Estate agents getting caught in compromising situations is not a new phenomenon. In a recent incident, one agent was caught on camera helping themselves to milk from a client’s fridge. Another agent was fired in 2014 after stealing chocolate from a client’s property, and in 2021, two agents were recorded describing a three-bed bungalow as “disgusting”.
According to Mr. Pryor, approximately half of the homes he visits now have smart products capable of recording, posing an increasing professional risk to agents. He advises his colleagues to assume that microphones are on and to be mindful of their comments as if the owners were present in the room.
Smart devices have also been used by sellers to accuse estate agents of underselling their property. A user on the online forum Mumsnet shared how smart cameras revealed her agent having conversations about their house that failed to portray it in the best light.
Research firm Consumer Intelligence reported that one in five households had a video doorbell last year. These smart cameras can also monitor the inside and gardens of homes for security purposes, allowing remote monitoring through smartphones, alongside other devices like smart meters and thermostats.
Graham Bowcock, a chartered surveyor at Cheshire-based Oakwood Property Services, acknowledges that these devices can put property agents at professional risk if they are not cautious. He emphasizes the importance of acting professionally and with integrity when discussing properties and parties involved.
Furthermore, there is a serious professional risk for surveyors if their off-the-cuff opinions are recorded and mistakenly treated as their official professional opinion by clients. Bowcock shares an incident where his firm evaluated a house with a comms room filled with CCTV and WiFi, raising concerns about their actions being recorded.
He also highlights that cameras in homes are no longer exclusive to the wealthy, as CCTV technology has become affordable and accessible at all levels of society.
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