2: Estate agents accused of conditional selling in BBC investigation
In July, a BBC Panorama investigation placed estate agency practices under the spotlight, alleging that some firms were prioritising internal targets over the interests of buyers and sellers, raising concerns across the industry and prompting warnings that frontline staff would bear the brunt of public anger.
In Undercover Estate Agent, BBC reporter Lucy Vallance went undercover at a Connells branch in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The documentary claimed that the agency routinely favoured buyers who agreed to use its in-house mortgage and conveyancing services, even when those offers were not the highest.
Meanwhile, former Purplebricks staff alleged they were under pressure to sell ‘add-on’ services and persuade sellers to lower their asking prices, actions that potentially benefitted the company financially.
