Archive

Low risk letting is everyone’s aim, but unless legitimate guidelines are followed it’s difficult to know if a tenant will prove...

The recent ARLA Propertymark conference featured a hugely interesting line-up of speaks and session during a watershed time for the lettings...

Agents boasting qualifications could generate higher fees and more clients, especially if they are ‘ahead of the game’ and improve their...

When they first came onto the scene, online-only estate and lettings agents were predicted to swiftly spell the end for traditional...

Four high-profile industry figures have sent an open letter urging agents to think about what they call “smarter marketing” in a...

One of the industry’s leading compliance experts is to lead a roundtable discussion in May on the anti-money laundering issue -...

This article was originally written for City AM in response to an article it published attacking letting agents. See more here.  A...

Over the last few years, there have a number of changes to the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) regime, which have...

The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) keeps deposit money safe for letting agents, landlords and renters during the course a tenancy....

Estate agent anti-money laundering (AML) compliance is under scrutiny again following the publication of figures detailing the fines levied for AML...

The Money Laundering Regulations require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation to...

Competition for landlords will be fiercer than ever this year. Landlords are facing a raft of changes and will likely be...

The Money Laundering Regulations require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation to...

The Money Laundering Regulations require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation to...

The dust may have settled on the government’s recent announcement regarding housing and property complaints, but opinion is still split on...

The Property Ombudsman’s annual conference is to hear from the chair of the government’s ‘Property Agents Working Group’ - just days...

Kit Malthouse has been making headlines this week, but – in keeping with his tenure as Housing Minister so far -...

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

Alongside hundreds of agents and suppliers, I recently attended the Guild of Property Professionals’ annual conference. As ever, it was a great...

Our latest case study come from a recent news item to have hit the industry and national press. A disgruntled tenant is claiming...

The government has moved to crack down on money laundering in the UK with a new campaign focusing on the accountancy,...

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

The man who is leading the government’s efforts to reform the house buying process will be one of the speaker at...

It’s safe to say that the majority of agents will be glad to see the end of the past two years....

There’s nothing new about identifying 10 figures who have helped shape an industry over the past year, but that doesn’t mean...

The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) keeps deposit money safe for letting agents, landlords and renters during the course a tenancy....

With a new year nearly upon us, it’s always a good idea to be aware of the major events that are...

The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) keeps deposit money safe for letting agents, landlords and renters during the course a tenancy....

The title may be unfamiliar but most agents know by now that in the corridors of Whitehall a working party exists...

Intelligent Services Group - parent company of online auction service IAM Sold - is rebranding around the IAM name. ISG and its...

People now expect a streamlined, digital-first experience from every single service they interact with - and the lettings industry is no...

You will perhaps have seen recently that the Government has decided to boost funding to the regulator, the National Trading Standards...

The Guild of Property Professionals is set to launch in Northern Ireland later this month. The 800-strong network of independent estate agents...

Estate agents have been warned that underestimating their legal obligations when it comes to anti-money laundering (AML) could see an increase...

Technology is transforming the way we comply with Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulation. It is providing a consistent approach, reliable outcomes...

In our previous 2 blogs we have covered the definitions of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) and what the practical...

In 2014 The Properties Misdescriptions Act was repealed and replaced with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, otherwise known as...

In our previous blog, we looked at the definitions outlined by the CPRs. In our next blog we’ll look at the...

When Oakland A’s, a small-market team, stunned the baseball world 16 years ago by transforming itself into world-beaters on a shoestring-budget,...

Purplebricks co-founder Michael Bruce says traditional agents sell only around 50 per cent of the homes that they list, so spend...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...

Does your company apply adequate customer due diligence measures when carrying out estate agency work?  Does it establish and maintain appropriate policies...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...

Emoov’s latest crowdfunding campaign has now gone well over £1.5m, making it already 50 per cent over-funded already from its original...

A property software guru says he wants PropTech firms to join with him in an ‘open platform’ which would allow smaller...

The Advertising Standards Authority says its compliance team is considering its next steps following the refusal of estate agency PDQ Estates...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation...

The dream goes on, and as England eases into the World Cup semi-finals, our agents’ reviews of their games continue -...

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation...

Having recently attended FUTURE: PropTech in London, it struck me just how far the integration of property and technology has progressed...

Last time out I looked at the growing importance of content, social media and design – but these should only form...

An outspoken estate agent has given the government a clear message - get off our backs , ease the red tape...

A new online platform claims agents can now offer people a chance to buy a property with, literally, just one click...

Any letting agent appreciates the effort, dedication, and sometimes heartache, that comes with running a business yet equally knows that when...

Many agents are missing out on significant time saving opportunities when it comes to their floor plans say Landmark, parent of the Metropix...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...

A leading agent has urged major portals Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket to feature virtual viewings content more prominently on their platforms. Writing...

Firstly, my sincere apologies - it has now been over a month since my last PropTech blog, doesn’t time fly!  In the...

Respected industry spokesperson Kristjan Byfield is continuing his fightback against the negative coverage of the agency industry in the mainstream press...

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

Welcome back to Property Jobs Today - EAT's weekly roundup of all the big moves going on in our industry. If you...

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

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

Mike Day, one of the best known and most popular figures in the agency business, is celebrating 15 years as one...

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

The annual report from the Advertising Standards Authority and the Committees of Advertising Practice, out today, shows that the estate and...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Ben Robinson, Director of Agency Services at Landmark What is Landmark...

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

The Guild of Property Professionals has launched a series of regional roadshows with a target of enhancing the success of independent...

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

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

The announcement that MPs will set up a Select Committee to probe the scale of money laundering in the UK property...

A proposal by HMRC to speed up HMRC Capital Gains Tax payments for residential property sales could create a “compliance nightmare.” The...

A 15-month research project says HMRC should do more to engage estate agents in recognising the importance of complying with anti-money...

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

A technology company says that despite government attempts to eradicate money laundering in property transactions, agents and other industry professionals have been left...

A survey suggests that the average fine incurred by estate agents for apparent non-compliance with anti-money laundering regulations is £11,842. Research by...

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

The Property Ombudsman has launched an online training module which it describes as the first of its kind.  The interactive module -...

Industry suppliers Landmark Information and The ValPal Network have entered what they call “a strategic relationship” to provide the firms’ respective...

The share price of OnTheMarket slipped again on Friday - down around five per cent on the day and ending at...

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

Have you noticed a new turf war going on on the fringes of the agency world? It’s not a high-profile battle like...

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

Welcome once again to Property Jobs Today, the notice-board for agents, suppliers and other property professionals moving within, out or in...

The troubled Countrywide group has this morning revealed its recovery plan to get - in its words - ‘back to basics’...

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

A compliance specialist company is warning that as it believes relatively few estate agents fully understand their anti-money laundering obligations, firms...

When it comes to property, ‘Japanese knotweed’ are the two words most homeowners and prospective buyers do not want to hear.  With...

The National Association of Estate Agents says a new tool just launched will make it easier for agent members to comply...

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

The death of traditional TV – where viewers sit down together to watch shows at defined times – has been much...

The UK property sector has been a hotbed for financial crime in recent years, with many criminals seeing it as an...

Having built over 1,800 websites for estate and lettings agents in the last 20 years, it will come as no surprise...

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

This week I carry out a question and answer session with one of the most high-profile names in property. Isobel Thomson has...

A new year means new predictions for what’s to come in the letting industry. Sometimes things come to fruition as expected....

The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents says Purplebricks is still not complying with a ruling made by the Advertising...

What do you need to know if you are considering selling your sales or lettings business?  Here’s ten top tips to think...

After the fun and over-indulgence of the festivities, most of us are now back to the world of work. And, with...

There’s a new warning being issued for estate agents and all other businesses to ensure they are prepared for the General...

The Society of Licensed Conveyancers says it is worried that HM Land Registry’s decision to publish details of apparent errors in...

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

The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents has told Estate Agent Today that it WILL formally launch after all, in...

The Advertising Standards Authority has told the organisers of a house raffle that they must not repeat a promotion because of...

Landlords are being urged to step up and ensure that all rented properties and accommodation meet recent laws relating to carbon...

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

A new EU crackdown on money laundering requires estate agency businesses to adopt a collaborative approach if they are to avoid...

A roadshow is being launched to help the industry tackle what is being described as “the biggest change to affect estate...

The spread and sophistication of financial crime in the UK in recent years has been unprecedented.  Figures from UK Finance show that...

The Guild of Property Professionals is to allow its associate members to have ID cards showing clients that they have passed...

The Estate Agent’s Act 1979 is rapidly approaching its 40th anniversary, yet still agents make mistakes and can all too easily...

The UK estate agency and construction industries are not ready for the huge workload and responsibilities involved in the General Data...

The upcoming national conference for the Relocation Agent Network is introducing an innovative format for part of its agenda - speed...

The Competition and Markets Authority has set out precisely what agents and other companies can and cannot do in the event...

The decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to fine five estate agents for engaging in a price fixing cartel has...

Having launched 13 years ago, PayProp, part of Humanstate Group, an international private technology services group, has grown into a leading...

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

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

Are you protecting your data right? This may sound like the sort of direct warning you get from cold callers or...

Trustpilot, the review service quoted frequently by Purplebricks as evidence of its apparent popularity, is declining to comment on the adverse...

After a roller-coaster day on the Stock Exchange yesterday, Purplebricks has sought to defend itself against further possible share price losses...

The Guild of Professional Estate Agents and Fine & Country are offering agent members the option to have in-person reviews and...

The National Association of Estate Agents is rolling out a series of masterclasses to prepare members for the European Fourth Anti-Money...

The fledgling trade body CIELA says it is going to institute a kitemark-style service for all estate agents to be able...

As an agency business, how much are you spending on professional body memberships? Perhaps it’s time to question how much you...

Estate agents complying with new anti-money laundering regulations introduced this week are unlikely to avoid falling foul of terrorists and criminal...

Independent estate agency network The Guild of Property Professionals has announced that its training scheme has been given formal approval. The Associate...

To give you a nice distraction from the post-election madness, here’s an interview with Charlie Wright, founder of CIELA (or The...

The UK's largest estate agency has announced a series of internal promotions, bolstering its senior leadership team. Yesterday evening Countrywide confirmed that...

A controversial new search engine claiming to be in the later stages of development is seeking investment from estate agents, corporates...

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

A software platform offering a hybrid conveyancing and compliance service to agents has been launched following 12 months of testing with...

Dust off your black tie and grab a tissue as we’re entering a period of mourning. It’s a bold claim, but...

Some big news in the agency world last week won’t have escaped the attention of many in the industry. Last Thursday news...

The fledgling group of independent agents which has already launched attacks on online agency operators in general and Purplebricks in particular...

The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents, which is to be set up formally from next week, has set out...

What does it say on your business card? Christopher Merriman, Land and Planning Director at Intro Crowd Who are Intro Crowd? Intro...

Legal firm Kirwans have released shocking statistics which state that 70% of eviction notices issued by landlords to tenants may be...

In a recent landmark Council Tax case, the Court of Appeal (Leeds City Council V Broadley 2016) upheld that the use...

Zoopla and OnTheMarket have given their first reactions to Rightmove's portal juggling extension of its property re-listing deadline from two weeks to...

With effect from the 1st December 2016, amendments to the Immigration act 2014 were made through the Immigration Act 2016.    The soundbite...

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

What does it say on your business card? Rajeev Nayyar, Managing Director of Fixflo We’re here to talk about your new product,...

When a tenant paid his initial one month’s rent in addition to a tenancy deposit in exchange for the keys to...

The Advertising Standards Authority has explained to Estate Agent Today why many of the complaints made against estate and letting agents...

Who are you? Nick Dyoss, Group Business Development Director, SearchFlow, property intelligence specialists You have a high profile within the conveyancing search industry,...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is to expel an estate agent for breaking several of its membership rules.  Dion Beard,...

The Conveyancing Association says it is continuing to campaign to reform the leasehold transaction process, despite the government saying there is...

With an anticipated “Call for Evidence” from the Dept of Business Innovation & Skills looking into the home-buying experience ETSOS is...

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

With ever increasing obligations, estate agents know that compliance matters now more than ever.  However, being able to obtain access to the...

How do you want your agency to be perceived? Do your processes reflect both the quality and speed of service you...

The Law Society of England and Wales have moved to clarify the legal position of electronic signature and have endorsed their...

After all the recent Whitehall upheaval we can perhaps get back to business; and first item on the agenda seems to...

A fine of £735,000 imposed on an association of estate and letting agents and a local newspaper publisher has been described...

A month ago we ran a quiz compiled by compliance training expert David Beaumont - and the results do not make...

As a service provider to both Estate Agents and Conveyancing Solicitors from one platform, ETSOS sits in a fairly unique position...

The Property Professionals Support Centre, set up earlier this year to provide compliance advice and training, has launched a free compliance...

This debate has been running for some time, but it tends to be the online providers of electronic checks that put...

A fair amount of scaremongering has been going on when it comes to money laundering checks, with the eye-watering fines issued...

The long-awaited Euro 2016 tournament is here at last and to mark the event, compliance training expert David Beaumont - a...

London transaction data company LonRes and law firm Eversheads are launching an agent-to-agent anti money laundering compliance service for LonRes subscribers.  The...

Complaints made against adverts issued by property firms have increased by 10% in the last year. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reports...

Running a business is not easy, but sometimes it becomes harder because we are expected to modify our behaviour due to...

A member of the public has submitted a complaint on portal juggling to the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team following...

Conducting Customer Due Diligence on clients and beneficial owners is a requirement for all estate agents.   The articles in this series...

Straightforward money laundering customer due diligence (CDD) is a worry for agents, but then also having to identify beneficial owners and...

There is a substantial amount of misunderstanding over this question, which needs clarifying.   In general terms, the Money Laundering Regulations require...

There is widespread misunderstanding within agency concerning money laundering obligations.  The first thing to note is that contrary to popular belief the...

The firm which this week announced it had won a landmark money laundering appeal case says it's not all doom and...

Money laundering compliance is the hot topic at the moment, with various organisations making statements about the need to change and...

A local authority has written to all known estate and letting agents in its area criticising those who have allegedly broken...

The Conveyancing Association is launching a training course for estate agents, as the debate swirls over whether a shortage of conveyancers...

Conveyancing search company SearchFlow has joined the attack on councils which are slow at conducting searches and threaten to delay transactions. Yesterday...

A body that regulates property searches has criticised some councils for providing “very poor service” which delays transactions. The Property Codes Compliance...

SearchFlow’s rebrand and positioning as the specialist in ‘property intelligence’ is a response to new technological advancements and the changing market...

This week, SearchFlow launches it new brand. Group Marketing and Communications Director, Maud Rousseau discusses the ethos behind the new brand...

Four well-known figures in the worlds of compliance and agency training have joined forces to launch the Property Professionals Support Centre. PPSC...

Who are you? I’m the Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme. I previously worked for Legal & General PLC dealing...

There are a number of fairly recent regulations that agents need to comply with. One of them, now just over a year...

“Estate Agents have been highlighted by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as under reporting relative to their vulnerability to money...

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

Headlines across the lettings industry often focus on the behaviour of ‘rogue’ landlords – those that are slow to become compliant...

The Property Ombudsman and the Competition and Markets Authority have prepared a supplementary guidance note to help agents ensure compliance with the Competition Act.  The...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says it wants to see 'minimum competency' requirements for sales and letting agents to handle...

It’s been nearly a year since all lettings and property management agents have been legally required to join a redress scheme...

A new ‘enforcement toolkit’ has been designed to assist local authority trading standards teams beef up its policing of local estate...

Chartered surveying firm e.surv has announced the appointment of a new corporate governance director. Beginning in September, Paul Collins will  be responsible...

An estate agent that reportedly left a client’s passport and tax information in the street over 18 months ago has been...

There is a very interesting but easily-overlooked piece of information at the end of the National Trading Standards Estate Agent Team’s...

The National Association of Estate Agents says HMRC have been making unscheduled visits to individual agency offices to check on their...

The Advertising Standards Authority has given its backing to an estate agency using Rightmove data to claim it had the most...

Earlier this week we passed the official deadline for letting agents to fully publicise their fees as well as providing evidence of...

The managing director of Hatched online agency is accusing Purplebricks, eMoov, Tepilo and House Network of advertising their rates exclusive of...

The UK property industry has spent 4 years in an economic maelstrom. We came to this before anyone else in the...