Well the new Estate Agency Codes of practice are now live, i.e. those issued by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.

The Estate Agents Act 1979 regulates estate agency work. Its purpose is to make sure that estate agents act in the best interests of their clients, and that both buyers and sellers are treated honestly, fairly and promptly.

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is responsible for:

• issuing individual banning or warning orders under the Act
• maintaining a public register of such banning or warning orders
• approving and monitoring consumer redress schemes
• providing specific advice and guidance to businesses and consumers about their rights and obligations under the Act.

This guidance updates and replaces the previous Office of Fair Trading ‘Guidance on Property Sales’. It has been produced by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team of Powys County Council in its role as the UK’s lead enforcement authority for the Estate Agents Act 1979. The guidance is intended to help property sales businesses to comply with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) and the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 (BPRs) when carrying out activities in the UK.

You can download a copy of the guidance directly from their website here

If you have a particular complaint or with to discuss the guidance, or indeed the conduct of a particular agent you can email the Trading Standards Team at estate.agency@powys.gov.uk  

Would telling you that a particular surveyor or firm of surveyors should not be used or otherwise trying to persuade you not to use that surveyor constitute a breach of the regulations?  We believe it would, but in any event if an Estate Agent tries to do so, then I’d suggest you use that surveyor as it may be that they are not popular with the Estate Agent as they are too thorough!!

This update is brought to you as Castle Surveyors Limited believe in transparency and in helping our clients be as informed as possible, ensuring that you have the tools available to make an informed decision.  We hope this helps!