Membership bodies are making a play to get their qualifications recognised, as the Regulation of Property Agency (RoPA) report was formally launched this week.
Lord Best chaired a working group that has recommended the introduction of minimum qualifications that all individual sales and letting agents will require in order to obtain a licence to operate.
It is so far unclear which specific qualifications will be applicable, although bodies such as RICS, safeagent and Propertymark already have their own training schemes.
Lord Best himself has also made it clear that all agents will have to be qualified, and that long-experienced agents who choose not to take the qualifications will have to leave the industry. There will be no ‘grandfathering’.
The RICS has backed the report’s formal launch, stating: “With more families living longer term in the private rented sector than ever, RICS hopes the adoption of the report’s recommendations will result in greater professionalism from letting agents and better trust and consistency among agents involved in the home buying and selling process.
“RICS is working closely with the Government and the sector to ensure the changes proposed will be a success.
“As well as working to obtain recognition for the relevant RICS professional membership grades within the new regime, we’re also developing RICS vocational qualifications to meet the new licensing agreements which will also act as a stepping stone to gaining globally recognised RICS professional status.”
A joint statement from ARLA and NAEA Propertymark said: “We wholeheartedly support the recommendations and call on the Government to implement them as soon as possible.”
Comments (10)
Lord Best ?
NOT the “Best” solution
Next !
Please explain how someone with 3 years experience and a qualification is likely to do a better job than someone with 30+ years of experience and no qualification, but years of happy clients and repeat business. The people talking about forcing unqualified people out are the qualified ones. Surely a fairer solution would be to consider licencing everyone who has practiced for 10+ years (give them a lower qualification to satisfy those who have worked hard for their qualification), enforce CPD and penalise bad behaviour. Actually, thinking about it, isn’t that what The Property Ombusdman is supposed to do already???? Leave the industry? I think, perhaps, leave the country!!!
Why not just make no sale/let, no fee – mandatory? How will a qualification help those 10,000s of call centre agent customers who ended up paying two estate agency fees?
The Government and regulators have a lot to answer for by allowing the likes of PB to take advantage of this ‘presumed’ 30-year-old voluntary industry standard.
Another advert for a company looking to make money. There are already qualifications out there, no need for another provider. As I said last week Lords Best idea is flawed, it should include landlords (they will not be happy) who are the worst culprits, sorry that’s a fact and short term tenancy industry. That would make all those politician’s doing it, need a licence, oh yeah pigs will fly.
I hope you mean self-managing landlords.
ARLA & NAEA jockey for position, to claim to represent our industry?
The award for “Gold Standard Self Interest” certainly goes to NAEA. Others will have a better view of ARLA than me
What our industry requires is a “Representative Body” which we can TRUST to represent our industry. The NAEA fail. ARLA? I can’t honestly comment on as I am not involved in Lettings
I am already noticing ARLA and others suggesting to people ” be ahead of the game and do our courses now”.
Utter nonsense as NO-ONE can claim to have a training course that is compliant until the courses content has been agreed by the Regulator.
The Regulator will be appointed when legislation is passed.
Legislation , according to Lord Best recently, is ” at least 2 years away”.
When we know agreed course content then we can scurry away to OFQUAL and get our courses compliant with the new rules.
In the meantime, as legislation changes so frequently, anyone completing a “compliant” course at present will be wasting their money.
Dave Absalom
Another self interest group wanting to generate a profit off the back of other’s hard work.
I am all for qualifications but to deny the industry the knowledge and depth of its “ grandfathers” is senseless. Oh and government, what about your sexist stance. Are you going to deny the industry its GRANDMOTHERS’ expertise in the same way ???
So, a version of this will be rolled out across the entire sales industry then?
The government cannot discriminate against one particular profession surely?
We can’t have racism of course, so surely we can’t have salesism either?
Remind me, what qualifications do government ministers have to have to work for the people of this country?