is responsible for the regulation of estate agency work in the UK and overseeing the enforcement of lettings agency work in England.
Whichever scheme agents join, they must comply with their Code of Practice and all laws relating to residential estate agency. Do not use an estate agent who is not registered with one of the schemes because if anything goes wrong and you can’t resolve a complaint with the agent, you will not have an independent body to take your complaint to. The agent may be fined up to £5,000 and have their licence revoked if they do not join a redress scheme.
The National Association of Estate Agents now comes under the umbrella of Propertymark. They are the professional body for the property sector and the leading membership body for professional property agents. They promote higher standards than the current laws demand and are campaigning for more enforcement to regulate the property sector. To become a member you must obtain a minimum of Level 3 qualification in residential sales. It also demonstrates your dedication to professionalism, development and the industry itself. You can check whether an agency is Propertymark Protected and any of its current staff, working in a branch are members by using this link https://www.propertymark.co.uk/find-an-expert.html
Other registered professional bodies operating within some estate agencies include Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
JP Harll is one of only a handful of estate agents in the country who are also certified with the Internal Organization for Standardization (ISO) which is a voluntary organisation. Use of these standards aid in the creation of services that are safe, reliable, and of good quality. They also serve to safeguard consumers and the end-users of services, ensuring that certified services conform to the minimum standards set internationally. They are inspected annually to check that the Standards are adhered to.