BBC's Undercover Estate Agent – A Wake-Up Call for the Industry
The BBC’s Undercover Estate Agent exposed shocking practices in major UK estate agencies, revealing a culture driven by profit over people. From hidden fees to unethical sales tactics, it’s clear the system is broken. At avocado property, we’re here to do things differently - with trust, care, and transparency.
The BBC’s Undercover Estate Agent documentary has hit a nerve and for good reason! What was uncovered wasn’t just bad practice. It was a systemic failure of trust, transparency and customer care in some of the UK’s biggest estate agency chains.
What Went Wrong?
At its core, the programme revealed a property industry that despite being worth a staggering £30.7 billion a year, often places revenue and referrals above people.
Customers felt angry, unheard and exploited. Pricing strategies were unclear. Complaints went unanswered for months. Properties were listed with promises like “sell for free” but lacked the essential marketing expected. Basic communication was missing. One whistleblower (who remained anonymous) spent more time handling inbound complaints than helping clients move.
Purplebricks: The False Promise
Two years ago, Purplebricks called themselves the UK’s most popular estate agency; promising affordability, online ease, and convenience. But behind the scenes?
• Customers paid £1,700+ to have their homes listed, yet viewings weren’t booked.
• Keys went missing.
• Complaints fell into a black hole.
• Staff were under intense pressure to “SELL, SELL, SELL” – not just property but mortgages, conveyancing and financial add-ons.
• A first-time buyer, steered into Purple Bricks’ conveyancing service, later discovered they’d paid three times the market rate.
Shockingly, even as Purplebricks was signed up to the industry’s Code of Conduct on fairness and integrity, it regularly pushed tactics that undermined both.
Connells: Fast and Loose with Trust
Connells, which holds around 10% of the UK estate agency market, has come under scrutiny for practices that raise serious concerns around transparency and ethics. At a branch in Abingdon, several troubling tactics came to light:
- Buyers were unknowingly screened for affordability via mortgage brokers – without their consent.
- Access to viewings was restricted unless buyers agreed to use Connells’ in-house services like mortgages or conveyancing.
- Priority was given to “hot buyers” – those who used Connells’ additional services – while even cash buyers were turned away.
- At one open house for a £300,000 home, offers were intentionally delayed until after in-house mortgage meetings. Staff reportedly mentioned phantom higher offers of £325,000 to deter serious buyers who hadn’t signed up for the extras.
While it may be tempting to point fingers at individual agents, it’s important to recognise that these behaviours are often driven by targets, incentives, and culture set from the top.
When a single transaction can generate over £10,000 in commission – from agent fees, mortgage referrals, solicitor kickbacks and more – the pressure on frontline staff can be immense. The problem isn’t bad people. It’s bad systems that reward poor practice and undermine trust in the process.
What This Means
This isn’t just a PR disaster for the industry, it’s a real-world reminder that the current estate agency culture puts targets and commission ahead of people.
Mike Robson, Director at Avocado Property, puts it simply:
“If that documentary shocked you, imagine living it. Most of us left that world behind for a reason. It’s not that agents don’t care, it’s that the system gives them no choice. When you’ve got sales targets hanging over your head, referral quotas to hit, and a manager breathing down your neck about mortgage kickbacks, it stops being about service… and starts being about survival.
The real issue isn’t bad people. It’s bad leadership, broken incentives, and a race to the bottom. And the saddest part? The client always loses.
At avocado property, we don’t need scripts, phantom offers, or pressure tactics. We trust our self-employed agents to uphold our brand values properly. Give them freedom, give them accountability, and give them ownership. It turns out when you build a business that’s actually for the client and the agent, everyone wins.”
The show underscores a simple truth: Sellers and buyers deserve better. They deserve trust. They deserve transparency. They deserve service.
Where avocado Stands
At avocado property, we were built in direct response to the outdated, transactional culture revealed in this documentary. Our agents are self-employed, accountable, and customer-first; we don’t play games with your biggest asset.
We:
• Create tailored marketing plans for every home.
• Communicate clearly and regularly.
• Put our clients’ goals ahead of quotas.
• Never tie-in or pressure people into third-party services.
• Operate with total transparency on offers, viewings, and pricing.
We’re not just another estate agency; we’re building something our children can be proud of.
Let this documentary be a line in the sand. We’ve seen what’s broken. It’s our job to build what’s better.