Estate Agents Lie To Homebuyers

The Office of Fair Trading have published a pretty scathing report that should have estate agents blushing with shame. According to the report, what we’ve suspected for years is true – estate agents really do lie to homebuyers on a frequent basis. I wish they’d asked me to take part in their study. The hassle caused by estate agent’s blatant lies over the course of my rental career could fill several blog posts.

Ranting aside however, it seems there is a genuine problem with inaccurate advertising on the part of estate agents. It’s not just saying the right thing to close a sale, it’s doctoring photos or completely omitting small details like the view of a nuclear power station.

The Office of Fair Trading report says that a third of sellers consider selling their home privately, with more people turning to online services to avoid using estate agents.

Although the report comes as no surprise, I’m really happy that the OFT have gathered actual data to quantify my years of hurt. It’s also great news for us as a website – we can guarantee an estate agent-free zone for all those disillusioned sellers out there