A prominent barrister has raised the possibility of legal action being taken against online estate agents for breach of fiduciary duty . Ian Rees Phillips of 6 Pump Court Chambers gave his opinion after examining the business model of hybrid agents . He said that there is a " mismatch in interests and incentives between principals [ the home owner ] and online agents " . He said that if agents focus on maximising how many properties they list , for which they receive a fee , rather than seeking the best price for them it could lead to them being undervalued . Vendors could then seek compensation . Rees Phillips stated he saw " no immediate likelihood " of such a case .
A prominent barrister has raised the possibility of legal action being taken against online estate agents for breach of fiduciary duty. Ian Rees Phillips of 6 Pump Court Chambers offered his opinion after examining the business model of hybrid agents. He said that there is a "mismatch in interests and incentives between principals [the home seller] and online agents". He suggested that if agencies focus on maximising how many properties they list, for which they receive a fee, rather than seeking the best price for them it could lead to homes being undervalued. Vendors could then seek compensation. Rees Phillips stated he saw "no immediate likelihood" of such a case.