The government has confirmed plans for a new code of practice for estate agents and proposals for mandatory qualifications across the sector, widening a homebuying reform package that will also affect landlords who rely on agents to handle sales and lettings.
Ministers said the code and qualification plans are intended to raise standards and rebuild trust, while the wider reform package includes sales packs, earlier binding agreements and more digital conveyancing tools. The announcement puts professional standards back on the policy agenda after years of piecemeal debate.
For landlords and investors, this matters now because agency quality is becoming harder to separate from compliance risk. Owners who buy, sell or manage through third parties could face higher costs and tighter processes, but also stronger accountability if poor practice is pushed out of the market.
New code of practice and qualifications move closer
In its homebuying shake-up, the government said a new code of practice will set minimum standards for agents and that ministers will consult on mandatory qualifications from 2027. The package is framed around speeding up transactions, but the standards piece is likely to matter well beyond owner-occupier sales.
This follows Residential Landlord’s previous coverage of long transaction delays, which highlighted how slow and inconsistent processes can drag deals out for months. The latest announcement suggests ministers now want to tackle not just the paperwork, but also the standards expected from the professionals moving it along.
Landlords using agents for disposals, acquisitions or tenant find work will be watching closely to see whether the code reaches lettings in substance as well as sales. A higher compliance bar could favour better-run firms but put pressure on weaker operators.
Why landlords should watch the detail
The reform is not yet the final rulebook. The government is promising later consultations, and much will depend on how qualifications are defined, who pays for them and whether smaller agencies can absorb the cost without pushing fees up.
Residential Landlord has also reported on how rule changes can create costly compliance traps when timelines are tight or guidance is unclear. If professional standards are raised without workable transition arrangements, landlords could still end up paying more for uneven service.
The official announcement says the wider package aims to cut average buying times by around four weeks and save first-time buyers about £650. The government’s news release also says one in three sales currently falls through, costing sellers around £400 million a year.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said a new code of practice and mandatory qualifications could help ensure agents are properly equipped to support efficient transactions and rebuild trust in the sector.
If ministers follow through, landlords may get a clearer benchmark for judging the firms they appoint. That would be welcome – but only if the policy reaches poor practice without simply adding another layer of cost for the better operators already doing the job properly.
Opinion
Higher standards for agents are hard to argue with in principle. The test will be whether this becomes a real clean-up of weak practice or another reform that sounds tough in Whitehall but leaves landlords paying more while service quality changes very little.