Conveyancers are calling for the licensing of estate agents, together with a requirement to pass a fit and proper test before they can trade. However, the housing lawyers have rejected any ban on referral fees. They are also asking for offers to be made legally binding, with financial penalties should either side withdraw from the transaction. Trade body the Conveyancing Association has made the proposals in its response to the Government’s ‘call for evidence’ to improve the house buying and selling process. It is also calling for greater digitalisation, including electronic signatures recognised by the Land Registry. Additionally, it wants to see search data made available online. Other suggestions include the establishment of a property log for each individual property in the UK; purchasers to have mortgages approved in principle before they can make an offer; and for sellers to provide much more information up-front. The CA does not want to see referral fees banned, saying “they often provide transparency and deliver enhanced service levels due to the agreements in place”. The call for evidence was due to close yesterday.
UK trade body the Conveyancing Association (CA) has called for estate agents to be licensed. It made the proposal in response to the government's call for evidence on improving the process of buying and selling houses, saying agents should have to pass a fit-and-proper test before they can trade. CA also called for greater digitisation and for search data to be made available online. But it rejected the idea of banning referral fees, saying the payments often led to greater transparency and enhanced levels of service.