Archive

Two more price reports from high-end agencies make grim reading about the prime London housing market. New data from Savills suggests that...

The housing market “is clearly currently struggling to gain traction” and any real upturn ”will remain elusive over the coming months”...

Gone are the days of having to rush back to your office every time you win an instruction to market the...

Here’s some good news to take into the Bank Holiday weekend.  Research undertaken by Estate Agent Today suggests that fees charged by...

Figures from the Treasury suggest that the annual revenue from stamp duty for the year to the end of March is...

I have total transparency. I love that.  I know how the portals are doing, I know how many people are clicking on...

A leading estate agent says his findings confirm those of the latest house price index in suggesting that prices are turning...

As the Easter sales weekend kicks off, the head of a prominent buying agency says estate agents confuse the true valuation...

One day, I’ll sit down to write for Estate Agent Today and I won’t express my dismay at the lack of...

One of the most important aspects of running a successful estate or letting agency is being able to generate new business...

For many estate agents seeking to become entrepreneurs, the idea of starting their own business is undoubtedly daunting, especially when going...

  Chancellor Phillip Hammond claims over 60,000 first time buyers have already benefitted from the stamp duty relief he announced at his...

Coming into force on May 25, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 -...

The operation of ‘online estate agencies’ has changed substantially in the relatively short few years of their existence: I have spotted...

Firstly, a huge thanks to everyone who shared and commented on my first blog and for all those that emailed me...

House prices fell unexpectedly in February with the Nationwide Building Society reporting a drop of 0.3 per cent. This ended some analysts’...

A 1.0 per cent interest rate rise would add £930 a year to the cost of servicing the average mortgage, according...

In the great swathe of housing market data which is delivered each month, conveyancers’ case volumes often get overlooked, however the...

A forecast suggests HM Revenue & Customs will rake in no less than £8.8 billion in Capital Gains Tax in 2018...

The other day I met with two agents who have 30 years of property sales experience between them, and yet also...

An estate agency has started a petition to get bollards erected outside its branch after two accidents, in each of which...

I had an interesting meeting last week with a VR company called Garou. Based in New York, they claim to have...

The printing industry is in the midst of a decline as digital products and services displace printed materials, which is why...

The Mortgage Advice Bureau says early evidence suggests typical first time buyers are now spending more following the effective scrapping of stamp...

Analysts have given a frosty reception to the announcement by Agents’ Mutual that it is going to float shares priced at...

A senior figure at the UK arm of American agency Keller Williams has suggested that Purplebricks won’t succeed in the New...

Rightmove’s former lettings chief Sam Mitchell has taken over as chief executive of online agency HouseSimple, which recently won another £20m...

One of the most influential select committees in parliament has told the government that it needs to do more - much...

For a while now, property and technology have been combining seamlessly to offer the industry innovative solutions to often complex problems....

An overwhelming 86 per cent of RICS members questioned in a survey claim they have seen no increase in interest from...

The Department of Communities and Local Government has been rebadged as the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government in what...

Mystery surrounds a claim made by Prime Minister Theresa May that the stamp duty changes for first time buyers made in...

What a year it’s been! Back in 2016 we had Brexit, a new prime minister, Donald Trump’s election, and so when...

The Nationwide says the Chancellor’s decision to effectively scrap stamp duty for the majority of first time buyers will have only...

The last of the leading agency analysts and business consultancies have now given their predictions for the UK housing market in...

House price growth will come to a halt next year as the number of transactions reduces, according to the RICS forecast...

Another new year is nearly upon us and, once we’ve got the season of mince pies, mulled wine, pigs in blankets,...

Some 62 per cent of current home owners feel that moving house has become more difficult over the past 10 years...

It’s not breaking new ground to say that younger people have what many regard as the raw end of the deal...

Here we are again: another much anticipated Budget has been and gone and, yet, still nothing much has changed! Yes, of course,...

The latest market snapshot from the National Association of Estate Agents suggests that the proportion of sales made to first time...

The London-focussed estate agency Cluttons says chains in central London are becoming increasingly fragile thanks to general uncertainty in the wider...

Countrywide chief executive Alison Platt says she welcomes the government’s scrapping of stamp duty for first time buyers purchasing homes under...

Figures from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility suggest that house prices across the UK will rise by 3.1 per cent...

As we hurtle towards the end of 2017, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s just been.   Even better, this property-based...

Earlier this week, Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the Autumn Budget with a strong focus on housing.  The decision to cut stamp duty...

The small print of the Budget has revealed that the government is to make minor changes to the ‘additional homes’ three...

The government has defined the ‘first time buyers’ who will benefit from its immediate scrapping of stamp duty for FTB purchases...

Agents and even the Labour Party have backed the government’s scrapping of stamp duty for first time buyers’ purchases up to...

Housing may have taken centre stage in the Budget but most of the industry appears to remain sceptical of whether the...

Stamp duty reform for first time buyers has taken pride of place in the Budget speech of Chancellor Phillip Hammond.   From today,...

Another Budget, another pledge of new house building: it appears from statements made over the weekend by Chancellor Phillip Hammond that...

The housing industry has set out a list of demands in advance of the government’s hotly anticipated Autumn Budget on Wednesday.  Despite...

British politics is extraordinarily volatile right now and the ongoing battle between austerity and anti-austerity, Leave and Remain, and Conservative and...

A large part of the DCLG’s Call for Evidence on the home buying and selling process focuses on the role of...

The London residential market is at last improving - but faces a make or break situation with next week’s Budget according...

A conveyancing body says it wants the government to allocate “a small fund” in next week’s Budget to promote research into...

easyProperty, the online agency, says stamp duty should be paid by sellers and not by first time buyers. The online firm’s head...

Nicky Morgan, a former Cabinet minister and now chair of the highly respected Commons' Treasury Select Committee, is the most senior...

Former National Association of Estate Agents president Simon Gerrard is renewing his campaign for the government to adopt two innovative reforms...

HMRC has refunded £185m to some 15,000 house buyers since the introduction of the stamp duty surcharge in April of last...

The largest mutual life pension and insurance company in the UK has added its voice to growing calls for stamp duty...

The head of a major Oxford estate and lettings agency has written an open letter to Chancellor Phillip Hammond urging him...

Stamp duty on property sales is gumming up the housing market, stopping people from moving to the jobs they need, and...

Another week, yet more consultations - the agency industry can’t complain about not being asked for its views recently. The latest were on...

With the Budget just over a month away, the steady stream of ‘leaks’ continues to grow as journalists and the industry...

Pressure is continuing to build on the government to reform stamp duty in next month’s Budget. Firstly a group of senior financial...

The death throes of the Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents are continuing. A statement by software entrepreneur Charlie Wright, who...

It has been revealed that the beleaguered government of Theresa May is to hold a summit at 10 Downing Street tomorrow...

Stamp duty reform lies at the heart of the submission by the National Association of Estate Agents ahead of next month’s...

Conservative MP John Stevenson is the latest to throw his weight behind switching the burden of stamp duty from the buyer...

Investment website The Motley Fool says comparisons between forecast and actual profits reported by Purplebricks suggest the company’s position isn’t -...

It used to be so easy. Around 20 years ago there were what we now call full-service estate and letting agencies, and...

The founder of a new online sales assistance service says agents are often unfairly blamed by the public for failings in...

I’ve been in France for the past few days and depending on your viewpoint, I made a spectacularly good or singularly...

easyProperty has unveiled details of its relaunch, declaring itself to be the UK’s second largest hybrid estate agency - second only...

With party conference season around the corner and the next Budget just a couple of months away, more industry players are...

Some customers dislike entering traditional estate agency branches, occasionally feeling 'like prey' for sales staff when they enter. This is one of...

Whenever any research is released, part of me can’t help thinking of that old adage, ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’ especially...

It’s not just the evenings drawing in that marks the approach of autumn - it’s also the return to work of...

An estate agency that has just launched in south Devon says it is giving its customers the advantages of a 24-hour...

The roadshow of presentations of Agents’ Mutual’s plans to float on the stock market have just passed the half-way mark. Remaining sessions...

An analysis of data from HM Revenue and Customs reveals that inheritance tax paid by UK families has topped £5 billion...

Stamp duty has become the latest weapon in the ongoing war of words between different wings of the Conservative party, as...

Well over a third of buyers will view between four and eight houses before putting an offer in on their choice,...

Property has been changing hands for centuries, but when did estate agents as we know them today – with their branches,...

Some 19 per cent of estate agents in the UK currently show warning signs that indicate they are at risk of going...

One of the country’s leading buying agents says over six million people are living in the wrong property because they are...

**The free photography course for estate agents (part one) offer has now expired. It is still available in special circumstances so...

When it comes to provoking anger in property professionals, taxation takes some beating. Press releases are still arriving berating the December...

The Nationwide is warning that a slowdown in household spending is likely in the near future, leading to a ‘drag’ on...

White & Sons came to MPL Interiors specifically to counteract the growing threat from online and hybrid estate agents, commissioning a...

Two leading property analysts have written a fiercely critical assessment of the merger between easyProperty and the Guild of Property Professionals.   The...

We live in world where the online economy is just as important as the offline economy. Whether your business is online...

Former housing minister Gavin Barwell has been appointed as Theresa May's chief of staff. Barwell lost his Croydon Central seat – and...

GPEA Ltd - the parent company of the Guild of Property Professionals and Fine & Country - has announced it has...

Our recent roundtable on the government’s proposed ban on tenant fees generated a selection of tips for growing your business. We’re now...

The UK Independence Party’s housing policy for the General Election hinges around a huge expansion in modular factory-built housing - but...

The founder of the trade group seeking to represent independent agencies says he hopes the National Association of Estate Agents considers...

Auctions are a great way to sell property competitively, with a wide range of homes often selling under the hammer, and...

House prices recorded their second consecutive monthly fall in April, while the annual rate of growth slowed to 2.6 per cent,...

By Wednesday April 19th, a UK citizen, on an average income, had earned £7,789 from their day job so far this...

My apologies if this causes you to break your Easter egg with a little too much aggression, but I reckon the...

It’s never more obvious how important good communication is for letting agents than in times of bad weather. Havoc caused by...

In recent years the mortgage industry has gone through some testing times. Recession and regulation have led to more stringent lending...

We’re almost nine months on from the EU Referendum and yet the issue remains the big divide across the nation: an...

Swiss bank UBS has downgraded Countrywide’s status to ‘sell’ in a move which has prompted the troubled estate agency’s share price...

The government has admitted that the three per cent stamp duty surcharge has raked in twice as much as expected. In November...

Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his first Budget this week pledging extra funding for the NHS, transport in the Midlands and the...

The Office for Budget Responsibility, which released its latest economic forecasts on Wednesday, has adjusted its prediction for UK house prices…again.  It...

There was nothing doing in the Budget - no stamp duty reform, no second look at mortgage interest tax relief changes,...

It's been revealed that Countrywide has lost 200 branches in its reorganisation - that's around 20 per cent of its branch...

Estate agents are angry that Chancellor Phillip Hammond made no attempt in his first Spring Budget to reform stamp duty -...

Chancellor Phillip Hammond has introduced no new property taxes in his Spring Budget - but a clampdown on those setting up...

Jeremy Leaf, the London estate agent and former RICS residential chairman, is the latest industry figure to call for the government...

A chronic shortage of affordable housing is forcing councils to spend more than £2m a day on temporary accommodation for homeless...

Looking ahead to the Spring Budget this week, the Chancellor Philip Hammond will be obliged to face up to the implications...

I had a very interesting chat with the man behind a new portal the other day. He was John Dixon, the portal...

An estate agent and a building society have both advocated radical moves to reform stamp duty - and want Chancellor Phillip...

Over the past two decades, investing in buy-to-let has been a relatively easy way to make money, which is why so...

The buy-to-let market has gone through significant change in the last year and with the Budget just around the corner, what...

A new regional property portal aiming to sign up 80 per cent of agencies in Yorkshire says it is unconcerned about...

Welcome to February! It means that 2017 is well under way and we’re edging closer to Spring – a time when...

The end of 2016 saw the launch of 30,000 new build-to-rent (BTR) projects in London alone. With market growth projected to...

The Treasury should review the impact of stamp duty on London's market given recent political and economic changes according to London...

The head of a new ‘disruptive’ online mortgage service says 2017 will see more major estate agency and other property businesses...

The government has announced that its next Budget will be on March 8 next year. Until recently, Budgets and their ‘mini-me’ Autumn...

Following a strong start to 2016, particularly in the lower to middle range of the UK housing market, that lasted up...

Just a couple of weeks ago, we waited with anticipation to see what the new Chancellor, Philip Hammond, would say in...

We are now only days away from one of the most-anticipated events in UK politics; one which has a considerable impact...

Facebook is a difficult beast to tame. You have 2,000 followers, but your most recent post was only seen by 200 people....

In recent weeks I have been carrying out question and answer sessions with some of the key figures in the property...

A hybrid franchise agency is looking for new partners to expand its reach in the Midlands. Campbells says it is looking for...

In the capital, people will pay a premium to live near great transport links, and as we’ve seen from Crossrail and...

Purplebricks says it will have a marketing budget of AUS$17.2m - that's over £9.9m - to spend on marketing for its...

Plans for the Northern Powerhouse scheme, designed to rival London and the South East as the main driver of economic growth...

Nearly three quarters of people who have sold or bought a property deem it more stressful than having a child or...

House owners and buyers with mortgages in today’s market should budget to ensure they can “have enough headroom” for a rise...

With the new Formula One season now well underway, we delve into the fast lane to take you on a whirlwind...

nu-move online estate agents -The Future of Property Nu-move is an online venture that has been created to meet the demand...

It’s official; the estate agency business is tougher than ever. Contrary to perceptions that may exist amongst observers and even clients, the...

With more house-hunters than ever now starting their search for a new home by typically looking online on one of the major...

Significant national events such as elections and, in this case, referendums bring with them a level of uncertainty.   No-one can predict...

One of the country’s leading high-end buying agencies says it has ‘mystery shopped’ Purplebricks - with mixed results. For while it found its...

Forgive the footballing headline – perhaps inevitable now that Euro 2016 has started – but several decisions and statements across the...

As we have just passed the 6 month half way point of 2016 we thought it would be a good idea...

Who are you? Sarah Neate, Design and Marketing Manager     Who Are Mid West Displays? We make, supply and install window and interior display panels. ...

Dear Sales Doctor, I'm aware I sound robotic when qualifying an applicant and don't know how to change it; any ideas? When an...

So what is it with young people failing to stand up for themselves and not making the most of their money...

Countrywide chief executive Alison Platt is one of 10 property industry entries in the ‘Power 100 Women’ list compiled by business...

The new mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to do all in his power to help make London “better” after...

The government is staying tight-lipped about it for the moment but there may be a major shake-up in house buying on...

A new survey suggests that it is the other fees associated with moving house - not estate agents’ charges - that...

When, during his budget speech, George Osborne announced Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was going down to 20%, I experienced a mix...

George Osborne has been busy over the last year. First came the General Election which had everyone on tenterhooks until the...

A group of leading tax experts claims the stamp duty surcharge coming into effect one week from today will hurt the...

The government’s official consultation exercise on the stamp duty surcharge - launched in controversial circumstances over the Christmas holidays - attracted...

The Budget's over, Easter is a week away, and agents are preparing for the busiest time of year - whatever the...

Yesterday George Osborne delivered his eighth budget as chancellor, announcing an extra £3.5 billion in spending cuts by 2019-20. The Office for...

In today's budget, the Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced a number of measures which will impact the property industry.  The Chancellor confirmed...

Later today chancellor George Osborne will make his latest budget speech. The announcement is expected to confirm the details of the 3%...

When it comes to Budgets and Property, you have to hope that the old adage that ‘things happen in threes’ turns...

You are a public-spirited lot - this week’s Agents Do Charity section is perhaps the largest ever thanks to the good...

I want to take this opportunity to share some findings from the National Landlord Association’s latest Quarterly Landlord Panel. The first is...

There seems to have been a seismic shift in recent years for companies to migrate everything ‘on brand’ online. However signage...

There is less than a week to go before formal consultation ends on the introduction of the so-called stamp duty surcharge...

An online estate agent who a year ago predicted that OnTheMarket would not survive for 12 months has issued a statement...

One of the three approved Ombusdman-style operators, the Property Redress Scheme, is to hold its first agents’ workshop in March. The morning...

In January readers of Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today were given the opportunity to give their views on proposed...

A major estate agency is demanding urgent clarification on a three per cent tax levy - a ‘mini-me’ version of the...

My suspicion in my December Industry Views column that the Chancellor, George Osborne, holds certain types of property owners in contempt...

Online estate agent Purplebricks has now completed its pre-Christmas IPO with shares initially valued at £240m. It’s the latest news that...

There is just four weeks left for the official consultation period set by the government over its controversial proposal to levy...

There are fears that a little-publicised proposal could mean some of the country's smallest estate agencies would have to file tax returns...

Controversy is growing over the government’s surprise consultation period for its proposal to levy a three per cent stamp duty surcharge...

It’s time to take a pause, to reflect and put into context—and what a year it has been for our industry...

A former employee of consumer body Which? has been appointed to the council of The Property Ombudsman, one of the industry’s three...

After visiting the Fairfield showroom in the Fleet office, Simon Silby at James Griffin Estate Agents decided to meet with a...

The Treasury has admitted that stamp duty ‘take’ is expected to soar from £11.2 billion this year to £17.8 billion in...

There’s been shock and anger from agents - especially those in London - at the surprise news of an additional three...

Who are you? Colin Breavington What does it say on your business card? Operations Director We hear SearchFlow is expanding next year, can you give...

I’m writing this from the brand spanking new Center Parks in Woburn Forest. Set within 365 acres of lush Bedfordshire forest,...

The internet domain name of the online estate agency Houses.co.uk has been put up for sale at a budget price, less...

A web portal which radically changes the way investors search for their next investment property has signed up 5,000 agents, less...

Katrine Sporle is to be the new ombudsman at The Property Ombudsman, one of the three government-approved redress services for the...

This month it was announced that Landbay mortgage lenders will release a new rental Index, alongside Zoopla and data-modelling experts MIAC.  The...

A new website has been launched to fight back against the attack George Osborne made in the Summer Budget on the...

No one likes to be called and told, your boiler has broken down or a burst pipe has caused damage to...

A new campaign says it’s not just the buy to let sector that will be penalised by changes to landlord tax...

Here's a thought. The Chancellor may have done the buy-to-let industry a small favour with his emergency Budget in July. What...

There has long been the assumption and contention in the industry that portals are expensive. This, however, is not the case. Along...

Credit rating service Moody’s is warning that restrictions on mortgage interest relief for buy-to-let landlords will slow house price growth in...

Consider the scene. It is July 8th and new Chancellor, Ed Balls, stands at the Dispatch Box giving his first Budget...

Estate agents have given an enthusiastic endorsement to Chancellor George Osborne’s proposals to help boost housing building totals through changes to...

In case we didn’t learn the lesson last time around, we appear to be on the brink of a refresher course...

Wednesday’s budget proved a grim viewing for those who have worked in the rental sector for some time and watched the...

This week the Chancellor, George Osborne, delivered the first Conservative Budget for almost 20 years. While Mr Osborne claimed that it marked...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on George Osborne's...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on George Osborne's...

Agents have expressed their disappointment at the decision by the government to restrict mortgage interest relief for Buy To let investors...

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced a series of measures impacting on the property industry, including:   Mortgage interest relief for buy-to-let homebuyers...

Estate and letting agents and other figures in the property industry have been making their last-minute calls on Chancellor George Osborne...

The government says it will publish an action plan this week to explain how it is going to implement some of...

A house is pretty much the largest investment a person will make in their lifetime, and it’s natural to want the...

When updating you window displays it is important to ask yourself what would make you stop and take the time to...

Moving abroad is a dream for many Britons. There are thousands of us who sit in our offices, day after dreary...

It’s New Year – time for all those resolutions and good intentions. It’s a great time for all property professionals to...

Gareth Styles of Grants Independent Estate Agents, Woking writes: When considering opening a new office in Woking Surrey I met with several...

Labour would introduce the mansion tax within its first 100 days in power, according to party leader Ed Miliband. He says the...

Q: What does it say on your business card? Other than my personal details, the business card carries our logo with our...