New Government home guides under fire for promoting advice firm

The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries has challenged the content of new Government guides to buying and selling homes as they include links to a third party charity which offers mortgage advice.

Related topics:  Mortgages
Rozi Jones
13th May 2019
Robert Sinclair AMI
"We cannot support or endorse the promotion of one advisory firm, even indirectly at the expense of others."

On the 7th of May, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published guides on 'How to Buy' and 'How to Sell'.

However the AMI asked for alterations to the documents due to "a number of embedded links to a membership-based consumer charity" within the guides.

The guides include several links to the Which? website, where consumers are offered the option to talk to one of the mortgage advisers in their connected commercial arm.

The AMI says it has been in discussion with MHCLG during the creation of these and since publication and has asked for alterations to the documents, "some of which have been refused".

The Association added that the Government has not shared details of its due diligence, tendering processes or internal approval processes.

In a statement, the AMI said: "We will continue to raise our concerns over this implicit endorsement of one advisory firm over others and lobby to have this changed.

We are advising our member firms of the content of these documents as they may be unaware of the potential impact."

Robert Sinclair, chief executive of the AMI, said: “We are extremely disappointed at the approach taken here on what are an otherwise excellent series of documents. However, we cannot support or endorse the promotion of one advisory firm, even indirectly at the expense of others. AMI has always championed a level playing field on all matters and will continue to do so.

"We hope that MHCLG will reconsider their approach and move to a more balanced position.”

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