Estate agents come near the bottom of the latest ‘trusted’ professions poll.
But there’s bad news for EYE – journalists are one place closer to the bottom.
So, you probably shouldn’t trust a word we say … but the new MORI veracity poll shows politicians are the least trusted profession, coming bottom of the table.
Estate agents are trusted by 30%. Interestingly, Labour supporters are more likely to trust agents than Tory supporters.
Agents are followed down the table by journalists (26%), advertisement executives (17%), government ministers (also 17%) and politicians generally (14%).
In comparison, nurses (trusted by 95%), doctors, dentists and teachers top the list of most trusted professions, followed by engineers in fifth place. Surprisingly pollsters do quite well, with a trust rating of 54%.
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Comments (11)
Pity there isn’t a category for Tenants and Landlords ( both Private sector and Housing Associations )
So, in this POLL of the least trusted professions, POLLSTERS do quite well. That’s surprising, isn’t it?
LandlordsansLetting
I would say that 46 out of 100 not trusting “pollsters” is a fairly clear indication that the public treats these “surveys” with the pinch of salt they deserve.
What I’d like to know is when did “The ordinary man/woman in the street” become a ‘profession’? Or is that the benchmark? Funny – in a worrying way – how they scored more than the Clergy.
Solicitors and barristers should definitely be on the list. It’s incomplete without them.
There’s a large number of MPs in all our political parties who were or still are practising barristers.
They are some of the most disruptive, arrogant, narcissistic and undemocratic MPs we have had to endure in the last Parliament.
To insult the public even further, a few of them have even been charged with breaking the law while serving as our MPs and handed down fines and prison sentences.
Solicitors are not on the list because they are highly qualified professionals who are recognised as such by the public. Transpose the word “estate agents” for “solicitors” in this sentence.
As a non-agent, all I can add is that only you people in the industry can fix this negative perception. Spare Room makes some very valid points.
There is a stigma attached to Estate Agency in the public perception. This goes back some 40 years.
I think in this day and age most of us do an incredible job in often very difficult circumstances. We get to see every perceivable emotion from all parties during the transaction and its often the Estate Agent who is still sitting at his/her desk at 8pm in the evening trying to hold everything together. I sometimes think it would be easier being a peacekeeper for the UN!
In my opinion the race to the bottom regarding fees has bought about the demise of value. It has cheapened the offering and has allowed the general public to see Estate Agency as listing service to the portals. The likes of PB, EasyP, Tepillo & others have undermined what goes into the service provision and distanced what relationships between service suppliers and customers mean.
Unfortunately there are rouges in our industry and with essentially a low barrier to entry and no qualification level required anyone can call themselves an Estate Agent. More legislation isn’t the answer but policing the current would be a good start.
Finally, with the amount of canvassing crud vendors get through their letterbox when they enter the market, it’s no doubt some of the public think we are all desperate.
Anyway, just my opinion. I still believe there are many hardworking, honest and sincere agents out there. Maybe the pollsters just missed our customers.
PB do a pretty good job with keeping it in the face of the consumers with their negative media marketing towards estate agents after spending many meggar £m’s. The stigma of high fees will never go away, which has always been a reason for dislike and ignoring the reality of costs. Noticeably solicitors are not on the list and as a traditionally one of the worst for fees in public eye. Considering the number of complaints in the health service, to find that profession at the top is somewhat a quandary. What this poll does prove, it can’t be trusted as accurate and not within the 61% which is a joke when you consider the number of times they have been found wrong. Where is the council traffic warden?
The general social narrative at the moment is not helpful at all.
Headlines about tackling rogue landlords and greedy estate agents imply that you can’t move without falling over one or the other of those. The reality is that most rogue players are already breaking existing rules/laws. It’s enforcement that’s needed, not legislation, but its easy (lazy) campaigning for both parties to take a shot at us.
Our industry is in effect a soft target for mischief makers. In the same way some comedians in the 60’s and 70’s could make racial jokes without being imprisoned, some estate agents did also in the 70’s & 80’s things we would / should be imprisoned for today.
Problem is whilst any self respecting comedian today would never venture near unsavory racial jokes. we “estate agents” are still the butt of anyone with a mind to make a joke at our expense.
I don’t think giving an agent a formal education certificate recognising our craft would give us any more credibility either unless their was some kind of indemnity protecting the client and buyer alike. I don’t mean the ombudsman scheme but something a little more tangible and recognisable like new homes have NHBC guarantees.
Imagine if they put Viewers (Buyers) in there…. straight in at the bottom.
Best & Final Offer (Unless they say no) – A lie.
Cannot complete any other day (unless they can’t do it) – A lie.
Nothing to sell (apart from the house I’ve not told you about) – A lie.
Mortgage Sorted (If I can get a job) – A lie.
We are 2 minutes away (Sat Nav says nah!) – A lie.
We will get back to you (After you chase me 4 more times) – A lie.