OFT examines broker/estate agent relationship

Links between agents and surveyors, solicitors and other professional advisers will come within the scope of the study. It will also consider: competition on price and quality between service providers, principally estate agents; the prospects for entry by new business models, including Internet-based models; whether the existing regulatory framework provides the right balance between protecting consumers who are buying or selling a home and ensuring that the market remains open to competition and innovation. The study will cover the whole of the UK, while acknowledging some of the signif...