Who can and who cannot be an estate agent.
There's no legal requirement to have any formal qualifications to engage in estate agency work.
However, a person can be prohibited from doing so if they fail to comply with or breach estate agency legislation.
The Estate Agents' Act 1979 states that you cannot engage in estate agency work if you're an undischarged bankrupt. You can work for an estate agency, as long as it's not your own company.
You cannot engage in estate agency work if you've been prohibited by:
- the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT)
- the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) up until 31 March 2014 (orders issued by the OFT still have effect)
Public Register of Orders
One of the key responsibilities of NTSELAT is to maintain a public register of warning and prohibition orders made under the Estate Agents Act 1979.
The register has details of individuals or businesses who:
- are currently prohibited from estate agency work
- have received a formal warning under the Estate Agents Act 1979
View the Public Register of Orders.
