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Estate Agents asking for Photo ID when buying a house

Legacy_user
Legacy_user Posts: 0 Newbie
in House buying, renting & selling
Hi All,
In the process of buying a house, recently put in an offer and estate agents are asking for photo id.

having read the previous threads on this subject, it is still unclear whether EAs asking for photo id is a miss-interpretation of the Money Laundering regulation that was updated few years ago, or this is "this is how it's done" kind of thing.

if it is not a legal requirement on the EAs and is only done to appease the buyer, then definitely not interested, they can do it the usual way and get the solicitors involved (which have everything anyways)

any clarification would be very much helpful, randos asking for photo id is a bit crazy town.
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Comments

  • maisie_cat
    maisie_cat Posts: 2,068 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Academoney Grad First Post
    Estate agents are required to "know their customer" under money laundering legislation. They are hardly "randos" in the chain of a house purchase and it's not really "crazy town" You must be over 18 to buy property in this country though
  • chunkytfg
    chunkytfg Posts: 844 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    tndfr wrote: »
    randos asking for photo id is a bit crazy town.

    Not really a Rando though are they! Is it really such a hardship to show them your id?
    Those who risk nothing, Do nothing, achieve nothing, become nothing
    MFW #63 £0/£500
  • Exodi
    Exodi Posts: 2,864 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    Do you scold the randos in the crazy town supermarkets when they ask?
    Know what you don't
  • Brock_and_Roll
    Brock_and_Roll Posts: 1,207 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Put it another way...

    If you wanna wager £50 online on the footie, Ladbrokes will require photo id and a utility bill....

    ....so not entirely unreasonable if you wanna spend £300k on a house for an EA to require similar KYC docs!
  • csgohan4
    csgohan4 Posts: 10,587 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    Could be a government conspiracy possibly. Tin foil hat off

    How do they know you are who you say you are?
    "It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"

    G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP
  • Exodi
    Exodi Posts: 2,864 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    What if the estate agents are secretly cloning people and they're going to use the OP's picture to replicate him? They could then make his clone empty all of his bank accounts and build a master-race of human clones. We wouldn't be able to tell the difference between who's real and who's a clone and there would eventually be a war.

    OP, steer clear of this Illuminati estate agent.

    Trust no-one, they might be listening.
    Know what you don't
  • M_Python
    M_Python Posts: 176 Forumite
    Not sure why you're making such a big deal of it. If you want to buy the house, show them your photo ID. If you don't want to do that, then don't buy the house.

    If you've got nothing to hide, I suggest you just do what they ask rather than cause a fuss and prolong the process!
  • csgohan4
    csgohan4 Posts: 10,587 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    Who knows what will happen when the solicitor, another Rando, asks for ID and worse bank account statements, the shock and horror
    "It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"

    G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP
  • Albala
    Albala Posts: 310 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary
    I can't see what problem you have with it. We were asked and did it. It's part of them checking you out to make sure you are a serious buyer and not some con merchant impersonating anyone else, or whatever- the sort of prudent checks any seller would wish them to do. Make a fuss about it and you will irritate the EA, and possibly the vendor as well if they tell the vendor, before you even start negotiating. Not a good look.



    Oh, and I think you will find that this IS 'the usual way'.
  • Surrey_EA
    Surrey_EA Posts: 2,042 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    tndfr wrote: »
    having read the previous threads on this subject, it is still unclear whether EAs asking for photo id is a miss-interpretation of the Money Laundering regulation that was updated few years ago,

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/801373/EAB.pdf

    I think the instructions to estate agents are pretty clear!!

    As an EA I am legally required to verify the identity of anyone buying a property through my company. We don't do it for fun, or because we want to laugh at a ridiculous passport photo, we have to by law.
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