When is an Estate Agent not an Estate Agent?

Anyone who believes solicitors sell houses is very much mistaken.
Would you go to an Estate Agent and ask them to do your conveyancing, of course not. Solicitors themselves do not have the time nor the inclination to arrange viewings, talk to potential buyers or get involved in the cut and thrust of sales, they in fact will employ people to do just this for them.

Yet they have the audacity to advertise their Estate Agency services in a newspaper and proclaim to everyone that they are legal professionals governed by rules of professional conduct and imply in that advert that if you do not instruct them to sell your home you may employ a ‘cowboy’ or a ‘wide boy’. This type of advertising is appalling and certainly does not sound like a professional person to trust or one that is governed by any rules, more like what you would see and even accept in a ‘You’ve seen the rest now pick the best’ double glazing advert. It shows the hypocrisy when solicitors readily accept business given to them from Independent Estate Agents, the same people they are implying could be cowboys. This is what is called biting the hand that feeds you. I would say to all solicitor firms who are affiliated to this type of advertising that if receiving business from the so called ‘cowboys’ is not important to you then just keep on putting you name to it because you certainly will not be getting any. Estate Agents are professionals who work in the best interest of their clients and are governed by very strict rules including not advertising misleading information or implying an untruth.



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