Politicians are the least trusted profession but it’s also bad news for estate agents, bankers and traffic wardens
We give market commentary when journalists or news outlets approach us directly for comment on specific topics. We share our commentary here too. See below.
Unfortunately for our industry, our research this week has revealed that estate agents are among the least-trusted professionals in the UK, ranking below both lawyers and traffic wardens. (But it could be worse. They could be politicians).
Let's start with the good news!
This month we surveyed 1,174 people to find out what were the least-trusted professions, and what really makes a profession well-trusted.
After the past 12 months, it’s good to see that medical and healthcare professionals are, by far, the most trusted professionals in the UK. 54% of the general public ranked them top, followed by scientists (24%) and teachers (12%) which bodes well for the future of the country.
Moving on to property...
For estate agents, the results aren’t quite as complimentary.
Just 1% of people think that agents are trustworthy as a profession. This means agents are considered less trustworthy than lawyers (3%) and traffic wardens (2%) and are on an equal footing with some of society’s biggest white-collar villains: bankers (1%).
The only professionals that the UK public considers less trustworthy than estate agents are politicians. In fact, not a single respondent declared any amount of trust for the UK’s politicians.
What qualities build trust?
When it comes to the qualities that build the most trust with the public, honesty (67%), knowledge (15%), and respectfulness (8%) rank as the most important. (Three qualities that are increasingly difficult to apply to politicians after a difficult sociopolitical year).
Comments & Analysis
Matthew Cooper, Founder & Managing Director of Yes Homebuyers, commented:
“There’s no doubt that the pandemic has impacted the way we feel about certain professions in society. Those working tirelessly on the front line are by far the most respected and trusted by the public.
In contrast, those at the helm have fared far worse and you can’t really blame the public for having this perception of politicians generally, let alone based on their handling of the pandemic.
It’s perhaps more surprising to see estate agents are still getting such a rough deal. The stamp duty holiday has caused a huge influx of buyers and the nation’s army of estate agents have been the ones working tirelessly to facilitate these sales despite huge market backlogs building at the back end of the transaction process.
Of course, as the human touchpoint for many buyers and sellers, they’re always going to get it in the neck despite the great work they’ve been doing.”
Estate agency alternative
Our service (which helps you to sell your house fast by selling directly to us directly in a quick, private sale) is often seen as an alternative to selling through a traditional estate agent. Our customers compromise slightly on the price they achieve, but enjoy the speed, peace-of-mind, and certainty of our service.
Many customers come to us with stories of failed attempts at selling with estate agents. We always see our service as complementary to theirs though. Selling through your best local estate agent is always the best way to get the best price for your home - even if the way the UK housing market works doesn't necessarily always mean a quick or straight-forward house sale.
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Survey of 1,174 of the UK population carried out by YesHomebuyers on 18th March 2021.
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Let's start with the good news!
This month we surveyed 1,174 people to find out what were the least-trusted professions, and what really makes a profession well-trusted.
After the past 12 months, it’s good to see that medical and healthcare professionals are, by far, the most trusted professionals in the UK. 54% of the general public ranked them top, followed by scientists (24%) and teachers (12%) which bodes well for the future of the country.
Moving on to property...
For estate agents, the results aren’t quite as complimentary.
Just 1% of people think that agents are trustworthy as a profession. This means agents are considered less trustworthy than lawyers (3%) and traffic wardens (2%) and are on an equal footing with some of society’s biggest white-collar villains: bankers (1%).
The only professionals that the UK public considers less trustworthy than estate agents are politicians. In fact, not a single respondent declared any amount of trust for the UK’s politicians.
What qualities build trust?
When it comes to the qualities that build the most trust with the public, honesty (67%), knowledge (15%), and respectfulness (8%) rank as the most important. (Three qualities that are increasingly difficult to apply to politicians after a difficult sociopolitical year).
Comments & Analysis
Matthew Cooper, Founder & Managing Director of Yes Homebuyers, commented:
“There’s no doubt that the pandemic has impacted the way we feel about certain professions in society. Those working tirelessly on the front line are by far the most respected and trusted by the public.
In contrast, those at the helm have fared far worse and you can’t really blame the public for having this perception of politicians generally, let alone based on their handling of the pandemic.
It’s perhaps more surprising to see estate agents are still getting such a rough deal. The stamp duty holiday has caused a huge influx of buyers and the nation’s army of estate agents have been the ones working tirelessly to facilitate these sales despite huge market backlogs building at the back end of the transaction process.
Of course, as the human touchpoint for many buyers and sellers, they’re always going to get it in the neck despite the great work they’ve been doing.”
Estate agency alternative
Our service (which helps you to sell your house fast by selling directly to us directly in a quick, private sale) is often seen as an alternative to selling through a traditional estate agent. Our customers compromise slightly on the price they achieve, but enjoy the speed, peace-of-mind, and certainty of our service.
Many customers come to us with stories of failed attempts at selling with estate agents. We always see our service as complementary to theirs though. Selling through your best local estate agent is always the best way to get the best price for your home - even if the way the UK housing market works doesn't necessarily always mean a quick or straight-forward house sale.
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