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Estate agents should be required to pas a 'fit and proper person' test to trade, the response recommends. The association says it is 'generally supportive' of referral fees 'as they often provide transparency and deliver enhanced service levels due to the agreements in place'.

This is hilarious. It is the case handlers employed by these Firms that should be passing a "fit and proper person" test. And I doubt many would.
As for the comment about referral fees what nonsense. That is just the comment of a self interested bunch of people worried about their golden goose dying. I have worked at two such Firms short term, and from what I saw they were not delivering any level of service for the referral fees they were paying, so I am not sure what evidence exists to back up such an outlandish comment? Presumably if there is transparancy a full explanation of the potential conflict of interest is explained to the client, as is the principle that the client is free to instruct a Solicitor not recommended by the Estate Agent to whom the referral fee is paid? If that comment cannot be backed up (and we all know it probably cannot) then how could anyone trust one of their Firms to actually produce what is claimed to be delivered?