Submission - Regulation of Jersey Estate Agents - Anonymous 4 - 12 October 2021

Anonymous 4 – 12th October 2021

1. The Panel notes that your business is a member of the Jersey Estate Agents Association, and as such a member of the UK Propertymark and the Property Ombudsmen schemes. Do you feel that membership of these schemes by Jersey estate agents would be enhanced if there was also estate-agent specific legislation in Jersey?

• Yes. However I do not believe we need separate or overlapping Jersey legislation but should adopt the UK legislation as most regulated agencies locally are done so through UK organisations such as RICS, TPO, ARLA, NAEA etc . Following two codes of practice both local and UK would be over complicated and time consuming.

2. In the absence of estate-agent specific legislation, to what extent do you think that it is problematic for buyers and sellers in Jersey, that estate agents are not required to

attain membership of a professional body or adhere to a code of conduct?

• I think that the lack of regulation can allow any person to become a property agent with little or no experience.

3. A 2019 Report produced by the UK Regulation of Property Agents: Working Group, concluded that "Regulation will provide the opportunity to prevent bad practice and drive cultural change within the industry". Do you believe that this statement could also apply to estate agents in Jersey?

• Yes, I agree adopting the UK code of practice would be beneficial to the local property industry and for the consumers using it's services

4. Do you believe that the experience of transacting property in Jersey would improve if all staff working for an estate agent, were required to be appropriately qualified?

• It would certainly help.

5. Overall, do you think that estate agents in Jersey should be regulated and/or required to adhere to a standard of Code of Practice?

• Agree, we already do through organisations such as (Provides list of organisations)