Zoopla’s agency on-boarding in spotlight after BBC fraud probe

An investigation by the BBC has describe Zoopla as having ‘gaping holes’ in its estate agency on-boarding rules which have enabled sophisticated criminals to sell or try to sell ‘stolen homes’ to unwitting buyers.

A radio programme, aired yesterday, revealed that Zoopla’s policy of allowing agents to begin marketing properties before they gain redress membership with the PRS or TPO had been instrumental in several attempted, and one successful, property fraud.

The fake estate agency involved was called Smith and Jones Estate Agents which was used as a vehicle for sophisticated scams in Cambridge in 2020 and connected cases in Luton and Southampton last year.

The BBC Radio 4 You and Yours investigation revealed that police had uncovered documents suggesting that up to 20 properties had been targeted during the two-year long scam period.

The gang either employed real people to rent properties and then market them for sale via their fake agency on Zoopla, or break into empty properties and do the same.

A bona fide solicitor firm was then used to handle the conveyancing but, once the funds were transferred, the criminals disappeared.

This gang is suspected to have been behind a famous case of a vicar whose Luton home was successfully sold to an unsuspecting couple last year.

Your and Yours says the gang set up Smith & Jones using a serviced office that employed a call answering services creating fake employees and building cheap websites. They then paid £500 to join Zoopla and began listing properties, even though the fake agency was not registered for redress.

Zoopla says it allows new agents to have a ‘transition time’ between starting up and gaining redress registration and that it has no plans to change its policy on this.

The portal says it now has more stringent security checks including a new vetting form for new-to-market estate agents to ensure there is no fraud involved.

Listen to the report in full.