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15 July 2025

BBC Panorama Exposes Connells Purplebricks Conditional Selling

Investigation reveals estate agents favour buyers using in-house services, pressuring sellers to cut prices and raising ethical concerns across the UK property market

Two of the UK’s largest estate agencies, Connells and Purplebricks, have been thrust into the spotlight following a hard-hitting BBC Panorama investigation that aired on July 14, 2025, revealing troubling sales tactics that may be undermining fairness in the property market. The programme, titled "Undercover Estate Agent," featured reporter Lucy Vallance going undercover at a Connells branch in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, where she spent six weeks gathering evidence that the agency favors buyers who agree to use its in-house services, such as mortgages and conveyancing, over other potential buyers, regardless of the offer price.

At the heart of the investigation is the practice known as "conditional selling," which occurs when estate agents prioritize buyers who commit to using their additional services, sidelining those who do not. This practice is forbidden under the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents, to which Connells is a signatory, yet the Panorama probe uncovered clear signs that it persists. Vallance’s undercover work revealed that Connells staff, including the senior branch manager, actively favored buyers willing to take out mortgages brokered by the company itself, as these deals can generate significantly more revenue for the agency.

One striking example involved a vendor named Julie Gallagher, who believes her home was sold for less than it might have fetched on the open market. An undercover investigation showed that Connells appeared to sideline a potential cash buyer—who could have offered more—in favor of a buyer who agreed to an in-house mortgage. Julie expressed her frustration, saying, "She sat on this sofa… and said she was actually working for me and she obviously is not, she’s working for the company’s ends. How dare Connells do that? Just appalling." The mortgage alone was estimated to be worth about £2,000 to Connells, but when combined with other add-on services and the potential sale of the buyer’s own property, the agency stood to make up to £10,000 from the deal.

Vallance’s undercover stint in February 2025 exposed a "Hot Buyers" board at the Connells office, listing clients who had agreed to use the company’s mortgage and conveyancing services. These buyers were given preferential treatment, with staff instructed to prioritize them over others. In fact, after a popular open house for Julie’s property, the senior branch manager told staff not to arrange any further viewings, effectively shutting out other interested buyers, including the cash buyer. An office administrator candidly admitted, "They will probably more likely aim to get somebody who’s signed up with us and wants to use our conveyancing, as opposed to someone who is a cash buyer… That’s just how Connells are. That’s why they ride you if you don’t have enough mortgage appointments." This blunt admission highlights the pressure on staff to push in-house services, even when it might not be in the seller’s best interest.

Consumer watchdog Which? also weighed in on the findings. Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert, reviewed the evidence and condemned the practices, stating, "This absolutely should be against the law and something that I think these estate agencies really ought to be investigated by the authorities for, because this should not be happening." The 1979 Estate Agents Act classifies discriminating against buyers who do not take out in-house mortgages as an "undesirable practice," and while Connells maintains it rejects any accusations of conditional selling, the evidence suggests otherwise. Connells said in a statement that it is "committed to treating all customers and prospective buyers fairly" and that only two out of 14 properties sold during the undercover period went to buyers using their in-house mortgage services. They also emphasized significant investment in staff training and disciplinary actions for breaches.

Meanwhile, Purplebricks, the other agency under scrutiny, faced allegations from a whistleblower who worked there between June and October 2024. The whistleblower secretly filmed online meetings and revealed that staff were pressured to sell add-on services and incentivized through commissions to persuade sellers to reduce their asking prices after initially overvaluing properties to attract instructions. One agent admitted, "We are overvaluing properties massively just to gain instructions," and suggested that achieving 18 price drops per month could earn staff £900 in commission. The whistleblower’s team leader instructed staff to "plant the seed" about price reductions if properties did not garner interest within four weeks.

Such tactics raise serious ethical questions, especially as the estate agents’ code mandates that companies "must never deliberately misrepresent the market value of a property." Purplebricks has since stated that price reductions were once a target for rewarding staff but that this practice no longer occurs. It denies overvaluing properties to secure instructions and claims to have improved its culture and service since new ownership took over in 2023.

The pressure to sell financial products extended beyond pricing strategies. The whistleblower revealed that Purplebricks staff were encouraged to push conveyancing and mortgage services, with one team leader admitting, "We don't want them to get a quote for comparison because we are by far and away very expensive." Buyers like Ryan Evans and Olivia Phelps, who purchased a home through Purplebricks, paid £2,820 for conveyancing services, nearly three times more than the cheapest available quotes—highlighting the potential cost to consumers.

Despite these revelations, Purplebricks insists it does not employ high-pressure sales tactics and focuses on the benefits of its services rather than price. It apologizes where it has fallen short but maintains a customer-first approach under new management.

The Panorama investigation comes amid growing calls from property experts and campaigners, including FT Advisor and the HomeOwners Alliance, to outlaw conditional selling to ensure a fairer housing market. The practice, which allows agencies to profit from steering buyers toward in-house services, undermines trust and could be costing sellers and buyers thousands of pounds.

As the housing market grapples with these revelations, the spotlight is firmly on estate agencies to uphold ethical standards and transparency. The BBC’s "Undercover Estate Agent" has not only exposed questionable tactics but also sparked a wider conversation about the need for stronger regulation and enforcement to protect consumers in one of the most significant financial transactions they will ever make.

For those interested, the full investigation can be watched on BBC One, with the exception of Northern Ireland, and the programme invites anyone with information to contact Panorama directly.