The CEO of leading Scottish property portal ESPC, Paul Hilton shares why a discerning pricing strategy can improve the prospects of...
Archive
09 March 2024
From: Features
I was chatting to a genuine city gent the other day (someone who has enjoyed a career in suits, ties, shares...
02 March 2024
From: Features
The CEO of leading Scottish property portal ESPC shares why a discerning pricing strategy can improve the prospects of your property...
02 March 2024
From: Features
The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by...
02 March 2024
From: Features
Rumours of the launch of a 1% mortgage deposit scheme have re-emerged with just weeks to go until the Spring Budget Chancellor...
23 February 2024
From: Breaking News
Last weekend, Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Michael Gove wrote in the Sunday Times that the nation’s housing crisis was so...
17 February 2024
From: Features
Housebuilders have indicated that they would prefer a Labour government is formed after the next General Election. The latest Land Index and...
30 January 2024
From: Breaking News
Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...
27 January 2024
From: Features
After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during May’s local election campaigning,...
13 January 2024
From: Features
The factor most likely to influence the housing market next year is entirely outside the industry’s control: the General Election. Knight Frank...
16 December 2023
From: Features
So Christmas is coming – soon. Traditionally a time for reflection on what’s past and prediction on what’s to come. Last week...
09 December 2023
From: Features
The United Kingdom stands on the precipice of a historic overhaul in property ownership. With the King's speech unveiling the anticipated...
25 November 2023
From: Features
A proposed cut in stamp duty by the Westminster government would be a welcome boost to homebuyers and would need to...
27 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Stamp Duty reform was back in the news over the weekend amid reports that the Government plans to reform the controversial...
23 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Housing supply rather than the private rented sector (PRS) made the headlines during the Conservative and Labour Party conferences this year...
14 October 2023
From: Features
Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Conservative party conference - just finished, and possibly the last one before a General Election -...
07 October 2023
From: Features
I listened carefully, and I even played it back afterwards. But, even now, I remain astonished by what I didn’t hear. On Wednesday, in his...
06 October 2023
From: Breaking News
More families need a home they can call their own, the Housing Secretary Michael Gove has claimed. Speaking at the Tory Party...
04 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Propertymark is extending its political engagement and reach by exhibiting at the party conferences this week. The agency trade body will be...
02 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Since the Bank of England base rate started making large jumps around the middle of last year, mortgage rates have increased...
23 September 2023
From: Features
Introduced to Parliament in May, the Renters (Reform) Bill seeks to improve the private rental sector for both tenants and landlords....
15 September 2023
From: Sponsored Content
The Government is facing calls to resurrect the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme. The housing support scheme, which provided a Government-backed...
11 September 2023
From: Breaking News
And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...
09 September 2023
From: Features
I recently wrote that the long-gestating Renters Reform Bill, finally introduced in Parliament back in May, could be poorly timed, both...
26 August 2023
From: Features
Keir Starmer’s announcement about building on the Green Belt attracted some contentious headlines. It immediately thrust housing and planning into the...
26 August 2023
From: Features
It was a genuine pleasure to read this week about Yorkshire estate agent Ian Bradbury who clocked up 40 years selling...
19 August 2023
From: Features
After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during recent local election campaigning,...
19 August 2023
From: Features
There is much debate about energy efficiency right now and about expected changes to minimum EPCs for private rental properties and...
12 August 2023
From: Features
The process from a Local Plan allocation to a digger on site typically stretches beyond the length of a five-year political...
12 August 2023
From: Features
It may be all change - again - at the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government if media speculation...
17 July 2023
From: Breaking News
The National Association of Property Buyers’ Jonathan Rolande gives his take on why it’s those working across the sector who will help drag us...
07 July 2023
From: Breaking News
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has ruled out providing financial support for struggling mortgage borrowers as rates hit new highs. Average mortgage rates hit...
21 June 2023
From: Breaking News
Two former housing ministers have criticised the Government for scrapping housebuilding targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets...
07 June 2023
From: Breaking News
It has been another busy week in the property sector. In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on...
19 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Labour leader Keir Starmer took to the airwaves yesterday, promising to "back the builders not blockers" when it comes to homeownership. Speaking...
18 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Sleight of hand, optical illusion, card up the sleeve – we all love a good conjuring trick, don’t we? And they say...
13 May 2023
From: Features
Rishi Sunak has admitted Conservative Party members were a factor in ditching centralised housing targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory...
14 April 2023
From: Breaking News
LSL Property Services’ share price dipped yesterday after posting an operating loss in its 2022 annual accounts. Its results showed a group...
14 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The property market is broken, Housing Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged yesterday. Despite the Conservative Party being in power since 2010, Gove insisted...
04 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The property industry may be going to great effort to digitise and improve the process of buying and selling a home...
13 March 2023
From: Breaking News
Purplebricks is considering an alternative ownership structure to ‘better realise the potential of the group.’ The beleaguered online agent launched a strategic...
17 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Lucy Frazer became the 13th Housing Minister to leave the role in the past decade yesterday after she was promoted to...
08 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Conservative MPs are continuing to question when new estate agency regulations will come in as the Government sticks to its stock...
17 January 2023
From: Breaking News
Happy New Year, to you all. Now that we’re all back in harness and Christmas feels like a long-distant memory, I...
14 January 2023
From: Features
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday repeated previously debunked claims that the Government is building record numbers of homes. Housebuilding have returned to...
01 December 2022
From: Breaking News
A former Housing Secretary has outlined why the Conservative Party mustn’t abandon its commitment to housebuilding. It comes as some 47 Conservative...
24 November 2022
From: Breaking News
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt should be wary of placing a greater financial burden on homeowners in next weeks’s Autumn Statement, an agent...
10 November 2022
From: Breaking News
The Government is being urged to create a mortgage protection fund to support homeowners who are struggling with repayments. It comes as...
08 November 2022
From: Breaking News
Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...
29 October 2022
From: Features
A Bill to bring the Government’s Stamp Duty reductions into legislation reached its second reading in the Houses of Parliament this...
26 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Rishi Sunak has been confirmed as the new Conservative Party leader and will become the next UK Prime Minister. He will replace...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
A week-long race to be the next Conservative Party leader and the Prime Minister kicks off this week, or may already...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
I can’t really write about anything else this week, can I? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have...
22 October 2022
From: Features
Liz Truss became the shortest serving UK Prime Minister yesterday, resigning after just 45 days and prompting a new Conservative Party...
21 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Simon Clarke is set for his first grilling by MPs as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. Clarke will be questioned by the...
18 October 2022
From: Breaking News
The new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has reversed almost all of the tax cuts set out in Kwasi Kwarteng's disastrous mini-Budget three...
17 October 2022
From: Breaking News
How did the housing market transform from incredibly strong - almost too strong - early in the year, to a situation...
15 October 2022
From: Features
As I watched Liz Truss take to the stage at this week’s Conservative Party conference, my eyes were drawn to the sign behind her. “Getting Britain...
08 October 2022
From: Features
Who would be in the shoes of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng? I don’t mean who would like their power, pay and...
01 October 2022
From: Features
Housing minister Lee Rowley is set to make one of his first official public appearances at a Conservative Party fringe event...
30 September 2022
From: Breaking News
There has been an understandable focus on things other than Government since the death of Queen Elizabeth was announced, but Prime...
24 September 2022
From: Features
The latest housing minister has been revealed as the prospect of Stamp Duty reform returns to the property market. New ministerial appointments...
21 September 2022
From: Breaking News
Analysis: What did Boris Johnson do for the UK property market during his 3 years as Prime Minister?
Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...
17 September 2022
From: Features
First off, my own quick tribute to the Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon aged 96. Despite her age and declining...
10 September 2022
From: Features
New Housing Secretary Simon Clarke may be an unknown entity to many agents but he has a track record of supporting...
07 September 2022
From: Breaking News
The results are finally in, and to no-one’s surprise Liz Truss has been named the new leader of the Conservative Party...
07 September 2022
From: Breaking News
From housebuilding to planning laws and stamp duty reform, agents and property professionals were ready with plenty of suggestions for Liz...
06 September 2022
From: Breaking News
Jacob Rees-Mogg is reportedly being lined up as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should Liz Truss win...
22 August 2022
From: Breaking News
We are only a fortnight away from having a new Prime Minister, following a contest in which housing has played a...
20 August 2022
From: Features
Housing Secretary Greg Clark, who is also the Levelling Up Secretary, has been caught up in the storm surrounding Rishi Sunak...
08 August 2022
From: Breaking News
Double-think, for those who have not read George Orwell, is when people are expected to accept two conflicting beliefs as truth,...
06 August 2022
From: Features
Savills has released a revised five-year forecast for the UK’s prime housing markets, to reflect the strong levels of activity in...
05 August 2022
From: Breaking News
A quarter of agents have indicated they may prefer Rishi Sunak as the next Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister –...
01 August 2022
From: Breaking News
When it comes to housing policy, the Conservative MPs have given their party a choice between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle DumDum. Rishi...
23 July 2022
From: Features
The last week has been dramatic even by the standards of UK politics, with a Cabinet and junior minister rebellion bringing...
13 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Anyone working in the property market should have at least one eye on supply. Of course, it’s a constant issue for...
02 July 2022
From: Features
It’s often fashionable to criticise trade bodies and official groups, but right now I think that’s absolutely inappropriate. In well over 20...
25 June 2022
From: Features
The Government was 120,000 homes short of its own new-build targets last year, research claims. Analysis by new-build sales optimisation platform Unlatch...
08 June 2022
From: Breaking News
The Prime Minister has tonight won a confidence vote in his leadership and hung on to his premiership. After a dramatic day at...
06 June 2022
From: Breaking News
In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that the infamous dead cat would come into the debate over government housing targets and...
21 May 2022
From: Features
A lack of support to help people onto the property ladder has been highlighted as one factor for the Tory party’s...
09 May 2022
From: Breaking News
What a difference two months and some local elections make. Cast your minds back to March 9 and the annual report of...
07 May 2022
From: Features
It’s easy to overestimate the importance of something in one’s own industry or work, but there seems good reason for believing...
23 April 2022
From: Features
At least 18 MPs have come out in favour of a new annual Proportional Property Tax which would be levied on...
28 March 2022
From: Breaking News
If you want to sex-up the Chancellor’s financial statement scheduled for lunchtime on Wednesday, you’d call it a Budget or a...
19 March 2022
From: Features
The outcome of the Ukraine crisis is far from certain, but one thing has become abundantly clear. The long-overdue Economic Crime...
26 February 2022
From: Features
Location Location Location co-presenter Kirstie Allsopp has fought back after her comments on first time buyers were sharply criticised oil social...
08 February 2022
From: Breaking News
A poll of Conservative voters shows strong majorities for higher taxes on second homes and empty properties, and tougher demands on...
07 February 2022
From: Breaking News
22 January 2022
From: Features
A wealth tax on overseas owners of UK homes could raise £5 billion a year to help local people buy their...
13 January 2022
From: Breaking News
With 2022 swiftly approaching, businesses in the property industry are likely to be reflecting on the trials and tribulations that have...
04 December 2021
From: Features
We’ve probably all learned to be a little less cynical about politicians in recent weeks, given the tragic events. We perhaps...
30 October 2021
From: Features
A part of the Connells Group is telling the new Housing Secretary that he and his government “must do more” to...
18 October 2021
From: Breaking News
There were 13 new buyers for every property listed for sale in the UK in September according to Knight Frank. Over the...
11 October 2021
From: Breaking News
Agent wages have been in the news this week, with boastful claims from a number of self-employed businesses about the sums...
09 October 2021
From: Features
Former Housing Secretary James Brokenshire has died at the age of 53. The Conservative ex-Cabinet minister, who was diagnosed with lung cancer...
08 October 2021
From: Breaking News
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given a ringing endorsement to home ownership as a central part of the government’s levelling up...
06 October 2021
From: Breaking News
By the time I next write this column, we’ll be just days before the next Budget and Autumn Statement. So I’ll...
02 October 2021
From: Features
The government has been warned that its much-talked about levelling up agenda is ‘doomed to fail’ without major reform of the...