Overseas property markets can be a minefield and the biggest fear of Brits who buy abroad is, unsurprisingly, that they will be mislead by agents and developers.

A survey carried out by the Association of International Property Professionals revealed that 69% of consumers are worried about being given unreliable or misleading information while a further 44% said that being unable to independently check information is a concern.

Surprisingly, buyers were much less concerned about being pressured into a quick sale with only 17% worried on this front, while 34% were concerned about paying too much for a property. Some 94% said they would feel more secure if overseas property companies had to follow professional guidelines and face disciplinary action if they did not.

‘Consumers have sent a very clear message to the industry to clean up its act,’ commented Paul Owen, chief executive of AIPP. ‘Unfortunately, the overseas property market has been littered with marketing messages and sales pitches that guarantee this, that or the other, but buyers are increasingly aware that these claims are not always based in fact.’

The promotion of property developments and sales, both at home in the UK and abroad, is largely unregulated, with many agents making extravagant claims for rental levels, capital growth and resale values.

The situation is exacerbated by uncritical reports from some journalists singing the praises of new developments for which unrealistic claims are being made in return for a foreign trip.

There have been calls in the UK for the promotion of property investments to be regulated as an increasing number of IFAs have found themselves not just arranging finance for foreign property purchase, but also acting as advisors – often on fat commissions.

The survey also showed that the overseas property market has evolved with buyers becoming less focused on finding a ‘place in the sun’ (50%) and more interested in the longer-term investment prospects of a property. Consumers rated political stability at 71% and good capital growth (59%) as the most important factors when deciding where to buy.