A recent BBC Panorama documentary has ignited widespread concern across the UK property sector, exposing troubling practices by two of the country’s largest corporate estate agency groups: Connells and Purplebricks. The investigation raises serious concerns about consumer choice, ethical standards, and the growing influence of corporate interests in the property market.
Conditional Selling and Coercive Referrals
The programme, Undercover Estate Agent, featured journalist Lucy Vallance working covertly at a Connells branch, where she documented instances of “conditional selling” — a practice where buyers were pressured to use Connells’ in-house mortgage or conveyancing services to improve their chances of securing a property. This tactic, while not illegal, is widely condemned as unethical and anti-competitive.
Purplebricks, meanwhile, was accused by a former employee of encouraging staff to overvalue properties to win listings, only to later push sellers into price reductions. These practices are tied to commission structures that reward volume over service quality, further eroding trust in the process.
Consumer group Which? weighed in, calling the practice of conditional selling “unacceptable” and urging regulatory intervention. The BBC revealed that estate agencies can earn up to £10,000 in additional revenue from these “add-on” services, compared to a typical sales fee of around £4,000.
The revelations have sparked renewed calls for regulatory reform. Consumer advocates and industry observers argue that conditional selling should be explicitly banned, and that estate agents must be required to offer genuine choice in conveyancing and mortgage services.
Corporate Control and Reduced Consumer Choice
At the heart of the issue is the growing dominance of national corporate estate agencies. Connells, for example, owns a vast network of brands including Sequence, Barnard Marcus, William H Brown, and others, giving it a powerful grip on the UK property market. This consolidation means that many consumers are unknowingly dealing with the same parent company, regardless of the agency name on the door.
Both Connells and Purplebricks maintain commercial relationships with one of the UK’s largest corporate conveyancing warehouses. These partnerships incentivise agents to refer clients to their corporate bedfellow, often based on financial arrangements rather than service quality. The result is a system where referrals serve corporate interests, not consumer needs.
Impact on Conveyancing and Professional Standards
The Panorama investigation has highlighted a worrying trend: conveyancing services are increasingly treated as revenue streams rather than professional legal support.
This shift damages the reputation of both estate agents and conveyancers, painting the entire industry with a broad brush of mistrust. When referrals are driven by commercial relationships rather than merit, the integrity of the property transaction process is compromised.
The fallout from these revelations extends far beyond the corporate giants at the centre of the investigation. Independent, owner-managed estate agencies and local law firms, many of which pride themselves on transparency, personal service, and community trust, are being unfairly tarnished by association.
As national corporate agents dominate headlines with questionable practices, the public perception of the entire industry suffers. This reputational damage undermines the efforts of smaller firms that operate ethically and rely on word-of-mouth and professional integrity, rather than aggressive sales tactics or significant commercial referral deals. It’s a stark reminder that the actions of a few powerful players can cast a long shadow over the many who strive to do things right.
Following the Panorama investigation, the regulatory body, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has announced a review of referral arrangements to ensure transparency and consumer choice. While BHW is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), we fully support any initiative to uphold the highest ethical standards in our industry and those associated with it.
At BHW Conveyancing we reject, and always have rejected, any unethical practices. We understand that choosing a conveyancer is a significant decision in the property transaction process, and that’s why we ensure that our clients are never tied into using our services by any third-party arrangements.
IMAGE: Corner House by N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons