Watching Channel 4’s Mary Portas Secret Shopper last week I cringed as she proved that most of the general public’s opinion about Estate Agents has unfortunately more than just an element of truth. Mary set out to start a revolution in the world of estate agents, buying a house is the most important purchase of our lives, but Mary thinks estate agents have been letting us down in a big way, and so the programme went on. Estate agents are caught on camera as they pull out all the oldest tricks in the house-selling book; multiple viewings, misleading particulars and lack of specialist knowledge were among the long list of things that drive you to despair. And this Ladies and Gentleman is exactly why the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) is pushing so hard right night to get every estate agent to become regulated by their professional body. Members of the body are qualified and are strictly regulated by the body as well as the Property Ombudsman. Agents that are members are liable to severe penalties for not adhering to the code of practice which of course prevents the type of behaviour that makes the public’s blood boil and Mary so boldly highlighted. However trying to get the message across to the public to only use an Agent that is a member falls on deaf ears most of the time. Enticed by low fees the public fail to acknowledge that when it comes to buying selling or indeed even renting their property cutting corners such as opting for a cheap fee rather than a professional service from an NAEA /ARLA qualified agent is almost always going to compromise the type of service that you are likely to receive. My strongest advice if you want to avoid the pitfalls highlighted by Mary in the television programme is if you need help to sell, buy or rent  get a recommendation from someone you trust, everyone knows someone whether it’s a work colleague friend or family member that has dealt with a professional and qualified agent that they can recommend. After all good honest customer service is a basic requirement and we shouldn’t be prepared to accept anything less. If you have crossed paths with an Agent that is not doing their job properly then find one that will, no one needs to tolerate a less than perfect service these days and the NAEA is working hard to eliminate the disappointment and constant complaints about reckless estate agents dished out by the public.