The Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) has called on the Government to fast-track legislation for the regulation of estate agents and auctioneers.
It says consumers' patience has run out at the length of time it is taking to bring in new laws establishing a regulator for the profession.
These were promised by the Government in July 2005, the CAI points out, but the latest information suggests the necessary legislation will not be published until late this year and it could be 2010 before it is enacted.
The Government established the National Property Services Regulatory Authority last year, appointed a chief executive and opened offices in Navan.
However, until the legislation is passed, the authority has no powers to oversee the activities of estate agents and auctioneers or investigate complaints by consumers, the CAI said.
"We now have a ridiculous situation where we have a State agency, with a staff and a budget of €1 million for 2008, unable to do its work on behalf of consumers because of the failure of the Government to prioritise and pass this legislation on time," said chairman James Doorley.
"The purchase of a home is a significant life event and with the large sums of money involved, it is vital that the profession meets the highest standards. While the majority of estate agents and auctioneers do an excellent job, concerns and problems remain."
He said the main issues for consumers were misleading guide prices, inaccurate information about the property being provided, phantom bidders being used to artificially increase prices and blatant conflicts of interests.