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Commission Over Clients? What BBC Panorama Revealed...

Thu 17 Jul 2025

Annie Gault, MA, Marketing Coordinator

A recent BBC Panorama episode, Undercover Estate Agent, that aired on July 14th, has accused two of the UK's largest estate agencies - Connells and Purplebricks - of using unethical sales tactics.

Reporter Lucy Vallance went undercover as a sales negotiator for six weeks at a Connells branch in Abingdon, Oxford. Her footage revealed evidence of 'conditional selling', where buyers choosing not to use the agency's in-house financial services were allegedly disadvantaged. This practice violates the Estate Agents Act 1979, which mandates that all offers must be passed to sellers, regardless of the buyer's chosen mortgage broker or conveyancer. 

Despite receiving higher or cash offers, Connells staff appeared to favour buyers using their in-houseservices, whch earns the agency higher commission than those who don't. Vallance also recorded staff requesting confidential financial information from their in-house mortgage broker without client consent. The firm denied these allegations, stating that all buyers are treated equally and any employee violating regulations would face disciplinary action or dismissal. 

The programme also featured a whistleblower from Purplebricks, who claimed staff were pressured to overvalue properties, lower asking prices and push add-on services. The ex-employee described a chaotic work environment dominated by complaints and commission-driven incentives. Purplebricks, which markets itself as a low-cost online agent, allegedly profited more from selling extra services than from property sales themselves.
 

 

The Panorama episode adds weight to ongoing campaigns by FT Advisor and the HomeOwners Alliance (HOA), calling for stricter regulations for estate agencies. HOA Chief Executive Paul Higgins noted that one in four buyers and sellers feel pressured to use in-house services, often under threat of their offer being declined or withheld from the vendor.

 


Here at Mark Antony Estates, our sales and valuations teams only earn commission upon the completion of your sale, which means that our top priority is selling your property efficiently and at the best possible price. We believe that estate agents should represent the seller, and mortgage brokers should represent the buyer, ensuring that both parties receive unbiased support and can trust that the person working for them is truly acting in their best interests.

Read our reviews alongside other Warrington agents on the AllAgents website here:  www.allagents.co.uk/markantonyestates.com 
 


Has an agent ever pressured you to use their Financial Advisor to have your offer accepted?
Share your experience with us! Your stories help drive change.
 


I hope this article has been helpful to you! If you have any questions, or have been affected by any of the issues discussed in the article, don't hesitate to get in touch.

 

p.s.  Are you curious about what your property could be worth? Find out in around 53 seconds. Click here.

p.p.s. Download our eBook on how to get the best selling price for your property by clicking here.