Archive

With Boris Johnson winning the Conservative leadership election and becoming Prime Minister, he has spent his first few days in office...

We now have a new Leader of the Conservative Party and, rather more importantly, a new Prime Minister. That individual is Boris...

Sometimes having prior knowledge of a stressful event can be more stressful than the event itself, just look at Brexit for...

Our own industry’s upheaval over recent years has been no less dramatic than the turmoil at Westminster. The political earthquake has seen...

Theresa May arrived in Downing Street some three years ago - but her premiership has not been a smooth ride. As she...

All the most successful startups of recent years – from Airbnb and Uber to Just Eat and Deliveroo – have melded...

What a great time to be a letting agent. In decades, never has there been so much change. As you’re well aware,...

So far in our contribution to the campaign to replace leasehold with commonhold we have outlined the stories of some of...

With the Tenant Fee Ban obliterating a key income stream, letting agents should be looking at ways they can increase the...

Campaigning groups like Generation Rent and Shelter like to think they are simultaneously edgy and radical; likewise some think tanks believe...

The topic of introducing rent controls in London crops up time and time again in our industry. But it’s been hitting...

It’s time, surely, for government to crackdown not just on rogue agents and landlords but on rogue councils that confuse the...

Cast your minds back to the summer of 2014. It’s 9.55 am somewhere in east London ‘Sorry I’m late’ offers the...

When it comes to letting a property, it is important that landlords and renters have faith in their agent. The more...

A review of the housing market at present, particularly when it comes to purchase transactions, might not necessarily feel overly positive.  The...

Even with 2019 well underway, letting agents need to keep refining their long-term goals and business targets. For agencies with a...

Phil Spencer is on the warpath against “constant tinkering” by government in housing matters - and instead, he wants the problems...

As 2018 draws to a close, it is fair to say that stretched affordability and uncertainty over the Brexit negotiations has...

There is a perfect storm brewing in the lettings market, and as the saying goes, “you can’t change the direction of...

On the face of it, this year’s Budget was not what you could describe as ‘housing heavy’ in terms of the...

Perhaps it’s been our pre-occupation with Brexit, or on the other hand maybe we’re bored with politics, but this year’s Budget...

It’s now almost a month since the government introduced new rules on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), as part of its...

An open rental market, where neither landlord nor tenant is in a dominant position, enables rents to rise and fall, which...

London has been identified as one of a number of ‘bubble risk cities’ in a report by Swiss bank UBS. In a...

Landlords and letting agents might feel they’ve taken a bit of a battering from the government in recent years – and...

Were it not for climate change, I would be very close to predicting that the summer is close to being over,...

The buy-to-let sector, which has been under sustained pressure for a number of years now thanks to tax changes designed to...

Next week ludlowthompson celebrates its 25th anniversary. Here, I catch up with Stephen Ludlow, co-founder and now executive director of the...

With the continued indecision surrounding Brexit and the final divorce settlement still months away, it seems property buyers are choosing to...

Amid the headline-grabbing political manoeuvring over Brexit, a policy proposal which could have serious ramifications for private landlords, and those who...

Cast your mind back to July 2008 – Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, the Euros were in full swing in Austria/Switzerland...

Location, Location, Location: it’s no coincidence the TV show seized on that title because the importance of a property’s position is...

What is the biggest challenge in estate agency today? At the risk of sounding flippant, selling houses! It’s a unique industry...

National estate agency Jackson-Stops claims that the 3% stamp duty surcharge on additional homes is still confusing buyers, despite being in...

Your buy-to-let investment is an extremely valuable asset and you need to know the income generated from it will be safely...

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

A range of factors - including fierce competition under the supplied housing market, rising property prices and political uncertainty – have...

Last week’s news that the lettings fee ban is unlikely to materialise before next spring was perhaps to be expected. Ever since...

Well, I don’t know about you but after the holidays I've got an imprint just below my navel where my belt...

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

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

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...

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...

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

The fact is that most house hunters simply do not have the time, let alone the inclination, to trawl around properties...

The UK is home to four million leasehold properties in private ownership, according to government figures. The majority of which require...

UBS says London's housing market still faces the risk of becoming a bubble - although that risk has marginally eased over...

Some good news is here for landlords and letting agents worried about the energy efficiency rating of their property – the...

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

When a tenant failed to pay any rent after the first month his tenancy last year, the landlord did not expect...

As the mainstream mortgage market braces itself for yet another clampdown on buy-to-let lending, a growing number of property investors are...

With several agent partner programmes available across the country, estate agents can often increase business by offering sales by auction, with...

Being a leading world-class city comes at a price – they are the most expensive for occupiers and the most lucrative...

The Queen’s speech to the British parliament this week was a scaled-back affair, which was unsurprising given the Grenfell Tower fire,...

Theresa May’s call for a snap general election on June 8 took many by surprise. But estate agents have been broadly...

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

I was recently contributing to whitepaper by a major bank about the future of the property industry and, as I was...

I wrote last month about how the Government, in introducing a 3% stamp duty surcharge on second homes, had scored an...

One of the biggest stories post-Brexit is how the housing market has proven to be more resilient than anyone could have...

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

The property market in northern England, supported in part by the Northern Powerhouse concept, has attracted a lot of media attention,...

A year ago, we were days away from the introduction of a 3% stamp duty surcharge on second homes – a...

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

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

With tax relief changes, a rise in Stamp Duty for second homes and strict mortgage affordability checks now in place, it...

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...

The rapid growth in popularity of buy-to-let in recent years, fuelled in part by the failings of the pensions industry, has...

The East Midlands, which consists of several areas including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, and much of Lincolnshire, has an ancient...

If you work in lettings, I’ll already have a pretty good idea on how you feel about the current Conservative Government.  The...

2016 was quite a year – eventful, dramatic, shocking and impossible to predict. In no particular order, we saw Leicester winning...

The rental market has had to face a raft of changes over the past year, including the introduction of the 3% stamp...

There is no doubt that 2016 managed to catch the world by surprise on more than one occassion.  But will 2017 be...

If you provide a service, you expect to be paid for it. Sound fair? But with the forthcoming ban on tenant...

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

Next year is likely to be a challenging time for letting agents, following a raft of changes introduced by the government...

Chancellor Philip Hammond caught the lettings industry unaware with an incredulous Autumn Statement.  The buy-to-let sector took a bashing earlier in 2015...

It may still be too early to start compiling a Christmas wish list, but it is the right time to provide...

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

We are now less than a month away from Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement to the nation, depending of course on...

Auction rooms across the UK are filled with people looking to buy property, from bargain hunters to seasoned investors, ensuring that...

The huge consequences of the EU referendum, and the impending Brexit negotiations, have drawn into sharp light the consequences for a...

Buy-to-let landlords may have failed in their recent legal battle against planned government tax relief changes for buy-to-let homes set to...

Fears raised over the UK housing market in the wake of the Brexit vote have so far proved to be ‘wide...

The Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority has confirmed that tighter regulations will apply to lenders providing mortgages for buy to...

Zoopla has formally announced the launch of its new 'Invest' channel, which has been designed to provide consumers with the opportunity...

Those working within the UK housing market would have felt considerable worry about the immediate impact of the vote to leave...

The Welsh Government has announced that from April 2018, Stamp Duty Land Tax will be replaced with a Land Transaction Tax.  The...

Housing minister Gavin Barwell has met campaigners to scrap anti-buy to let measures introduced by the Cameron government in the past...

Fergus and Judith Wilson, at one time considered to be Britain’s biggest private landlords, have sold off an estimated 400 of...

The huge rush to acquire buy-to-let property in the first quarter of the year ahead of the stamp duty change deadline...

A campaign has been launched to make Bristol the colour capital of the UK by ensuring that more homes are painted...

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

For many people buy-to-let continues to look an attractive income investment at a time of low saving rates and stock market...

The morning after the EU referendum, and Westminster, Britain, Europe and the world were left in shock at the news that...

Respected financial comparison website Moneyfacts says the average buyer requiring a mortgage and securing a deal now will be £240 a...

As promised, this week’s Natter is dedicated to a question and answer session with Peter Brodnicki, the man who has been...

Sheffield in South Yorkshire, which was once one of the leading industrial cities in Britain and is still recognised for its...

The high-profit property crowdfunding site Property Partner has laid off 13 of its employees - equivalent to around 29 per cent...

With a number of agent partner programmes available nationwide, estate agents can often increase business by offering sales by auction, especially...

What a month it has been. By the time you read this, we'll have a new Prime Minister, a new Cabinet,...

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

The sense of gathering momentum for the Leave campaign ahead of the upcoming EU referendum is causing high levels of uncertainty...

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

So we now have a new 'official' index of house prices, and much good may it do us. For the chattering classes...

Valuation activity in May rose by nearly a fifth on an annual basis despite the upcoming EU referendum according to research...

Sales skills, and the ability to negotiate in particular, have always been a core ingredient for any estate agent – and...

While buy-to-let lenders brace themselves for further interventions as part of proposals currently being drawn up by the Prudential Regulation Authority...

Last time out I spoke about the beginnings of a PropTech revolution, with two major London-based events in the offing over...

Property sales slowed dramatically in April as the market readjusted following the frenzy of buying before the stamp duty surcharge deadline...

The race to replace London Mayor Boris Johnson has entered its final few days, and like never before, housing is the...

We’re all talking about second home stamp duty, changes to tax relief and the Prudential Regulation Authority’s suggestion that banks should...

Home lending in 2016 saw its best opening quarter for nine years according to the figures from chartered surveying firm e.surv.  An...

It’s unlikely that this is what George Osborne wanted when he announced his stamp duty surcharge but its deadline for introduction...

Research by The Guardian has revealed that the Blair family’s property empire has expanded - secured just ahead of the stamp...

We talk about the unstoppable rise of buy-to-let and forget that it was only as recently as the early 1970’s that...

The numbers of households purchasing their first home has grown by almost seven per cent annually, despite the surge in buy...

Property has long been a safe investment. Before the downturn in 2008, sellers were able to gain a healthy capital return.  Post-economic...

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

With less than a month to go before the new rate of stamp duty kicks in for second property purchasers, we’re...

Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that gross mortgage lending reached £17.6 billion last month - that's the highest...

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...

JLL says the stamp duty surcharge on buy to let properties and second homes has obliged it to downgrade its forecast...

Another online petition has been launched against one of Chancellor George Osborne’s fiscal measures seen as an attack on the private...

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

Predicting ho­­w the housing market might play out over the next few months is incredibly difficult. There are a significant number...

Prime Minister David Cameron has dismissed out of hand appeals and comments from Estate Agent Today readers to reconsider the recent...

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

With a little over two months to go until changes to Stamp Duty are introduced that will impact purchasers of second...

Landlords trying to beat Chancellor George Osborne’s stamp duty surcharge deadline are behind the latest upbeat assessment of the housing market...

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

The scores are in: Estate Agent Today has collated forecasts from 10 of the leading estate agency corporates and major business...

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

The scores are in: here are the top 10 high-end agencies and property analysts' predictions for what 2016 has in store...

Rightmove says the seasonal 1.1 per cent dip in average asking prices coming to market in the past month is the...

This week, Storm Desmond has left devastation in its wake. Once again, the nation’s attention is drawn to the threat flooding...

I’m sure I’m not the only estate agent confused by the Government’s approach to residential property ownership. Many of the current ministerial...

You might recall a collective sigh of relief emitted by stakeholders in the housing market and private rental sector back in...

Once you go beyond the industry’s anger about the Chancellor’s three per cent stamp duty surcharge – and that’s an anger...

Negativity. There’s a lot of it about in the lettings industry right now. Where you might see barriers, hurdles and more...

A reader of Industry Views is unlikely to need converting to the virtues of buy to let, but anyone involved in...

We have reached an interesting point in what has been a most unusual year for the property sector.  The latest figures from...

It would seem that now is a better time than ever for investors to join the buy-to-let market.  The Royal Institute of...

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

You can't help but notice that it's back to school time – the shops are full of school uniforms and pencil...

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

The repossession rate has fallen again in the second quarter of 2015, and is at the lowest rate since records began. The...

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

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...

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...

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...

Although the housing market is showing few signs of igniting following the election slowdown, there is at least some good news...

The post-election period has triggered a flurry of interest in buy to let but a sharp decline in business from first...

A new portal aimed at investors looking to purchase buy-to-let property has reported that it has thousands of listings from agents...

A little over four weeks ago I was here musing what impact the impending general election might have on the property...

While many agents reported business  slowing in the run-up to the election, there was quite different news coming from Connells Valuation...

Under new pension freedom reforms, people aged 55 and over can access as much of their savings from their defined contributions...

With pension reform, council licensing changes and a General Election on the horizon, many are anticipating a boom in the buy-to-let...