Agent regulatory bodies explained

Tuesday 3rd July 2012

When you call an estate agent or letting agent round to value your property, they may tell you they belong to a regulatory body such as TPO, NAEA, NALS, etc.

As an owner, do you know anything about these bodies? Does membership of these bodies help you in deciding which agent to choose? More importantly, should you care?

We at MeetMyAgent.co.uk explain in simple terms what the role of agent regulatory bodies are to give you a better understanding why you as a homeowner should take an interest in whether your agent belongs to any of them.

Depending on which body your agent belongs to, click the links below to take you to the relevant section and find out more about the work they do.

• The Property Ombudsman (TPO)
• Ombudsman Services: Property
• National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)
• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• National Approved Lettings Scheme (NALS)
• Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)
• UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA)– trade association

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Please keep in mind that only estate agents are required by law to be part of a government-approved redress scheme, while letting agents are not. This means that landlords cannot assume they will have a route to redress if things go wrong, and that an agency that covers both sales and lettings may not necessarily offer a route to redress for lettings.

About MeetMyAgent:

MeetMyAgent.co.uk is a review website that helps sellers and landlords find the best local estate agents based on previous customer feedback. Agents list voluntarily, demonstrating a commitment to customer service and transparency.

If you have used a great local estate or letting agent, refer them to us and receive a £10 John Lewis voucher* when they list!

Refer your agent now

*Terms and conditions apply, see