Archive

In this week’s In Conversation Today, I speak to someone who has made an excellent impression on the property industry in...

This time out, I speak to one of the industry’s biggest-hitters. Adrian Gill may have retired from frontline agency, having had...

One of the industry’s leading consultants has calculated staff turnover rates at the country’s leading estate agencies. Christopher Watkin, the consultant who...

A business that calls itself the UK’s first 24/7 home-based estate agency has announced a new franchisee.  Dorset-based Meyers Estate Agents was...

This week’s interviewee in the ‘In Conversation Today’ hotseat is a man better placed than most to shed some light on...

Connells Group has adopted e-Signatures from Yoti for its sales and lettings business across a number of brands. This follows a successful...

One of the biggest trends in recent times, as a direct result of the pandemic, is the concept of working from...

Connells has bought a small three-branch family-run agency to sit within Sequence - Connells' third acquisition in recent weeks. Holroyds - bought for...

Paul Creffield, a veteran figure at Countrywide involved in a controversy over bonuses, is staying on to “support” the transition into new...

The extraordinary consolidation in the estate agency industry continues apace today with two of the biggest deals reaching critical points. Firstly Hunters’...

Connells Group, which is of course acquiring Countrywide, has announced it's snapped up another agency - albeit a much smaller one. It...

The Countrywide name is set to disappear from the stock market in a week’s time - and may soon be gone...

Connells Group says it is the UK's largest estate agency group by market share - and that's before the Countrywide acquisition...

The acquisition of Countrywide by Connells might just be the deal of the century in the British estate agency industry. That’s the...

Former Reapit chief Gary Barker is to join Connells Group, just as the company is taking over Countrywide. Barker - who last...

Countrywide shareholders have overwhelmingly backed the offer by Connells to buy the company. At a special virtual AGM today 99.58 per cent...

Some 100 new apprentice estate agents are to be recruited in London. Dexters, which has 70 offices across the capital including 12...

Connells Group, now on the threshold of taking the ailing Countrywide empire under its wings, has signed a five year partnership...

At the back-end of last year and the start of this, the biggest news stories in town – besides debates over...

Connells, which already has the explicit support of a majority of Countrywide shareholders for its takeover of the company, has now...

Countrywide shareholders will next month have the opportunity to vote on the Connells bid to purchase the troubled estate agency group. The...

There’s been a flurry of recent activity involving agencies quoted on the London Stock Exchange: Hunters, The Property Franchise Group and...

The New Year lull is well and truly over and this week’s Agents Do Charity show fundraising is back in business despite...

While the property industry has suffered far less than other sectors during the past year, it would be short of the...

Connells has cemented its takeover of Countrywide - it now has backing from over 52 per cent of shareholders. In a statement...

Countrywide’s former management seriously damaged the company’s share value and status by adopting a flawed business plan - and then executing...

Connells has revealed that it’s to keep the existing Countrywide branch structure and staff headcount when the acquisition process is completed...

Here’s hoping you managed to have as good a Christmas and New Year as Covid rules allowed. Journalism in early January is...

In a dramatic New Year’s Eve statement on the London Stock Exchange, Countrywide has agreed the terms of a recommended offer...

The saga over the future of Countrywide continues with the company urging its shareholders to take “no action” over the latest...

Connells has this morning made a dramatic improvement in its bid to takeover Countrywide. It has increased its cash offer from 250p...

The private equity company which wants to take control of Countrywide has issued a statement saying it now has the support...

Countrywide has this morning rejected an £80m offer made for it by Connells Group. On November 23 Connells announced that its due...

Criticism of the management of Countrywide has reached new levels of derision as the mainstream media have attacked the chaos surrounding...

A statement this morning from Countrywide's board says both its executive chairman and its group managing director are leaving the company.  It...

Connells Group has announced a major recruitment drive as it looks to create 250 new agents' positions - and it’s launched...

Connells has increased the temperature in its bid for Countrywide with a surprise statement this morning outlining risks run by Countrywide if...

Countrywide, which is thought to have closed over a fifth of its branches in recent years, has opened a new office...

It’s no secret that the recent pandemic has forced more businesses to operate remotely, but the shift for estate agents has...

Various investors in Countrywide have submitted early online paperwork to The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers - the red tape required to...

Countrywide shares soared yesterday, rising 47 per cent on the previous close at one point as investors relished the prospect of...

Connells has issued a counter statement to this morning’s announcement by Countrywide that a possible takeover is underway. At 7am Countrywide revealed...

It’s been announced this morning that Connells is in takeover discussions with the troubled Countrywide agency group. Countrywide has given Connells until...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak today reveals his latest measures to help businesses - including agencies, suppliers and other parts of the property...

Connells Group has revealed seven appointments to its board of directors which it links directly with a target to grow presence and...

A south coast estate agency which has been operating since the 1980s has opened its seventh office.  Jacobs Steel’s latest branch is...

Connells Group has announced its trading statement for the first half of 2020 - and its support for its staff is...

All my recent Natters have been focused on one particular topic, the coronavirus crisis, for obvious reasons. But there has been...

Who are you? I’m Craig Fenner, a Customer Success Director at Feefo.  I work directly with Feefo’s Enterprise clients to ensure they...

The Say No To Rightmove campaign has launched a countdown clock on its website to galvanise agents into remembering only 85...

A PropTech firm is reporting a surge in demand for its remote ID verification software products during the virus lockdown. The software,...

A long-standing legal dispute between OnTheMarket and the Gascogne Halman and Connells agencies has been settled. No details have been released but in...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? My name is Jon Notley and I am the co-founder...

Purplebricks and Countrywide have each recently claimed to be the biggest agency group in the UK but now Connells says that...

Some of the biggest figures in the industry have given Estate Agent Today their reaction to the news - broken yesterday...

An outspoken industry commentator says some of the country’s leading agencies are failing because they’re not actually run by experienced agents. Russell...

In six years of editing Estate Agent Today, some of my most dramatic moments have been covering the troubles - some...

Hello and welcome to the first Property Jobs Today of 2020 - and we’ve plenty to report even with the New...

Connells has confirmed that it has closed two branches in Dorset in the south west of England, in addition to the...

An unknown website called EA League Tables has issued a list of agencies and agency-groups which it claims shows their order by...

Connells has confirmed that it’s closing one of its branches on Wednesday with some but not all staff being redeployed. And the...

Yes, believe it or not, we’ve nearly reached the end of a whole decade. And what an eventful decade it’s been. We’ve...

Hello and welcome to the final Property Jobs Today for November - the festive month of December is just around the...

A Connells’ agency brand arguably best known because of legal action by OnTheMarket is to open its 21st office. Cheshire property consultancy...

Hello and welcome to the regular Monday Property Jobs Today feature, your chance to catch up with who’s moving where in...

Mark Bentley, the immediate past president of the National Association of Estate Agents, has become the highest profile agent yet to...

Hello, welcome to another Monday and the latest PJT. As ever, a brief reminder to please let us know your appointments new...

A new national agency concept - eXp UK - has told Estate Agent Today that its recruitment schedule is running “well...

OnTheMarket has this morning posted its latest results to the stock market. The portal reports that 2,346 branches had converted to full-paying...

Case study: Connells reaping the time-saving benefits of new sales and communication tool Since adopting mio in September 2018, Josh Lally, Senior...

It may only be October 4, but temperatures have already started to drop this week as preparations for winter begin. As we...

Connells Group has announced its acquisition of an independent Cambridgeshire agency - and it says it’s on the look out for...

One of the most experienced and high profile figures in the industry says individual agents working for online companies are typically...

I missed the biggest property story of the week and it’s only scant consolation that almost everyone else seemed to miss it...

Connells Group has repeated its claim, made in recent months in the light of trading figures, that it is now the...

Connells Group has this morning announced a profits dip for the first six months of the year.  Its pre-tax profits were £26.2m...

Hello and welcome to this latest edition of PJT, your regular weekly column giving all the key appointments news in the...

Connells Group-owned Sequence UK has been told by the Advertising Standards Authority to update Rightmove listings more promptly after properties are...

Hello and here’s another PJT to start the week: we hope it’s your first port of call when you want to...

A veteran of three online estate agencies has been named as the first UK head of a US real estate operation...

More than 800 property transactions fall through daily, which can have repercussions both practically and financially, as agents fail to get...

Hello and welcome to the regular Monday edition of Property Jobs Today. Everyone here contacted us on press@estateagenttoday.co.uk to espresso the word;...

House Network, one of the first ever online estate agencies, is alleged to be considering calling in administrators. Two reliable sources close...

Connells Group says investment in PropTech will be the way to safeguard its almost-600 High Street branches - and it’s repeated...

Welcome to this week’s PJT, your chance to catch up with the latest key job moves. Keep in touch with us on...

A new training and development team has been set up by Connells Group. It’s designed - in the company’s words - “to...

Every staff member at a branch of the Connells-owned William H Brown agency has been promoted, after it was voted one...

Michael O’Flaherty, an area director at the Connells Group and at one time a resident property expert on a popular TV...

Hello and welcome to this week’s PJT, your Monday update on jobs and key moves across the industry. Everyone mentioned here has...

Connells’ brand Gascoigne Halman has lost its appeal against OnTheMarket. Gascoigne Halman challenged OTM’s old ‘one other portal’ rule at the Competition...

The industry is back to full-strength on its fund-raising judging from our virtual postbag this week with many new reports of...

If you thought Christmas Eve meant no more news in terms of industry movers and shakers…well, think again - we’ve one...

Another year is nearly done – and what an eventful year it’s been. We’ve had more than our fair share of breaking...

Hello and with Christmas just around the corner, and temperatures finally being a little more like winter, what better time to...

The demise of Emoov, Tepilo and lettings platform Urban raises question marks over the long-term viability of online agencies according to...

OnTheMarket has issued an upbeat statement about the Court of Appeal setting a date to hear Connells-owned Gascoigne Halman's challenge to a ruling...

Here we go again - the Court of Appeal is to hear Connells-owned Gascoigne Halman's challenge to a ruling that cleared...

You don’t need EAT to remind you that Christmas is now just next month.  Many agents are gearing their fund-raising to that...

As scary Halloweens go, yesterday was quite a shocker for Britain’s online estate agency sector - and not in a good...

If it’s Monday it must be Property Jobs Today, your round up of the industry’s key moves. Are you changing jobs yourself?...

An estate agency comparison website claims the rise of online and hybrid estate agencies has obliged traditional agents to be more...

The shock immediate closure of Hatched, the online agency heavily invested in by Connells, has raised question marks over the online...

The Connells-owned online agency Hatched is to close with immediate effect. A statement from the company says: “Online estate agency Hatched will...

Tili does all the work to deliver a smooth home move for customers and income for agents. An innovative and easy to...

Rightmove says the housing market is now into a ‘summer sale’ as newly-marketed property shows an average asking price fall of...

  Hello and welcome to this week’s PJT - a thinner than usual edition as the industry enjoys the last of the...

Rumours abound over the future of Countrywide, which lost further share value on Friday, closing very slightly down on the day...

We may be well into August but there’s little sign of a holiday for our industry, with a string of big...

Connells Group - which now says it’s the country’s largest estate agency by market share and numbers of homes sold -...

Estate Agent Today is 10 years old this weekend. We hope you’ll agree that’s a cause for celebration and a great...

Hello and welcome to Property Jobs Today, the regular Monday round-up of moves and changes in our industry. Do please let us...

Over 100 ‘top achievers’ from Connells Group have just enjoyed an all-expenses paid trip to New York as a thank you...

A magazine which earlier this year claimed that two big corporates pressured customers to use their preferred mortgage brokers has now...

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

A magazine claims its investigations into the sales tactics of Countrywide and Connells suggest the two agency are “harming consumers, stopping them from...

Foxtons has reported its 2017 figures to shareholders and the City this morning and as expected they show sharp falls in...

Land and investment deals achieved by Connells Group in 2017 will add a further 2,750 units to its new homes pipeline,...

OnTheMarket has finally completed its stock market float, with less capital raised, at a lower than planned valuation and, as I write,...

Connells Group - which includes Connells, Sequence and other brands - says it recorded over 9,000 new homes sales in 2017. This...

ZPG says it anticipates a strong 2018 according to a trading statement ahead of the company’s annual general meeting today. The firm...

Connells Group’s estate agency business increased its market share of new instructions in 2017 by almost four per cent, despite a...

Connells says it is still unable to comment on whether it will appeal against the Competition Appeals Tribunal verdict of last...

Connells has told Estate Agent Today that it is not making any official comment yet on the decision revealed yesterday that...

Who says things slow down before Christmas? The opposite appears to be the case, at least when it comes to the...

The Court of Appeal Civil Division has today given Connells’ agency Gascoigne Halman the right to appeal against the verdict of...

LSL Property Services - which has high street brands including Your Move, Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons - has signed...

Despite growing concern about the health of the housing market, a string of estate agencies have made appointments this week. Connells Residential...

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

New figures from UK Finance, the umbrella body for finance houses, show gross mortgage lending in September rose to £21.4 billion...

ZPG has announced that Connells is the latest major agency chain to sign a long-term deal with its portals Zoopla and...

One of the industry’s longest-serving individuals, Connells Group chairman Stephen Shipperley, this month celebrates 40 years with the business.   He joined...

An analysis conducted by estate agency comparison website GetAgent has for the first time attempted to calculate how ‘local’ agencies' local property...

Many industries in the UK are currently facing a tumultuous time as the great unknown of Brexit looms on the horizon...

For the second successive week the Advertising Standards Authority has banned an online estate agency’s advertisement.  Last week it was HouseSimple and...

Almost half of all property purchase valuations last month were conducted on behalf of first-time buyers according to Connells - well...

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

A data analytics firm that has studied over 2.7m visits to UK property company websites claims that once a visitor arrives...

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

Adam Day, the founder of Connells-owned online estate agency Hatched, has been announced as head of operations at easyProperty.    In a statement...

The Connells-owned agency Gascoigne Halman is to make a costs payment of £1.24m within 14 days to Agents’ Mutual - but...

The Connells-owned agency Gascoigne Halman is to make a costs payment of £1.24m within 14 days to Agents’ Mutual - but...

Agents’ Mutual says it will be seeking to recover costs and compensation for losses incurred after what is widely seen as...

The chief executive of Purplebricks, often criticised by detractors for failing to reveal completion rates as opposed to listings, says his...

Just 27% of property valuations in May were requested by prospective home sellers, according to the latest data from Connells Survey...

Over 100 so-called Top Achievers from across Connells Group’s Sequence and Connells estate agencies have been taken by the company on...

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has informally resolved a complaint made against Connells. The case focused on a Connells Rightmove listing which...

A record number of over 300 agents have so far signed up for next week’s FUTURE: PropTech conference, the largest event...

A firm is claiming to be allow high street agents to offer vendors an online sale services as well, without the...

One of the estate agency industry’s leading technology figures has been appointed to a key role in a major global property consultancy. Alex...

An online estate agency which says it could be the next Purplebricks says prejudice against internet property transactions is waning  “With Neil...

LSL Property Services - which owns high street agency brands Your Move, Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons - is the...

Connells Group has announced strong figures for 2016 with the total number of properties sold rising five per cent and lettings...

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

Connells Group’s estate agency business recorded an eight per cent increase in exchanges in 2016 over the previous year, and says...

The Competition Appeals Tribunal hearing between Agents’ Mutual and Connells-owned agency Gascoigne Halman is to be concluded on Monday - but...

Connells Group’s mortgage services wing has recorded a 10 per cent increase in the number of mortgages in 2016 and has generated...

Connells Group says its Land and New Homes divisions enjoyed record performances in 2016.  The group, which includes Connells and Sequence along...

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

Brexit and the economic uncertainty since the EU Referendum have not prevented Connells delivering overall growth in 2016 - despite a...

This week sees the start of the Competition Appeal Tribunal court case between Agents’ Mutual Ltd and Gascoigne Halman Ltd. The case...

Today we mark the start of Christmas week with a fabulously festive Mannequin Challenge (that’s how it starts off, anyway) and a...

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

Hatched, the online agency snapped up just over a year ago by Connells in what was described as an ‘industry defining’...

Gareth Overton, until recently regional director at Countrywide’ Gascoigne Pees brand, has joined regional independent Henry Adams as head of residential...

A website live chat provider claims research shows that the facility significantly influences activity amongst users of websites on which it...

Connells Group is to continue with its experimental ‘live chat’ facility on its website after seeing a significant rise in valuation bookings...

The OnTheMarket Action Group of rebel agents in a legal process against the portal has issued a set of questions following...

Agents' Mutual was last week ordered to make a further payment into court as part of its ongoing legal case against...

Two high profile property firms have strengthened their land and new homes teams in order to cope with growing demand in...

North West estate agency Gascoigne Halman has confirmed it is looking for acquisition opportunities.  Yesterday the firm, which has 18 branches, announced...

It’s easy to forget, but there was a time when the internet didn’t exist. When the idea behind the world wide...

Speculation continues to grow within the industry over a potential merger involving Connells and the newly-combined agencies of Leaders and Romans.   Connells...

There was a small two per cent drop in residential valuations in July compared to the same month last year, according to...

Rightmove says it is confident of keeping on track to deliver its expected results and profits throughout 2016 despite the unexpected...

The Competition Appeals Tribunal which is to investigate a dispute between OnTheMarket and two agencies is scheduled to hold its first...

The pace of property valuations conducted last month grew on both an annual basis and since the previous month, despite jitters...

Peter Alan, part of the Connells Group, has acquired Marina Quay, a specialist Swansea Marina estate agency as part of its...

A small estate agency is spelling out why it has taken the unusual step of scrapping its established High Street office...

A few of our Industry Views pieces this week focus on the upcoming EU referendum. I don’t think I can add...

The influential consumer property body HomeOwners Alliance says Purplebricks-style hybrid estate agencies may be “the future”. In a blog on the HOA website,...

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

The largest estate agency in Wales is to extend its regional footprint after acquiring an independent firm. Peter Alan has purchased 26-year-old...

One of the original online estate agents, Hatched, is marking its tenth anniversary with a series of announcements.  The firm, which began...

It’s nearly June – June! – already. Seriously, where has this year gone? This means summer is nearly upon us, with a...

Connells has acquired the five-branch independent Paul Dubberley from property investment company Bond Wolfe. Established in 1992, Paul Dubberley offers sales, lettings,...

Estate agency Connells says the buoyant start to 2016 created by investors trying to beat the April stamp duty deadline may...

It almost goes without saying that PropTech is a hot topic these days - this year alone we’ve seen multi-million pound...

Connells Survey and Valuation says the total number of valuations conducted in March showed a 21 per cent increase over the...

The traditional spring season of expansions and new offices continues apace with a series of announcements in recent days. Essex-based Balgores Property...

Talks are ongoing about portal choices for Cheshire-based estate agency Gascoigne Halman - acquired by Connells last year - and no decision has...

Alex Bailes, until recently last autumn was spearheading the Countrywide’s activities in the digital world, has now reappeared as Connells Group...

Alex Bailes, until recently spearheading the Countrywide’s activities in the digital world, has now reappeared as Connells Group Head of Digital. Alongside...

Countrywide is to lead a group including Connells and Zoopla in a partnership with the proptech company Fixflo, currently best known...

It is reported this morning that OnTheMarket has lost one of its key early investors, the Gascoigne Halman agency which is...

A branch of Connells has been named on a government website’s ‘name and shame list’ for failing to pay a member...

There was a remarkable 52 per cent increase in valuations undertaken by Connells in January this year compared to the same...

Do you remember Martha Lane-Fox? She was the poster girl for lastminute.com and an icon of the dot.com bubble that ended...

eMoov founder and managing director Russell Quirk has taken to print to explain why he believes 2016 will be the year...

Purplebricks is very easily the most recognisable online estate agency, according to a survey of 1,300 home owners by respected polling...

An interesting story caught my eye a few weeks ago. A man from Lytham St Annes in Lancashire attempted to sell...

Connells Group says it is still on the prowl for traditional estate agencies to acquire after its announcement that it has...

Connells has acquired Hatched, one of the pioneers of the online estate agency model. The acquisition is “aligned with Connells’ ambitious growth strategy...

UK house prices are growing annually by 9.7 per cent according to the Halifax, which says "improving economic conditions" lie behind...

Zoopla says it will later this week give an update on the number of agents it now has as members -...

The Connells Group has acquired independent agency chain Gascoigne Halman, an 18-branch company operating in south Manchester.  Gascoigne Halman, founded in 1990,...

Residential valuations have reached their highest level for six months according to Connells’ survey and valuation group. Valuation activity in September was...

A protest march in London's fashionable Shoreditch area turned nasty when the windows of a Marsh & Parsons estate agency branch...

We’ve enjoyed a bit of an Indian summer this week. Not sure it makes up for one of the coldest and...

Remortgaging activity has soared in recent weeks, outperforming all other areas of the housing market. New research from Connells Survey & Valuation...

Connells Group has announced a new £5m annual investment into growing its team of chartered surveyors across the UK.   The announcement follows...

One of the country largest agency chains, Connells, has unveiled an updated logo and boards, along with plans to modernise its offices...

The number of valuations has dropped over the summer according to figures from Connells.  Although valuation volumes for July are significantly up...

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

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

The Connells Group has announced pre-tax profits of £27.3m for the first half of 2015 and forecasts a record full-year of...

Connells says its sales figures for June show a 27.5 per cent rise on the same month last year.  The agency has...

The Halifax house price index says house prices jumped 1.7 per cent in June and 3.3 per cent over the past...

June has witnessed a surge in residential valuations according to Connells.  It says there were 23 per cent more property valuations conducted...

A review of 30 prominent property sales websites undertaken by a digital marketing company demonstrates, perhaps predictably, a huge lead for...

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

Connells Group is set to increase its national network of agency offices through more acquisitions.  Over the last year Connells has embarked...

Online estate agency Purplebricks is expanding its reach by launching in Northern Ireland.  The agency – which has ‘local property experts’ working...

Two of the UK’s largest agency groupings have announced new senior appointments. Martin & Co PLC, one of the UK's largest property...

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

Connells says the early 2015 business has picked up from the winter lull but “couldn’t match the beginning of last year”...

Thanks to everyone for keeping our readers updated on what’s happening in the world of estate agency charity fund-raising. This week’s updates...

After seven years at the helm of Connells Residential, Stuart Flavell has announced his retirement and will step down from his...