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Here is today’s Breaking News from the estate agency world. Join the debate by leaving a comment below a story - you will need to be logged-in to do this.

Breaking News

Government orders London Mayor to build more homes

The Government has taken the unusual step of intervening in the London Plan to boost housebuilding in the capital.   Housing Secretary Michael Gove has criticised Mayor of...

Prime London sold prices hit decade low but agents ‘remain busy’ - research

Average sold prices in prime London have returned to 2014 levels, research suggests. The latest market data from LonRes shows the prime London sales market recorded both...

Price expectation gap risks widening – claim

The gap between the price a seller wants and what a buyer is willing to pay is at risk of widening, Knight Frank has warned. Tom Bill,...

Material information raises professional indemnity risks - warning

The increased focus on upfront material information could push up estate agency professional indemnity (PI) requirements, an industry trainer has warned. Michael Day of Integra Property Services...

Upmarket agency launches second radio ad campaign

Fine & Country has launched its second radio advert campaign.  The premium estate agent’s latest adverts will focus on its ‘Dare to be iconic’ marketing slogan.  Radio adverts...

Estate agency complaints and payouts on the rise

Agents faced more complaints and paid out higher levels of redress last year, industry data shows. Annual figures from the Property Redress Scheme (PRS) show complaint enquiries...

Rightmove: Asking prices hit 10-month high but market remains sensitive

Average asking prices have increased at their highest rate for 10 months during March but the property market remains sensitive, Rightmove suggests. The latest House Price Index...

Seller sentiment improves – OnTheMarket

Seller confidence has improved in anticipation of the traditionally busier Spring market and interest rate cuts in the months ahead, research suggests. OnTheMarket’s latest Property Sentiment Index...

Propertymark welcomes new First Minister for Wales

Propertymark has welcomed the appointment of the new leader of Welsh Labour and subsequently First Minister for Wales Vaughan Gething. The agency trade body has urged him...

Spring Budget missed the mark, estate agents claim

The Spring Budget missed the mark when it comes to boosting current market conditions, agents have claimed. A survey of 833 UK property professionals, commissioned by agency...

Knight Frank wins customer service award

The UK Residential division of agency and property brand Knight Frank has won the ‘Best Customer Satisfaction Strategy Award’ at the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024. Last Tuesday, Knight...

Best places to live revealed! Is your patch on the list?

North Berwick in East Lothian, has been named the best place to live in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.  The Scottish seaside town tops...

AI-powered portal continues UK rollout

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered property portal Jitty has now expanded to Bristol and the surrounding areas. The app said it clocked over 3,000 users across Bath in just...

Jonathan Rolande: Times to ask serious questions about the UK's social housing crisis

Last week the Government published new housing data which has largely gone unreported.  The vacuum was probably linked to the Budget, and the fact journalists have been...

Savills: Property market appears to be past “peak uncertainty”

Savills has claimed most of the property markets It operates in are past “peak uncertainty” after posting lower revenues and profits for 2023. The agency and property...

Agents Do Charity - strong support

A variety of charities have received support from the property industry this week. If there are charitable endeavours you think the rest of the industry should know...

First-time buyers face six-year savings wait - research

Single first-time buyers need to save for almost 6.5 years or 76 months to raise a 10% deposit and cover moving costs including conveyancing, surveying and...

Auction firms merge to boost estate agent services

My Auction has merged with Bamboo Auctions to form one of the largest online auction providers in the UK. Rocket Auctions, a newly formed subsidiary of the Bamboo...

RICS: Agency stock has hit a three-year high but short-term price falls remain likely

Estate agency stock has hit the highest level since February 2021, new figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed. The latest RICS Residential...

Well-known agent joins eXp brand

Simon Bradbury has returned to estate agency with self-employed brand eXp. Bradbury, who quit as managing director of Thomas Morris in January, has announced that he will...

Major mortgage lender reduces upper age limit

One of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders has reduced its upper age limit in a blow for home buyers . Halifax is imposing a new 70-year age...

Competition watchdog frees 500 households from doubling ground rents

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured agreements from eight freeholders to remove “problematic ground rent” terms from leases. The competition watchdog said this would help...

Investigation launched into snagging rights

The Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) has announced an investigation to uncover the tensions between developers and surveyors on snagging. The trade body has warned that too...

The ValPal Network marks a decade of lead generation

The ValPal Network (TVPN) is celebrating generating 8.7m leads for agents in a decade of business. It comes as TVPN said it has noticed a percentage of...

‘Legal liability’ concerns raised over Propertymark questionnaire

The Law Society is exploring concerns that Propertymark's Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) puts agents at risk of legal issues, Estate Agent Today has learned. Propertymark launched its...

Homebuyers facing more mortgage choice but shorter shelf life

The mortgage price war appears to have eased and the shelf life on home loans has hit a six-month low, Moneyfacts data shows. Figures from the comparison...

Major house builder warns of subdued property market

Property market conditions in the new-build sector are likely to remain subdued this year. Persimmon has claimed. An outlook in the house builder’s annual report warned that...

Councils granted extra powers in empty homes clampdown

The Government has given local authorities powers to double the council tax charged on long-term empty homes after 12 months. The time period is up from one...

Women in Estate Agency hails successful conference

The Women in Estate Agency (WiEA) committee hosted its highly anticipated second annual conference last week. Held at The IET, Savoy Place in London, the event attracted...

Fine & Country honours top performers

Forget the Oscars, the biggest even in town last week was the Fine & Country International Annual Conference and Awards Gala. The agency network honoured its top...

The Evolution of Estate Agency Software: Transactions down, profit margins up

In this latest article from the team at Iceberg Digital, they discuss the evolution of  Estate Agency Software. For a long time, UK estate agencies have...

Knight Frank: Prime London market has made ‘hesitant’ start to 2024

The prime London sales market has made a hesitant start to 2024, Knight Frank has said. Despite the agent and property brand revising its house price expectations...

Rettie agrees listings deal with OnTheMarket

OnTheMarket (OTM) has signed a listing agreement with Rettie, one of the UK's largest independent property services firms operating in Scotland and the North of England. It...

Hamptons executive returns to lead new department 

Hamptons has launched a residential investment department led by Ashley Mason, who has returned to the brand after 12 years. Mason will be responsible for providing the...

Hunters franchisee marks 'easy' first acquisition

Hunters franchisee Lester Hurst has bolstered his branch’s managed portfolio with a maiden independent acquisition. Lester, who has owned the Otley and Ilkley branches of Hunters since...

UK’s largest mortgage lender vows to help speed-up home sales

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has become the latest member of the Open Property Data Association (OPDA), committing to help speed up and simplify the homebuying process...

Alto reveals ViewMyChain integration

Alto has unveiled its latest integration with sales progression tool ViewMyChain. The partnership means agents using Alto’s software will get direct access to ViewMyChain’s tools, hopefully to...

TPFG boss: The Belvoir deal was 'inevitable'

The landmark deal between The Property Franchise Group (TPFG) and Belvoir was ‘inevitable’ and more acquisitions could be on the card, Gareth Samples has said. Speaking exclusively...

Consumers ‘unaware’ about the role of a conveyancer - research

Only two out of five UK adults are aware of what conveyancing is, while the number for those who are already homeowners is still only just...

Agency CRM provider personalises AI tool

Estate agency software and CRM provider Street.co.uk has unveiled new features on its built-in artificial intelligence (AI) Content Writing Model. Revealed among 20 new features at the...

GoTo Group announced as key partner for agent network

Home-moving platform the GoTo Group has been announced as a key partner of the Relocation Agent Network (RAN). RAN agents will gain access to a variety of...

Martyn Gerrard celebrates Hampstead office opening

London agent Martyn Gerrard has launched a new flagship office in Hampstead, expanding its presence across the capital. It follows the launch of the agency’s Winchmore Hill...

OneDome adds surveying to HomeBuyer Service product

OneDome is expanding its flagship product HomeBuyer Service to include surveying.  The property platform said it now provides a full suite of services to homebuyers—including mortgages, conveyancing,...

International Women’s Day: The barriers and benefits for estate agents

Female agents have shared their view on representation and opportunities in the sector to mark International Women’s Day. Industry data shows while there are plenty of women...

Only one in 10 homes sold at a loss last year - Zoopla

House price growth may have slowed last year but homeowners who sold their property still made an average gain of £74,000 in 2023, Zoopla claims. The portal...

Halifax: Housing market has started strong but a slowdown is still possible

Average house prices rose for the fourth consecutive month during February, figures from Halifax show, but it is unclear how long the market recovery will last. The...

Agents Do Charity - breaking the budget for good causes

Much of the focus may have been on the Spring Budget this week but a variety of charities have received support from the property industry. If there are...

Jonathan Rolande: A Budget that could see the Chancellor moving out of Number 11

When the Chancellor stood up to deliver the Spring Budget on Wednesday, those of us in the property business could be forgiven for hoping, even assuming,...

Complete ASAP launches material information pack for agents

Complete ASAP has launched a new package to help agents provide material information on listings. Agents already using the Complete or Instruct ASAP services will be given...

TPFG and Belvoir merger completes

Belvoir’s shares were temporarily suspended yesterday after the high court approved its high profile merger with The Property Franchise Group. This paved the way for the deal...

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