A wake-up call for anyone selling their home – Congratulations to the BBC for their recent Panorama investigation, which lifts the lid on how some corporate estate agencies appear to operate—putting profits before people.
The undercover report revealed troubling practices, including a recorded conversation in which an estate agency manager admits to prioritising buyers who use the agency’s in-house mortgage broker. Why? Because it earns them additional fees. In doing so, they compromise the interests of the very clients they’re meant to represent: the sellers.
Why This Matters
When you appoint an estate agent, you expect them to act in your best interest—not use your sale as a tool to cross-sell other services for their own gain. Sadly, the Panorama programme highlights that this isn’t always the case.
You can watch the full episode here:
Clients Should Experience A Different Approach
At McCarthy Holden, this type of behaviour would never be tolerated. As a proudly independent, family-run business, our priority is always our clients. We focus on agreeing sales with buyers who are ready to proceed—and negotiating the best possible price for you.
Our continued success is built on trust, transparency, and results. That’s why so many of our clients return to us time and again—and recommend us to others.
Corporate vs. independent: what’s the real difference?
Larger corporate estate agencies, by necessity, may often prioritise shareholder returns and balance sheets. And, as the BBC investigation shows, that financial pressure can sometimes take precedence over client needs.
As an independent agency, we answer only to you—our clients—and our reputation in the local community is everything. We don’t just want to sell your home; we want to do it the right way.
Thinking of selling?
At McCarthy Holden we do not have any ‘in house’ mortgage brokers or conveyancers and we concentrate on delivering traditional estate agency services focused on selling or letting a client’s property. Get in touch with our team and experience the difference an independent, customer-focused agency can make.
