The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has designated the re-drafting of the Office of Fair Trading's Guidance on Property Sales a high priority' with agents having until January 31 to submit comments.
The latest OFT guidelines were issued relatively recently, in September 2012, but since then there have been many changes within the industry, notably the acceptance of a third redress organisation for estate agents, the abolition of the Property Misdescriptions Act and what the NTSEAT calls developments in case law under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
The OFT, of course, has also changed - it's been abolished and replaced by the Competition and Markets Authority.
In addition to seeking comments from agents, NTSEAT has pro-actively asked a number of experienced individual agents, bodies and consumer groups to submit their views.
At least one individual asked to comment is reported to be filing views on portals and the viability of the one other portal' restriction introduced by Agents' Mutual.
NTSEAT says it is hoping to re-issue the guidance in April; anyone wanting to submits comments can do so by email at estate.agency@powys.gov.uk.
.png)
Comments
One of the potential good things happening in agency, the chance for agents to voice views on portal restraints, budget and bad models and few read, let alone leave comments, for which very few will actually make comment to TS.
31st January - we're English not American.