Blurred Lines: When the Agent’s Interest Isn’t Yours

Property Quorum – Thursday 24th July at 10am

It’s a question that’s been simmering for a while, and Panorama’s revelation on Monday 15th July has brought it right to the surface: when you buy a home, who are you really buying it from? The seller or the agent?

Estate agents are meant to act on behalf of the seller. That’s their client. Yet more and more, it feels like the buyer is being sold to, not simply guided through. Add in a few recommended solicitors, preferred mortgage brokers and packaged extras, and suddenly the deal starts to feel more controlled than facilitated.

It’s not just about pressure. It’s about perception. When buyers are being told to use a certain conveyancer, or when offers are suggested to be “more likely to be accepted” if services are bundled together, the balance of the transaction begins to shift. The agent’s interest, which should be in getting the best price for their client, starts looking more like a push to close the deal their way.

Of course, not all agents are doing this. Many operate with professionalism, clarity and fairness. Yet the fact that these concerns have made it to national television tells us something. There’s a public unease about where influence ends and overreach begins.

We’re also in a market where transactions are already under strain. Fall-throughs are high, delays are common, and buyer confidence is fragile. When that’s the backdrop, any hint of pressure or misdirection from those acting as intermediaries can do real damage.

This Thursday on Property Quorum, we’re taking a closer look at where things are going wrong and why clarity of role matters so much. Are agents overstepping? Are buyers fully informed? And how do we make sure everyone in the process knows where they stand?

Gareth Wax will be in the chair at 10am, joined by conveyancing collaborator Hamish McLay and our regular contributors: experienced developer Chris Gilsenan and property lawyer Juliet Baboolal. We’ll also be joined by Rowan Waller, better known to many as the Property Pen, who brings a sharp eye and candid perspective on the role of agents in today’s housing market.

Together, we’ll be exploring what happens when the lines between selling and selling to blur and why restoring confidence matters more than ever.

Watch live on YouTube via Spilling the Proper-Tea: https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea

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