Muristek
It says its mortgage adviser is independent, but I feel uncomfortable giving my financial data
Q A London estate agent is requiring that I undertake “financial verification” with their nominated broker before I can view a flat with them.They say their broker is independent of them, and won’t pass my data back to them. However I feel uncomfortable that I would have to give any financial data to a third party at their request, and before I even have any intention of entering into a transaction. I explained this to them but they maintain I have no choice if I want a viewing.I’m not trying to buy a multimillion-pound mansion, just a small ex-local-authority one-bed flat. Can they ask me to do this?NR
A They can and they must once you put an offer on a property in. Under anti-money-laundering legislation, estate agents are required to check that the money of anyone buying a property is coming from a legitimate source and is not the proceeds of criminal activity. If they don’t do these checks, they can be fined or imprisoned. They are also legally required to obtain proof of your identity and your current address.
Continue reading...