The Competition & Consumer Protection Commission of Ireland is tasked with a broad remit of consumer protection. It can mean many things to many people but in general, its task is to promote compliance with, and enforcing, competition and consumer protection law in Ireland. They strive to improve consumer welfare across the economy by enforcing over 40 legislative instruments, including product safety legislation.
Today, it has published an interesting report that says estate agents and sellers are the least trusted within the home-buying process. The report and the headlines are widely covered in the media.
In general, the CCPC report correctly identifies how stressful the home-buying process can be for many people. In 2025, the competition to secure a property has never been so tight. There are a million more people chasing historically low supplies compared to 2006, when supplies peaked. The market desperately needs more units.
Implied discouragement
The CCPC report alludes to certain practices. It includes supports it would to see added as part of the estate agents service offering. For example, the CCPC refers to areas that “consumers wished they were aware of in advance of buying.” It does not offer real facts about what those areas are.
It refers to issues such as flood zones, areas where radon gas registers highly and so forth. But the reference is confusing. After all, if a property is located in a flood zone, surely the planning authorities have granted planning permission wisely? Or if an area is prone to radon gas, the installation of radon barriers can fix the problem. Other mitigation steps can alleviate radon buildup in pre-existing homes. If not, should the State not remove those properties and areas from safe-to-live locations?
The CCPC seems to be suggesting that the role of the estate agent should be educational. That the estate agent’s job should be to encourage the prospective buyer to understand planning legislation. They should learn about local development plans and other related aspects before they buy.
This is the role of the CCPC
It is the job of the CCPC to promote consumer protection. Surely education should serve as a first line of action here. Surely the home-buying process is so significant, overwhelming and consequential that it warrants greater CCPC involvement through education.
Blame shifting
In addition, there is a hint of blame shifting. While it is entirely understandable that the buying public will be glad to complete the process and secure the keys to their new home, many will undoubtedly feel overwhelmed by it. But the home-buying process is what it is.
It is complicated, demanding and exhausting. It involves so many participants. Estate agents. Sellers. Mortgage advisers. Lenders. Mortgage protection providers. Solicitors. Home insurance providers. And where necessary, property surveyors. Plus if the buyer is availing of the Help-to-Buy grant, Revenue too! And if the buyer is part of a chain, there are disappointments when a sale falls through.
But this extraordinary process is not the creation of just the estate agent, or the seller. The estate agent sits in the middle of the process. Ultimately, their job is to get that sale over the line for the benefit of who they represent.
The CCPC is broadly tasked with those objectives that today, it is calling out the estate agents for not fulfilling.
Sending out a report that undermines trust and confidence in the estate industry victimizes the industry. It is a form of victim shaming.
Ireland’s population has never been so high. It’s economic performance has never been so strong. The sheer lack of property supply is forcing a rush to secure a property. As a result, the pressure on buyers and sellers has never been so intense.
The CCPC needs to take a more active role
As an independent statutory authority, the CCPC should take a more active role in support of home buyers. It is time for it to remove itself from the sidelines. Instead of shaming the estate agent industry, it should seek opportunities to support them. Instead of pointing out the challenges home-buyers face, it should actively educate them.
For example, within today’s report, it writes:
The CCPC is therefore recommending that Government request that data collected by bodies such as EPA, SEAI and ComReg be added to Tailte Éireann’s Geohive system, with support given to ensure the output is as consumer friendly as possible.
The problem here is that most consumers are likely to struggle to interpret the true meaning of any such information. After all, it takes industry experts years of college of real-world experience to interpret it in a meaningful way.
A series of concise first-time buyer educational seminars that cover the steps to homeownership would be a good start. Seminars like those offered by MoneyWhizz to leading employers are ideal. In fact, leading employers have often shown more ambition. They are eager to educate their employees with face-to-face financial education supports. This is more than many other vested interests.
In today’s report, the CCPC alludes to updating its own guides in respect to the home-buying process. However, this is a half-hearted approach to resolving the information deficit the CCPC has identified. It is not enough!
A majority of prospective first-time buyers seek questions from experts. There is now an over reliance on digital, hands off pull notifications. Many people may be unaware of its existence.
Buying a home is one of the four pillars to financial wellbeing. The CCPC is right to identify that more educational and awareness supports are needed. But it is the CCPC that needs to be front-and-centre when it comes to getting more information out to the market.
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