Over 320 complaints against estate agents

MORE THAN 320 complaints against estate agents and auctioneers have been received in the past three years by the body set up to regulate the profession, although none has resulted in sanctions being imposed.

The National Property Services Registration Authority says only 60 per cent of agents and auctioneers have signed its code of conduct, which is voluntary, three years after it was published.

The authority admits its powers to punish estate agents who breach the code are “not very strong” while it remains voluntary.

A statutory code will take effect only when the Property Service (Regulation) Bill, which has been before the Oireachtas for two years, is passed.

There are 1,569 estate agents and auctioneers in the State, according to a register maintained by the authority.

All of the 326 complaints received so far are from customers of auctioneers, estate agents, letting agents or management agents. However, the authority was unable to deal with the 64 complaints relating to management companies under the law as it stands.

Of the remaining 262 cases, 190 had been concluded and the remaining 72 were at various stages of investigation, a spokesman for the authority said.

All of the concluded cases were dealt with by mediation and because complainants were satisfied with the outcome, it was not necessary to hold a disciplinary board hearing.

Informal warnings were issued in a number of cases.

The main areas of complaint included the contents of advertising, fees, customer service, deposit retention and unlicensed operation.