The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) says that it is now the largest lettings redress scheme with more than 13,250 letting agency branches covered.

In 2022, the PRS dealt with approximately 2,000 complaints from tenants, landlords, property buyers and sellers and awarded nearly £850,000 in compensation to consumers in early resolutions and scheme decisions.

To strengthen its governance and accountability, the PRS decided to launch an advisory panel and a member panel, bringing forward new, open, and transparent forums to benefit members, consumers and the Property Redress Scheme.

The first meeting of the advisory panel was held at the House of Lords mid-December and all attendees agreed with the terms of reference, which can be found on the PRS website.

Applications were open to all members of the PRS for the member panel and the attendees have now been chosen.

The chair is well-known industry figure Eric Walker, from Martin & Co.

Estate agency members are Nasar Hussain from Westbrooke; Rory Ballantyne from Ballantynes Scotland Ltd; and Sara Morton from S.A Morton Real Estates Ltd.

Lettings and property management members are Anthony Cicchirillo from Anthony Lettings Limited; Bruce Haagensen from Keystone Estate Agents Ltd; Leona Leung from Alliance Finance Consultants Ltd; and Mark Lynch of Lexi Lets Ltd.

Property professional on the panel are Lisa Williamson of No Letting Go, and Simon Zutsh from the Property Investors Network.

The property sourcing member is Attiq Khan of NRG Consultant Group Ltd, while the residential leasehold management sector is represented by Helen Macrae of Evolve Block and Estate Management.

Eric Walker, MD South and Scotland, Martin & Co, said: “Having previously been part of the advisory panel, I have maintained a keen interest in the growth of the Property Redress Scheme. I support the excellent work they do in improving standards in the sector and supporting both agents and consumers through the complaints and mediation process. I very much look forward to the first meeting and to share my broad knowledge and experience in the sector with other members of the member panel and the leadership of the scheme”.

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the PRS, commented: “We’re approaching our second decade of redress and have industry leading expertise as a result.  We recognise the expertise of our members too and that’s why we want them to help us with their feedback, guidance, advise and support. The member panel gives them that opportunity as well as enabling them to engage with other panel members to share knowledge and raise standards”.

Tim Frome, MD of HF Resolution, the HFIS entity that owns the PRS, added:  “Our new member panel is a key part of our strategy for improving our offering to ensure we are not acting in isolation from the sector we represent. We want to know more about how redress works for our members – and how we can make it better still in the future.”