Southern Property Finder Blog

I have just read an article on the OFT website surrounding direct touting of properties on the market.

This is a massive part of what any pro-active Estate Agency business development and something that is accepted within the industry.

The interesting thing in the OFT article is that it isn’t the consumer/home owner complaining but other agents.

If the instructed agent is doing a good job and has a contract in place then I struggle to see the problem, unless the homeowner is complaining….

Competition is a massive part of any industry and EA has to be one of the worst, yes there will always be the idiots who drag the profession into the gutter by blatant lies but my view is inevitably they get found out and those cowboys tend to be here today gone tomorrow.

My view as someone who has been in the industry over 15 years is it will always go on and vendors need to be aware of it when they go to market.

If a lesser agent is over pushy and blatantly mis leading a potential seller then they should be investigated by OFT etc and fined where appropriate.

These guidelines need to be set out but as an industry touting should be allowed.

I have heard recently of more touting for rental business and a particular Hampshire agent who is under OFT investigation had sent 19 pieces of direct tout to a property in ONE week…. Stupid there is eager and then there is desperate!