Following the BBC's undercover investigation into estate agents, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has issued the following statement.
RICS chief executive Louis Armstrong, said: 'The badge consumers must look for if they want peace of mind when buying or selling property is the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This regulatory body ensures that its members are adequately trained and insured. RICS members follow rigorously enforced codes of professional conduct and standards. This provides extra protection for the buyer and the seller.'
'If you do not choose an RICS member to act as your estate agent you are leaving yourself open to risk. The Government has chosen not to license estate agents (something the RICS has repeatedly called for) and around a quarter of practising estate agents are neither regulated by RICS nor any other professional or trade body.'
