Aspirant new trade body CIELA, the Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents, has cast more doubt on its ability to launch.
The launch is due on October 1, but yesterday, CIELA said that a possible outcome was failure to launch because of “obviously insufficient support”.
If CIELA does launch, it says it will spotlight agents trading illegally; fight the lettings fee ban; and aggressively pursue “call-centre agents who use misleading advertisements to take non-refundable money off unsuspecting consumers, usually first-time sellers”.
CIELA also said that if “not quite enough” agents signed up ahead of the launch, they would be asked to pay more – currently, they are being asked to pay £35 a month.
CIELA founder Charlie Wright refused to divulge numbers of agents already signed up.
He said: “I do not wish to reveal that at this stage, because whatever I say, it only adds to the ‘wait and see’ problem.
“A smaller number would lead agents to think their support is not necessary, but a larger number might make people think it is unrealistic.
“Agents who would like the lettings fees ban avoided, rogue agents exposed and call-centre agents to be forced to play fair should ask themselves if these things are worth £35 per month to them or not, and if so, join now.”
Wright continued: “The passionate support we have received from our founder members is astonishing. These small, independent agents are as determined to help their industry be seen in a fairer light as they are to make their own businesses continue to succeed, and they believe CIELA is a ‘last chance saloon’ for quality independent agents to take control of their reputation.
“As far as CIELA is concerned, the ball is now in the court of independent agents. We are not making a hard sell here. Either agents want a representative voice, or they do not. If they do not join in sufficient numbers, then CIELA will be put on ice.”
He went on to say that there could be much lost, but much learnt.
He said: “I have no interest in expending time and money persuading turkeys that they should not vote for Christmas.”
CIELA is currently planning to offer, in the event of successful launch, a certificate to show that agents are compliant with regulation.
Wright also claimed: “The NAEA and ARLA membership requirements extend significantly beyond the legal minimum, and therefore are too onerous and expensive for many. This means that many perfectly legitimate agents have no way of standing apart from illegal rogues.
“CIELA will rectify this problem by providing a mechanism for all agents to register as compliant, completely free of charge. They will be required to provide proof of compliance via the CIELA website (declarations alone will not be sufficient) and they will be provided with the equivalent of an ABTA or IATA number that will provide protection to their customers against any loss from improper practices.”
If any agents would like to financially support my time and troubles in fighting for all law-abiding agents of all business models, it would be very much appreciated.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
SIX ‘Dislikes’ before 9am? Maybe The ‘Rats should change the song title to ‘I Don’t Like Fridays’!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Usual suspects out in force this morning. Starting to question why it is that the anonymous keyboard warriors are the ones who kick up the biggest stink.
Could it be that ‘PeeBee’ actually stands for Purple Bricks? Can’t be many as vocally opposed to the progression of the high St agent. I thought you were merely a dinosaur, but perhaps you’re a saboteur…
Just what is it that you don’t like about fighting against rogue agents who flout the law, or onliners who miselad the market?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I think the last thing you could ever accuse PeeBee of is being in favour of PB online listers. Have a look at his twitter feed highlighting all the one star reviews!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Let them rattle their chops, AgentV – there’s a couple of dozen or so of them that will now say whatever suits their agenda.
My posted thoughts and opinions on the industry and what I see are its’ strengths, weaknesses, gains and losses have been laid wide open to judgement, on here and on EAT before it, by MANY THOUSANDS of
Agents, suppliers, chancers and do-gooders – the best and the worst of that which inhabits (or simply sucks the blood from) our industry – for somewhere around a decade.
I’ve been called all the w*****s, d***heads, knobs and knockers on earth by those who want to top trump what
I say. But they forget one vital fact –
I have no ego to injure in all this. They are doing all this for what – to discredit nothing more than a character on a screen. They might as well launch an attack on Tinky-Winky in the hope that people everywhere will shun the Tellytubbies. Or whatever the latest kids’ fad is.
Anyway – I want Mr Broadfoot to REALLY have a go. Let’s see just how big a fool of himself he can make…
…his first attempt above is AWESOME to the extreme.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Chris…. you need to start a new organisation!
No one would ever doubt your motivation or commitment.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
“completely free of charge. They will be required to provide proof of compliance via the CIELA website”
Apart from the £42 per month charge. (This is with the VAT added on)
So much for transparency!
– Can someone form the organisation actually come out and say what they need these membership fees for?
All i can see so far is it boosting Charlies income.
As much as i despise the NAEA i believe it only works out to circa £20 per month.
And again other than soundbites what are they actually going to do / offer?
Hate to say it but to me looks like a “Get rich quick” scheme praying on the insecurity of agents.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
‘… if “not quite enough” agents signed up ahead of the launch, they would be asked to pay more…’
Hmmm…
I wonder how much Agents would pay if the “Leadership” of CILLA was in different hands?
A lorra lorra lolly more, I would suggest.
Maybe Mr Wright should simply increase the subs and sign one of them legal declaration jobbies that they seem to put so much trust in – the rough wording be that he will never again cross the threshold of the business; never call, email, fax or otherwise contact them by terrestrial or supernatural means – and STFU about all things CIELA in the hope that the new logical figurehead, Mr Krystjan Byfield, can take what little good there is, and make something of it.
In return, ‘Charles’ would be paid a percentage of the uplift for his “trouble”. Kinda like ‘hush money’ – only this time for all the Wright reasons.
What do you reckon, folks?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I just think its sad that they are supposedly setting up a group with the best interests of the industry at heart and their first objective is to profit from it.
If you then want clarity on what they are going to do no thought seems to have been put into it apart from strongly worded emails to the toothless ASA.
I bet there is less than 50 agents looking to sign up. in fact i reckon its more like 25.
I am all for a self appointed industry mouth / body – Also happy to pay into it. This is just not it in its current format.
Indivduals, framework, timescales, roll out, agenda – Its all wrong for me.
Put the industry and agents first, have a clear goal and stratagy in mind and you will have more than a half chance of it working.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
We had the chance to try to build one from the foundations up, smile please – discussed it at lengrth – and some might say we blew it.
In fairness to you – it was ME that said it was a waste of time trying to get it off the ground.
(Mr Wright obviously didn’t read EYE that day…)
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Did he just ask for £35 of my money … then call me a turkey ?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
For once danny i am in agreement, yes he did.
Straight out the Gerald Ratner school of buiness.
For the younger members of the site, feel free to look at the link and watch between mins 3 and 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj9BZz71yQE
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
The NAEA has become a training and compliance organisation over time; and purports to be the voice of an industry.
it should assist honest law abiding agents more than it does, in the fight against poor standards, crooks and thieves.
It could easily help to clean up parts of the professsion if it put its mind to it.
Cilla was never going to be the romantic solution its’ founders hoped for.
A lack of women at the outset was one issue – another Boys brigade seeking to extract money from law abiding agents was never going to work.
Asking agents to collaborate was another reason – too much hate, too much envy.
Lastly, it all seemed too negative
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
“CIELA also said that if “not quite enough” agents signed up ahead of the launch, they would be asked to pay more – currently, they are being asked to pay £35 a month.”
How many is enough? What is their estimated spend?
Why don’t they offer money back if “enough” isn’t achieved or just ask agents to commit to joining on the basis that “enough” is achieved (without actually paying)?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
aggressively pursue “call-centre agents who use misleading advertisements to take non-refundable money off unsuspecting consumers
Oh, get a grip.
Take a quick look at the home pages of Purple Bricks, Tepilo, Hatched and House Simple, Emoov and Yopa and you’ll find their fees quite clearly stated. People choose an online agent knowing what they’re paying for. If they don’t want the extras don’t have to take them. These online agents don’t need pursuing, there are far more pressing issues out there than having another pop at PB and the likes either out of jealousy or fear.
And not letting us know how many agents have signed up speaks volumes. Lovely bit of transparency and open, honest communication
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
To be fair,
I do not think many of the sellers know they are signing up to a loan agreement whe they take out a deferred option.
I have spoken to sellers that feel they were still getting no sale no fee on a deferred option.
Remember the LPE is paid on sign up, i am sure you can imagine what some maybe saying to ensure a sign up (remember they are not on a basic).
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I agree smile please.
FromTheHip64 mentions transparency.
I wonder how many PB first users and others pay for a service that does not complete resulting in the consumer paying two agency fees?
In my mind this information is more important than how many agents CIELA has signed up?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Just a thought, but if you are signing people up for a loan agreement, don’t you then have to have a consumer credit licence, give out a demands and need statement/ warnings etc. And have a cooling off period?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Each person enters into a contract just as they do with a High Street Estate Agent. When I signed with PurpleBricks I had been told by the LPE that the fee was payable even if there was no sale and when I read what I was agreeing to online with PB this was clear to me as well.
The options are to pay up front or pay after 10 months (or earlier if the property is sold earlier) and that if you choose the 10 month option a conveyancing company pay PB immediately and that you owe the conveyancer who you are agreeing will handle the coveyancing for the sale.
I was reading the other day that an old lady got a bill for £4000 when she sold her house to her son after the agent hadn’t sold after being on the market for 18 months. She could have easily avoided this by giving notice if I understand correctly.
So the question is how many people actually read what they’re signing.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Thats the defence of PB is it, we know most people do not read what hey sign so its okay to let them make a mistake when we know we get a fee.
Sounds great!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Argh so that’s how the deferred conveyancing option works cyberduck.
So PB gets paid £200 upfront for deferring their payment if you agree to use their conveyancers?
Do PB get another £200 upon completion?
If you fail to sell, do not wish to continue with their conveyancer and withdraw your property, do you have to pay back this £200 PB commission back on top of any upfront fee in addition to any viewing service fee?
Is this scenario above possible so £200 plus £849 plus £300 total £1,349 that is a lot of money to pay for a withdrawal fee?
If so, won’t that lead to a lot of very unhappy customers?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register