The OFT has made a prohibition order against Niall Maneely, a director of Maneely & Co, a Coalisland estate agent, banning him from estate agency work.

An adjudicator found that Niall Maneely failed to disclose to a potential purchaser that a property being marketed by Maneely & Co was owned by his brother. In addition, Maneely & Co obtained a deposit from the purchaser, even though doing so is unlawful where the agent has a personal interest in the property, irrespective of whether or not that personal interest has been duly disclosed.

The OFT has also made warning orders against Colm McGeown, a director of the company, and against the company itself. Mr McGeown and the company are jointly liable for the failure to disclose a personal interest and the unlawful obtaining of a deposit. If they repeat the breaches of the legislation, they will be banned from estate agency work.

Mike Haley, OFT Director of Consumer Protection said: “Estate Agents must immediately reveal to their clients that they have a personal interest in the sale of a property they are marketing. It is important for consumers to know if the agent has a potential conflict of interest.”