Shadow Slicitor Helen Grant asked Congress' Matthew Pennycook (pictured) if the government's policy plan would take into account “the validity of the services provided by Firstport property management.”
As reported in NEG, the property management company was recently transported in front of lawmakers and accused of hiking service charges, unable to carry out essential building maintenance and did not respond to residents' concerns. 
Abuse and poor service
Pennycook responded to the question by saying, “The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor services at the hands of uncruel and careful real estate agents.”
“Currently, the law is being enforced by local governments and national trade standards letting and real estate agency teams, who have the authority to issue warnings, prohibit orders on fraudulent real estate and ban agents.
“The previous government has pledged to regulate the real estate agent sector in 2018 and asked the working group chaired by Lord Best to advise on how to do it.
However, Pennycook added:
At the very least, this should include mandatory professional qualifications. ”
“Management agents play an important role in the maintenance of multi-ethnic buildings and freehold land, and their importance only increases when they move towards a normal future. As a result, they are reviewing the 2019 report.
He then made it clear that the government intends to tighten regulations on management agents and promote standards for their services.
“At the very least, this should include mandatory professional qualifications that set new basic criteria that management agents must meet, and we will discuss this issue this year.
“We will set a full position on real estate regulation to manage and manage our agents in time.”
Firstport commented: “We welcome the government's plan on regulating management agents, and this has been a long-standing purpose to promote high standards of service for residents across the country.
“FirstPort has implemented improvements in transparency, communications and services over the past 12 months that provide a standardized, professional approach.
“As the Minister points out, occupational qualifications must be an important part of the regulatory system. We will provide this in our own work, register all our colleagues in a 12-week industry-recognized training program and support them in providing the highest standard of service with over 1,000 colleagues who have completed the course to date.”
