The vast majority, I respectfully suggest, have sat no examinations to enable them to have letters after their names.
In the early 1970s, when I became a member, all I needed were two references from two other members. That was it. Not even an interview. I very much suspect a lot of the present day members date back to those days. I allowed my membership to lapse in the mid-1980s as complaints I made regarding the poor behaviour of NAEA members were ignored. NAEA members still break the rules of the association and in some cases, the law.
The Ombudsman Scheme is a total quango.
A chartered surveyor, on the other hand, has to undertake an extensive course before qualifying.
We already have the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), Trading Standards Office, the police and, if necessary, even the media to monitor the profession.
I am not in favour of any ‘in shop’ overseeing bodies, which can only be bias and not helpful to the general public. My view has always been that perhaps an estate agent should have to obtain a licence from the local authority, renewable every five years and if he or she breaks the law, that licence is revoked. In other words, an agent is innocent until proven guilty.
All stationery will have to display the licence number and expiry date. Perhaps issue an ID card – I am sure this government would love that.
Finally, I remind readers that it was orginally the NAEA who pushed for the Sellers Information Pack.
Richard F. Grant
Hon. FPCS. ACMI
