Portal announces agent qualification before possible mandatory regulation

A property portal has announced the inaugural graduation of its first-ever qualification.

Some 55 students were awarded the SPC Property Practice Certification, which is a unique qualification for estate agents who also serve as lawyers - a common practice in Scotland.

The students were from 37 of the ESPC portal’s solicitor estate agency member firms.

The qualification is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland and ESPC says it gives its member firms with the opportunity to get ahead of potential UK-wide estate agency regulation coming into force in the future. 

ESPC spoke with the relevant Westminster parties in the early stages of designing the course to ensure it could provide maximum value for the students undertaking the qualification, as well as ensuring that it would enable qualified solicitor estate agents to provide high levels of knowledge, service and care to clients, going above and beyond the levels offered by traditional estate agents.

The syllabus was created by ESPC in collaboration with the Law Society of Scotland and the Edinburgh Conveyancers Forum, and was delivered by four trainers including chartered surveyors, lawyers and solicitors. 

The subjects covered include Estate Agency and Marketing; Conveyancing for Non-Conveyancers; Legal and Property Law; and Building Construction. 

The qualification was achieved through a mix of online multiple choice and written assessments, and the current cohort began their studies in April 2023, with the final exam taking place in October.

The new qualification ties into the ESPC Charter, launched in November 2022, which offered member firms the opportunity to sign up to Chartered status.

It is ESPC’s plan to offer the course again for new students in 2024, in the hope that more of its Chartered firms take advantage of the opportunity to upskill and gain broader knowledge and expertise. 

It also hopes that more of its 140-plus member firms will sign up to the ESPC Charter, making them eligible for this training. 

The course will then be rolled out to other SPCs in Scotland, making this higher standard of service for property buyers and sellers available across the country.

Law Society of Scotland President Sheila Webster says: “I’m delighted to congratulate the first-ever recipients of the SPC Property Practice Certificate. They’ve taken a significant step forward in their professional development. 

“Our first graduates will lead the way for many others I’m sure, and their dedication and commitment to success will benefit their firms and the clients they serve. 

“Courses like this are one of the key ways that the legal sector can take standards and professionalism to an even higher level in what’s already a trusted and high performing sector.”