NAEA

Who

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) is the UK’s leading professional body for estate agency personnel, representing the interests of approximately 10,000 members who practice across all aspects of property services both in the UK and overseas. These include residential and commercial sales and lettings, property management, business transfer and auctioneering.

Why

The National Association of Estate Agents is dedicated to the goal of professionalism within high street estate agency. Its aim is to reassure the general public that by appointing an NAEA member to represent them they will receive in return the highest level of integrity and service in both sales and lettings. Each NAEA member is required to undertake, and pass, exams in their chosen sector before being eligible for membership ensuring a high level of industry knowledge is always maintained. Each NAEA member is then bound by a vigorously enforced Code of Practice and adheres to professional Rules of Conduct. Failure to do so can result in heavy financial penalties and possible expulsion from the Association. All of this ensures that you get the best service available.

TPO

Who

The Property Ombudsman/TPO (formerly the Ombudsman for Estate Agents/OEA) Scheme provides an independent service for dealing with disputes between Member Agencies and customers involved with Residential Lettings and Sales.

Sales



The TPO role is to provide fair and reasonable resolutions to disputes between members of the public and estate agents who are members of the TPO Scheme or who have registered with the TPO under the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Approved Estate Agents Redress Scheme. Firms who are members follow the TPO Code of Practice for Residential Sales, which has been approved by the OFT under the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.

Lettings



The TPO can also resolve disputes referred by landlords or tenants and relating to lettings and management agents that are members of the Scheme. These agents follow the Code of Practice for Letting Agents, for which we are seeking OFT approval, in common with the Code of Practice for Residential Sales.
Note that disputes relating to repayment of deposits paid by tenants and which are protected by an approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme should be referred to the relevant deposit protection scheme.