Chester Association of Property Professionals
Our recent article in the ‘Showcase’ edition touched on what the Chester Association of Property Professionals (CAPP) is. Before we launch into bringing updates from the market sectors that we cover, we thought it would be useful to give a brief outline as to what a ‘Property Professional’ actually is. We all have various letters after our names but what do they actually mean? The profession is very varied, so a brief overview might be helpful to help guide you into knowing who might be best to contact for advice.
An Estate Agent?
An Estate Agent sells residential property. Identified by having MNAEA after their name, which is a Member of the National Association of Estate Agents. Governed by PropertyMark.
A Letting Agent?
A Letting agent finds tenants and often also manages residential property. Identified by having MARLA after their name, which is a Member of the Association of Letting Agents (leasing and property management). Also governed by PropertyMark.
Not all Estate Agents and Letting Agents are qualified although the Government plan to enforce this in the next few years.
A Chartered Surveyor?
Identified by having MRICS or FRICS after their name, which is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) or a Fellow (FRICS). The individual must be qualified and the firm that they work for must be ‘Regulated by the RICS’. You’ll often see that mentioned on paperwork or the website.
A Chartered Surveyor can provide a number of services across different property sectors. These include:
- building and structural surveys, which you may need ahead of purchasing a property
- valuations, which may be required to satisfy a mortgage company or for tax purposes. A valuer will need to be a ‘RICS Registered Valuer’ to carry out the formal ‘Red Book’ valuations.
- commercial and industrial sales, development and lettings
- valuations and reports for the Court
- sales and lettings of agricultural properties
Planners and Architects
Whilst CAPP has been traditionally associated with its members being mainly Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors, we do also have planners and architects in our midst.
A qualified planner can be identified by having MRTPI after their name, which indicates that the individual is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. A planner can assist with every stage of the planning process from small projects, such as extensions to your home, to much larger development strategies associated with the growth of the city.
An architect is a designer and is trained to work on the planning and design of buildings from start to finish of a project.
By using a regulated Property Professional you can be rest assured that:
- That the appropriate professional indemnity insurance is in place
- That the individuals are qualified and appropriately trained to give you accurate advice and guidance
- That you are dealing with someone that follows a code of practice and rules of conduct laid down by their professional body
- That you have a route of redress through an Ombudsman Scheme should something go wrong.
We have a ‘Meet our Members’ page on on our website providing you with an easy way to locate a suitable Property Professional to assist you with your property needs.CAPP CAP