The Charter for Independent Estate and Lettings Agents (CIELA) was formally inaugurated on 1st March 2017. CIELA is an organisation dedicated to the benefit both of its members and their customers.

Entry-level membership is completely free of charge, with three further chargeable membership levels planned. The member facilities included at each level will be determined by members themselves prior to launch, and will include a large range of essential services to choose from.

CIELA believes that the delivery of professional advice and personal service for the benefit of customers selling or letting their home is best procured from a quality, local independent owner-managed agency where their reputation is their business. CIELA further believes that the activities of corporate organisations in the sector are increasingly to the detriment of the public and the industry itself, especially quality small agencies.

With members represented firstly by a hand-picked Founder Committee of no more than 12 members, all of whom are active independent owner-managers of estate and lettings agencies from around the country, supported by a proposed network of a total of around 80 Regional, County and London officers, again all active independent agency owners themselves, CIELA will be the first organisation expressly formed to represent small independent agents, which will be represented at a national level by a committee comprised exclusively of small independent agents. Owners of large and corporate estate agencies will not be eligible for membership.

CIELA’s founders invite all independent agents to unite to create a collective voice, to gain control of their industry and to form an organisation the proceeds of which are shared with the members.