Following the BBC Panorama investigation into conditional selling, a spokesperson for the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team said:
“Estate agents who do not pass offers to sellers because the prospective buyer chooses not to use additional linked services – such as mortgage advice or conveyancing – for which the agent may get a fee, are in breach of their professional requirements and can face sanctions.
“We view this practice – known as conditional selling – as unacceptable and are aware that it is a significant problem that can cause considerable financial loss and emotional turmoil to buyers and sellers. The practice often goes unnoticed and unreported, as offers on homes may be turned down for lots of reasons and most prospective buyers rightly assume that, if an agent tells them their offer has been rejected, the process has been honest.
“It is crucial for us that people report any misconduct or manipulation of the offer process. We encourage anyone who believes their offer on a home was rejected purely because they chose not to use services recommended by the agent, to report it via Citizens Advice Consumer Service (England and Wales), advice.scot (Scotland) or Consumerline (Northern Ireland). These organisations will provide advice and refer the complaint through to the local authority Trading Standards team, helping to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue and initiate investigations.”