Forty-three students from across 23 of ESPC’s chartered solicitor estate agency member firms committed to gaining the qualification in 2024, with every student passing their exams and acquiring the SPC Property Practice Certificate, accredited by the Law Society of Scotland. 

The students graduated on Wednesday in a ceremony at the Law Society of Scotland’s offices, with speeches from chairman of ESPC Andrew Diamond and the Law Society.

The qualification is the first of its kind in the UK, specifically aimed at solicitor estate agents, and provides ESPC’s Chartered member firms with the opportunity to get ahead of potential UK-wide estate agency regulation coming into force.

The syllabus was created by ESPC in collaboration with the Law Society and the Edinburgh Conveyancers Forum, and was delivered by six trainers including chartered surveyors, lawyers, solicitors and marketing experts. 

The subjects covered include estate agency; marketing and branding; building construction; conveyancing for non-conveyancers; legal; and a new addition to this year’s course, ethics, delivered by The Law Society of Scotland’s Property Law Committee.

The qualification was achieved through a mix of online multiple choice and written assessments.

Ashley McInulty, head of member services at ESPC, commented: “We are incredibly proud of our graduates today, following months of hard work and studying to attain this unique qualification. Once again, their commitment highlights just how seriously ESPC’s member firms take their obligations to their customers, and their pledges to offer the very best service.”