A ‘BBC Panorama‘ investigation aired last night (14th July) has revealed alleged high-pressure sales tactics and potentially unethical behaviour at two of the UK’s largest estate agencies: Connells and Purplebricks.
In the episode, titled ‘Undercover Estate Agent‘, aired on BBC One at 8pm, reporter Lucy Vallance went undercover for six weeks as a sales negotiator at Connells in Abingdon.
During her time inside the branch, she captured footage and recordings that suggested buyers were being favoured based on whether they agreed to purchase Connells’ in-house mortgage and conveyancing services – a practice known as ‘conditional selling.’
Despite often receiving higher offers or cash bids, estate agents appeared to prioritise those buyers who committed to using these financial services.
A prominent ‘Hot Buyers’ board listed only these pre-approved customers, while managers reportedly enforced these sales, with one senior staff member revealing that the agency could earn excess commission per sale from clients who signed up for additional services.
The programme also aired whistleblower claims from a former Purplebricks employee who alleged that staff were encouraged to lower property asking prices and push supplementary conveyancing services, despite sellers’ preferences.
While the company insisted such practices were no longer used, critics argued that the incentives created systemic pressures to prioritise internal profits over customer interests.
But as media scrutiny intensifies, those bearing the brunt of the fallout may not be the executives in question – but the estate agents on the ground.
Ian Macbeth, managing partner of Avocado Property, said: “While corporate executives prepare their responses, it is the customer-facing estate agents – negotiators, valuers, and consultants -who will be left to deal with the consequences of institutional decisions they never made.
“The truth is they were probably just doing what they were trained to do.”
Reflecting on his own experience of a similar incident at a different agency earlier in his career, he said: “In the main, we probably didn’t really want to do it.
“We knew it was morally incorrect, but we would face disciplinaries if we didn’t follow what was being driven from the top.
“The estate agency industry has long operated on a high-pressure sales model, where staff are trained to follow strict scripts and upsell services to meet rigid targets.
“Failure to conform risks job security.
“Staff aren’t rogue agents – they’re following instructions, trying to earn a living, and often questioning the ethics of what they’re told to do.
“But when the PR storm hits, it’s the people on the ground who face the anger and scrutiny – while senior management retreats to boardrooms.”
Both Connells and Purplebricks denied treating customers unfairly.
In a statement to the BBC, Connells maintained it treats all buyers equally regardless of their choice of services, denying “any accusation of conditional selling.”
The spokesperson added: “It is not the case that customers who use our mortgage services are more likely to successfully purchase a property than those who do not.”
The business added that in the six-week period Panorama was undercover, only two properties out of 14 went to customers using the in-house mortgage service.
The firm also confirmed that it invests “significant time and resources in training our teams to ensure they understand the laws, regulations and guidelines within which they must operate. Any employee found to be in breach of these standards faces strict disciplinary action, including dismissal.”
In a statement to the BBC, Purplebricks insisted it does not instruct agents to overvalue homes to win business, adding that it does not promote hard-selling and that it focuses on the benefits, not price, when recommending services.
The firm said that since new owners took over in 2023, it has “worked hard to improve service and build a team and culture that puts customers first.”
