Rebel agent Chris Wood set to challenge NAEA election and AGM

Chris Wood - the Cornish estate agent who unsuccessfully attempted to get on the ballot paper as a candidate for NAEA vice-president - says he will now seek to have the election and AGM overturned, and the association board subject to disciplinary action.

Wood is querying the due process used to elect the vice-president, and has issues concerning alleged links between the association and Purplebricks. 

In a letter to NAEA Propertymark executive-chairman Christopher Hamer - the former Property Ombudsman - Wood says he believes all parties are now “past attempting to resolve this informally”.

Earlier this year Wood - before the NAEA AGM - attended an interview panel for the vice-presidency but was then told his application would go no further because of his relatively new membership (although he had in the past been a member for some years), and because of his controversial statements across a range of subjects in the trade press.

A key section of past correspondence between the association and Wood includes the statement from the NAEA: “It is also absolutely vital that the President, President Elect and Vice President do not court controversy but promote unity and understanding amongst members ... There has been a lot of exposure in the trade media about your views on certain matters and we feel that whilst there has been no open conflict between Propertymark and you, members would consider that a more consistent line between the two parties should exist for a successful presidential term.”

Wood attempted, unsuccessfully, to have the election and AGM halted; following that, he has been in frequent communication with the association.

His latest letter to Christopher Hamer - copied to the trade press - says he believes the association “is not prepared to change its position on this matter and is not prepared to comment or reply to all of my points”.

It also states, in response to a suggestion of a face-to-face meeting: “I do not see any point in any further meeting unless mutual legal representatives are in attendance. As such, I believe we are now past attempting to resolve this informally and I will seek to have the election and AGM overturned and the board be subject to a disciplinary procedure. This and all future correspondence is and may be made publicly available.”

Last evening the NAEA told Estate Agent Today: “We are disappointed that Chris Wood has chosen not to engage following our attempts to reach out to him. We will not be commenting further on this issue.”