ALTHOUGH I would much rather be out in the branches selling houses, one of my jobs as an estate agency general manager is dealing with complaints.

Let me first say we get remarkably few complaints, especially when you consider the volumes we deal with and the trauma everyone goes through (including us) during the course of a house sale.

By far the most common complaint is where more than one buyer is interested in buying a house. It seems inevitable that whoever doesn’t get the house suspects the estate agent of favouritism or nepotism or some other form of skulduggery.

The problem is that only one buyer can end up with the property and whoever doesn’t will feel aggrieved, especially in the current market where properties of the right type are increasingly difficult to find.

All sorts of methods are devised by agents to give a fair and transparent service to purchasers but many buyers forget that, although we sometimes bend over backwards to assist them, our legal obligation is to do what is best for the seller of the property who pays our fees and makes the final decision – however unpopular – which we are duty bound to pass on.

All estate agents hate gazumping as they are usually blamed for encouraging higher offers to get a higher fee which is normally based on a percentage of the price achieved.

This, of course, is total nonsense as all we want is a straightforward transaction at a fair price which goes through before either buyer or seller changes their mind or circumstances and we end with zero commission. This occurs nationally in an average of 30 per cent of cases as a lot can happen in 12 weeks and frequently does.

It’s easy to criticise 'greedy' sellers for accepting a higher offer than that previously agreed but, hand on heart, who among us would turn down, say £10,000 – perhaps six months wages for many people, or perhaps a new car – for a decision creating bad news for someone which only the poor old estate agent has to deliver and always gets the flak for.

It’s tough in our housing market and the shortage of houses is making it tougher for all of us.

* Ron Kennor is general manager of Robinson & Jackson. He can be contacted on 020 8316 6200.