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Britons wary of estate agents

09/05/06

Over two thirds of Britons do not feel comfortable with estate agents showing prospective buyers around their home when they are absent.

A survey from home insurance provider More Than has revealed that estate agents are one of the top three least trusted professionals to be left alone in our homes.

Nearly a fifth of home owners voted for estate agents, with only window cleaners (31 per cent) and builders and decorators (26 per cent) receiving more votes.

As a result, 51 per cent of property sellers make sure that they are home whenever a viewing is taking place.

However, 18 per cent are unable to be at home because of work commitments and have to let estate agents conduct viewings in their absence, despite the fact that they would rather be present.

Craig Allen, home insurance manager at More Than, commented: "Moving home is stressful enough without having to consider whether the person who is supposed to be assisting you is trustworthy.

"While we hope that for most people, the experience of dealing with estate agents is a smooth one, there are those for whom problems do arise."

In addition, one in ten people claimed to have experienced disputes with estate agents over fees and commission.

The research could further tarnish the image of the industry, following a recent BBC documentary which looked at dubious sales practices.

Whistleblower uncovered incidents where some of the UK's leading estate agents had been involved in under and over-valuing, false offers and developer back-handers.