Estate agents ''can be untrained''

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has called for proper regulation of the estate agent industry because a new report shows that few Brits actually trust people who sell property.

The survey, compiled by consumer watchdog Which?, has found that one in ten people trust estate agents and RICS is now calling for the industry to legally require its staff to have formal training.

Peter Bolton King, the chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, said: "It is crazy that anybody who is untrained, with no experience and no qualifications, no insurance can just simply set up an estate agency tomorrow and then be dealing with somebody''s greatest asset."

He added that even though last year''s Queen Speech called for legislation that may offer compensation to buyers and sellers, this does not go far enough to regulate agents.

New websites have been set up which bypass the need for estate agents altogether and allow people top avoid paying for their fees.


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