🕵️‍♀️ The Estate Agent Scandal That Shook the Industry

A recent BBC Panorama investigation has exposed troubling practices within two of the UK’s most well-known estate agency groups, Purplebricks and Connells. The findings have raised serious ethical and legal concerns, leading many to ask: Who can I really trust to sell my home?

What Did Panorama Reveal?

The programme used whistleblower accounts and undercover footage to highlight widespread issues at both companies.

🔍 Purplebricks

Panorama spoke with former staff and dissatisfied customers who revealed:

• A high number of complaints about service levels, slow sales, and poor communication

• A heavily promoted “sell for free” package which wasn’t technically false, but included less than the basic essentials needed to market a property properly. Most sellers were pressured to upgrade and pay more

• Vendors who paid for hosted viewings often found viewing requests were missed or never passed on

• Staff were under pressure to upsell additional services like conveyancing and mortgages, and were instructed to push buyers hard regardless of whether it was right for the customer

• Purplebricks’ additional services were often more expensive than local alternatives, despite offering little added value

• Staff were also incentivised to reduce the price of properties, even when they weren’t overvalued, in order to speed up sales and hit internal targets

• Many sellers paid upfront but experienced long delays and poor outcomes, with limited accountability

🕵️ Connells

An undercover reporter working inside Connells revealed troubling practices that raised serious questions about ethics and compliance:

• Offers were intentionally withheld from sellers because the buyer had not agreed to use Connells’ in-house mortgage broker, a potential breach of the Estate Agents Act 1979

• In some instances, staff shared the vendor’s financial details with their mortgage team to determine whether the vendor could afford to accept a lower offer. This was then used as leverage to persuade them to reduce their price, raising concerns around GDPR compliance

• The focus on cross-selling financial products often took priority over client needs

Why Does It Matter?

When you hire an estate agent, you expect them to:

• Be honest and transparent

• Present every offer promptly and without bias

• Act in your best interest, not theirs

Unfortunately, the Panorama findings show that some agents are prioritising their internal targets and commission over the people they are meant to serve. In some cases, these practices may also breach the law.

Corporate vs Independent Estate Agents

Most corporate estate agencies, including those in the investigation, are part of large national chains. These companies often focus on:

• Hitting high sales and referral targets

• Selling in-house services like mortgages, conveyancing, and insurance

• Generating internal revenue, sometimes at the expense of client outcomes

• Operating within rigid structures that distance decision-making from frontline staff

Independent agents offer a different experience. They are typically:

• Locally run and invested in their community

• Free from pressure to sell financial products

• Focused entirely on client satisfaction

• Accountable only to their customers, not head office

Why Woodstead Sales & Lettings Is Different

At Woodstead, we’ve worked inside the corporate system and seen firsthand how profit often comes before people. We started our business to do things differently and restore trust in estate agency.

Here’s what sets us apart:

✅ A sales fee of just 0.75% with a minimum fee of £1,500, and no hidden costs
✅ Property management at 8% per month, with clear set-up fees and no hidden costs
✅ No upselling or commission-driven advice. We don’t sell mortgages or conveyancing, so there is never pressure or bias
✅ Every offer is presented and followed up, with honest feedback and support
✅ You deal directly with real people who genuinely care about your result, not just a sale

We believe estate agency should be built on relationships, not revenue. That’s why we keep things personal, transparent, and focused on what’s right for you.