The Office of Fair Trading will today launch an investigation into estate agents. The inquiry will examine whether agents are using spiralling house prices to exploit consumers.

Forum Response: National Association of Estate Agents

Hugh Dunsmore-Hardy, chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, told ePolitix.com: "We await the detail of the OFT investigation. Any investigation is to be welcomed if it looks closely at the issues, in particular the process in which estate agents have to operate and their duties to the seller client.

"We will also welcome the investigation if it separates fact from anecdotal criticism of the estate agent profession."

Forum Response: Consumers' Association

Pete Tynan, principal researcher at Which?, told ePolitix.com: "We suspect that last year's 10,000 complaints about estate agents is the tip of the iceberg. Buying a house is notoriously stressful and it's no wonder that people turn to estate agents for help. We believe that people are used to estate agents falling below the mark and too often accept dodgy sales practices such as paying extortionate fees and being pressured into buying financial products. On top of this they often pay through the nose for the service.

"Consumers' Association urges the OFT to deliver a real solution to this problem. We have achieved success in cutting out unfair terms from one estate agent's contracts* and will hand over evidence to help the OFT's study. However we urge the OFT to dig deep and subject the estate agency market to a major mystery shopping exercise to find out the true extent of the problem."