Preparing for regulation of agents is key goal of new NAEA president

The new president of NAEA Propertymark says one of her key objectives for the year ahead is to prepare the industry for increased regulation and training.

Kirsty Finney succeeds Lauren Scott as president of NAEA Propertymark. 

Finney, a director of Belfast agency Rodgers & Finney, has over 15 years of experience in the property sector and has been a member of the association for several years. 

She was pivotal in the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Northern Ireland between Propertymark, the Law Society and the RICS in 2018, aimed at speeding up communications with conveyancers and reducing transactions times.

“I am very excited to take on the role as NAEA president this year. Alongside giving Northern Ireland more of a voice when it comes to legislative changes in the sector, I plan to focus on education. [Implementation of] Regulation of Property Agents is fast approaching and it’s key that the industry is prepared” explains Finney.

There is also a new president of ARLA - Angela Davey, a long-standing member of the Propertymark board - succeeds Phil Keddie.

A statement from Propertymark says the pair take over after a year of activity for their organisations including lobbying for Business Rate Relief for agencies and the inclusion of commission in calculations for furlough payments. 

Former Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer, who is chairman of Propertymark, says: “Angela and Kirsty are both experienced agents who bring strong knowledge of their sectors and will be great representatives of the industry.”