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Panorama investigation "only scratched the surface" of conditional selling

ended 15. July 2025

MORTGAGE brokers and property experts have welcomed last night's Panorama investigation into conditional selling and hope that this kind of prime time TV exposure of the practice will bring it to an end.

One broker said conditional selling is “legalised extortion dressed up as service”, while an estate agent added “it’s time estate agents were regulated like everyone else in the process. The ‘code of practice’ is clearly not fit for purpose”.

Conditional selling is when an estate agent says a buyer must use their in-house mortgage broker if they are to have their offer considered or accepted on a property. In that scenario, the agent is likely to get a referral fee.

Amit Patel, Adviser at Trinity Finance, welcomed the TV exposure: "Conditional selling has been going on for years and nothing has ever been done about it. Now conditional selling has been investigated and reported on by Panorama, hopefully the regulator will get involved and put an end to this unscrupulous practice."

Shaun Sturgess, Director at Swansea-based broker, Sturgess Mortgage Solutions, said "the Panorama investigation into conditional selling was a damning indictment of an industry practice that’s long overdue a reckoning. These outdated, almost prehistoric tactics—where buyers are misled into thinking they must use in-house mortgage advisers or risk losing the property—have no place in a modern housing market".

Estate agent, Sophie Pollard, Director at MyHaus Brighton, said: “It’s good to see this issue getting proper public scrutiny, because it’s something many honest agents have seen and been frustrated by for years.  Good agents should be able to recommend trusted mortgage brokers, conveyancers, or surveyors that are going to help the sale. The problem is, what should be helpful has turned into something else entirely when people are pressured, forced or misled into using these extra services. That goes completely against the principle of acting in the client’s best interests, which is what should be at the core of estate agency.”

Emily Franks, Director at Emily’s Mortgage Services, said she has started a petition to stop the practice. She added: “It’s time estate agents were regulated like everyone else in the process. The ‘code of practice’ is clearly not fit for purpose."

Patricia McGirr, Founder at Repossession Rescue Network, said conditional selling is "legalised extortion dressed up as service. Buyers aren’t clients, they’re targets. Forcing them to use an in-house broker isn’t about ‘efficiency’. It’s about fattening the referral fee. Good brokers want the best deal for the client. Conditional selling rewards the ones who play the game, not the ones who do the job. Estate agents already control access to homes. Giving them control over the buyer’s finances too? That’s abuse of power in a suit. If the Panorama expose doesn’t kill this practice stone dead, what will?”

But Ken James, Director at Contractor Mortgage Services, said the Panorama exposé only scratched the surface: “While the programme successfully brought public attention to a serious issue, many of us know Panorama only scratched the surface. Much of the investigation relied on anecdotal evidence and secret filming in isolated branches, leaving viewers without a full picture of how widespread the issue really is. For customers, the programme was a timely reminder to ask questions, shop around and understand their rights. No buyer should feel forced into a deal that doesn’t serve their best interests.”

Jack Tutton, Director at SJ Mortgages, said: “More needs to be done to create greater transparency in the house buying process and remove the grey areas where conditional selling techniques could fester.”

14 responses from the Newspage community

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Shaun Sturgess
Director at Sturgess Mortgage Solutions
The Panorama investigation into conditional selling was a damning indictment of an industry practice that’s long overdue a reckoning. These outdated, almost prehistoric tactics—where buyers are misled into thinking they must use in-house mortgage advisers or risk losing the property—have no place in a modern housing market. While it was shocking to see, it wasn’t surprising. Sadly, in South Wales, we see this regularly from estate agency brands like John Francis and Peter Alan—both operating under the Connells banner—who continue to push customers toward tied advisers under immense internal pressure. And let’s be clear: this pressure doesn’t just harm the client, it also places some very good people within these organisations in an impossible position, forced to prioritise sales targets over genuine advice. Hopefully, this programme is the final nail in the coffin for the likes of Purplebricks and a wake-up call for Connells to implement real change.
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Amit Patel
Adviser at Trinity Finance
Conditional selling has been going on for years and nothing has ever been done about it. Now conditional selling has been investigated and reported on by Panorama, hopefully the regulator will get involved and put an end to this unscrupulous practice.
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Sophie Pollard
Director at MyHaus Brighton
It’s good to see this issue getting proper public scrutiny, because it’s something many honest agents have seen and been frustrated by for years. We should be helping clients - trying to make the process smooth and positive and having the total package can be a real benefit when done properly. Good agents should be able to recommend trusted mortgage brokers, conveyancers, or surveyors that are going to help the sale. The problem is, what should be helpful has turned into something else entirely when people are pressured, forced or misled into using these extra services. That goes completely against the principle of acting in the client’s best interests, which is what should be at the core of estate agency.
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Justin Moy
Managing Director at EHF Mortgages
This dreadful practice has been reported for over 10 years now, and little has been done to correct this. Further evidence through prime time programming will hopefully cause the regulators to act decisively, and the practices of such large corporate agents will be outlawed once and for all.
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Rohit Kohli
Director at The Mortgage Stop
This kind of conditional selling has been rife for years, and the industry knows it. It won’t stop until estate agents are properly regulated. That’s the real problem. The FCA needs to take a hard look at how Consumer Duty is being applied here - because right now, it isn’t. If an estate agent is effectively coercing or tricking a buyer to use their in-house broker or risk losing the property, how is that fair treatment? It’s a clear breach of the principles. Nothing changes until enforcement does.
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David Stirling
Independent Financial Adviser at Mint Wealth
Unscrupulous estate agents, who'd have thought it? Anyone in the property industry, particularly mortgage advice, continuously come up against agents pushing potential purchasers for a "second opinion" from their in-house broker. Whilst in some cases this will make sense for some buyers as the service will be seamless, for others they will be seen as a cash-cow, as Panorama highlighted last night. It does push the argument for these services to be separated as there is certainly a conflict of interest, though it would be almost impossible to police.
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Ranald Mitchell
Director at bad credit mortgage specialists Charwin Mortgages
Last night’s Panorama laid bare the grubby underbelly of estate agency where conditional selling isn’t just a bad habit, it’s a calculated strategy to bully buyers and sellers into using in-house services they neither want nor need. This is market manipulation dressed up as salesmanship and it’s been going on for decades. The playing field isn’t just uneven, it’s completely rigged. The dismissive responses from Connells and Purple Bricks suggest they’re hoping to ride out the storm unchanged. But let’s be clear: only robust regulation and legislative reform will put an end to these shady tactics. Until then, the industry will continue to fail the very people it’s meant to serve.
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Jack Tutton
Director at SJ Mortgages
It is important to see the issue of conditional selling highlighted in such a major way via a prime time tv programme such as Panorama, the issue remains a huge problem in the market and has detrimental impacts to both buyers and sellers which was clear to see. The programme showed that the offer process isn't always as clear as it should be and not all offers are presented to sellers in the way that perhaps should be. More needs to be done to create greater transparency in the house buying process and remove the grey areas where conditional selling techniques could fester.
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Simon Bridgland
Broker at Charwin Private Clients
Conditional selling is endemic within the corporate estate agency world, been so common place, for so many decades, that it almost feels normal and to be expected. The connection between estate agents and financial services needs to be clearly severed.
An unregulated industry, cannot be trusted to self-regulate with consumers first and foremost in mind, especially whilst large profits are there for the taking. Unaware consumers are easily manipulated for agents own means. Panorama should have gone further and really made it clear how rife this is up and down the country. The fact that the branch manager at Connells won an award, the fact that they get an “ass-whooping” if they are not selling other services, “a sale is not good enough”, goes to show that with this company, the trouble is at the core of its management. All staff are pressured from above, loud and clear. Any agent with a financial services connection will feel compelled to sell FS and legal services, it makes money.
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Dariusz Karpowicz
Director at Albion Financial Advice
The Panorama investigation simply highlighted what industry professionals have observed for years - conditional selling remains a persistent issue across the sector. While the exposure is welcome, this practice extends far beyond the agencies mentioned and isn't limited to large corporates.
The most effective solution would be prohibiting estate agents from offering or referring mortgage and conveyancing services entirely. This would eliminate the inherent conflict of interest that drives these practices. Until meaningful regulatory intervention occurs, consumers will continue facing pressure to use tied services that prioritise commission over client outcomes.
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Ken James
Director at Contractor Mortgage Services
Was this a Wake-Up Call for an Industry in Denial? This was an opportunity to dig deep into the malpractices of many estates agencies and call out the way that clients are manipulated and bullied particularly first-time buyers, the pressure is subtle but powerful, being told they “must” use a certain solicitor or broker to “secure the deal,” buyers often comply out of fear of losing their dream home. The result is a lack of free choice and the erosion of trust. While the programme successfully brought public attention to a serious issue, many of us know Panorama only scratched the surface. Much of the investigation relied on anecdotal evidence and secret filming in isolated branches, leaving viewers without a full picture of how widespread the issue really is. . For customers, the programme was a timely reminder to ask questions, shop around, and understand their rights. No buyer should feel forced into a deal that doesn’t serve their best interests.
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Kundan Bhaduri
Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at The Kushman Group
The practice is about as subtle as a bulldozer at dawn. Buy our four-bed executive home, but only if you use our mate Steve for conveyancing and Sandra for the mortgage. It's presented as convenience but operates like a genteel protection racket in a show home.

Does anyone really believe these 'preferred partners' are chosen for their sterling service rather than their commission arrangements? The solution is simple: ban conditional selling outright. Make it a specific offence, with fines that actually hurt.

Until then, we're watching theatre where developers will apologise, rebrand their 'referral partnerships', and carry on regardless. The housing market deserves better than this corporate sleight of hand masquerading as customer service.
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Emily Franks
Director at Emily’s Mortgage Services
I’ve started a petition to stop the practice. It’s time estate agents were regulated like everyone else in the process. The ‘code of practice’ is clearly not fit for purpose https://chng.it/RMxBH6FM5v
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Patricia McGirr
Founder at Repossession Rescue Network
Conditional selling is the estate agency equivalent of ‘nice house, shame if something happened to your offer’. It’s legalised extortion dressed up as service. Buyers aren’t clients, they’re targets. Forcing them to use an in-house broker isn’t about ‘efficiency’. It’s about fattening the referral fee. Good brokers want the best deal for the client. Conditional selling rewards the ones who play the game, not the ones who do the job. Estate agents already control access to homes. Giving them control over the buyer’s finances too? That’s abuse of power in a suit. If the Panorama expose doesn’t kill this practice stone dead, what will?”