Code of Conduct - continued
The Guild is an association of high calibre, like-minded, active and independant estate agents working together to facilitate widespread and effective marketing.
INDEPENDENT ESTATE AGENCY ... at its best
1 General Provisions
- Our Code of Conduct is designed to apply to estate agency services (provided by a person or organisation who has agreed or is required to comply with it) in the United Kingdom for the selling and buying of residential property (see12a below) - all references hereafter in this Code to 'property' mean residential property as so defined) and related services. This Code aims to promote the highest standards of service.
- In order to comply with this Code of Conduct you need to comply with all laws relating to residential estate agency (such as The Estate Agents Act 1979, The Estate Agents (Account) Regulations 1981, The Property Misdescriptions Act 1991,The Estate Agents (Undesirable Practices) (No.2) Order 1991,The Estate Agents (Specified Offences) (No.2) Order 1991 and (Amendment) Order 1992,The Estate Agents (Provision of Information) Regulations 1991, The Money Laundering Act of 2004) and all other relevant legislation.
- Member Firms must offer equality of professional service to any person, regardless of their race, creed, sex disability or nationality. You should not be involved in any plan or arrangement to discriminate against a person or people because of their race, creed, sex, disability or nationality.
- In order to comply with this Code of Conduct you must always act both within the law and in the best interests of the client (see 12b below). In so doing you must offer suitable advice to meet the client's aims and needs and should immediately (see 12c) below) tell your client, in writing, about any circumstances which may give rise to a conflict of interest. However, this duty does not excuse you from considering fairly all those involved in the proposed sale or purchase. You should not release, without your client's permission, or misuse confidential information given by your client during the process of selling or buying a property.
- Member Firms must ensure that all relevant staff are fully conversant with the detail of all aspects of this Code of Conduct and with all aspects of their legal responsibilities. Such staff must observe the Code and their legal responsibilities in all their dealings with consumers. Your Staff should have a good working knowledge of the law of agency, the law of contract, and all relevant estate agency legislation. Familiarity with the basic conveyancing and mortgage application processes is expected of all your staff.
- Member firms will be expected to have in place satisfactory provisions for attending to the needs of vulnerable customers.
- You must, where practical, provide consumers with a named point of contact who will assist in dealing with queries that may arise in connection with any aspect of the Agency's service and terms of business, both during the Agency period and within a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the Agency Agreement.
