Beresfords welcomes Agents Licensing Scheme

By the Beresfords Marketing Team - 11th October 2011

The primary professional body for property sales, the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), is introducing a new licensing scheme for its members.

A licensed estate agency branch means consumers are guaranteed that at least one agent within that branch is qualified in residential property sales, either through a formal qualification of through length of service in the industry.

Currently there is no barrier to anyone setting up and practising as an estate agent. There is no legal requirement for estate agents to obtain a new license, leaving consumers with a clear choice over whether they choose a licensed or unlicensed agent.

Longstanding supporters of the NAEA, estate agents Beresfords, will obtain Licensed NAEA firm status immediately in view of the number of members it has at its offices.

Like the NAEA, as a company, we have called on the Government to adopt licensing for years to improve professional standards within the industry, but there has been no response, said Beresfords Chairman/Managing Director Paul Beresford, himself a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents.

To us it seems absurd that advising on someone's most valuable asset, their property, can potentially be left to people with little or no knowledge or experience. The NAEA is doing what the Government should have done years ago.

'We think the licensing initiative will be a huge step forward in terms of service to the consumer and will give them confidence that the person and company they are dealing with is best placed to advise them on their property sale or purchase. We would like all sellers and buyers to ask their prospective agents 'Are you a licenced estate agent?'. If they don't they should ask themselves whether that's the best place to market or buy a property through added Paul.