Archive

The government has launched a competition to attract what it calls “the best and brightest talents of the housing industry” to...

When Wolverhampton estate agency Thomas Harvey opened its doors more than 50 years ago, mortgages weren’t really part of the equation...

It’s been revealed that the branch closure programme by Your Move and Reeds Rains last year resulted in 460 lost jobs...

The new housing minister is Christopher Pincher, who for the past decade has been Conservative MP for Tamworth having had a...

The HomeOwners Alliance, a leading property consumer group, has now suggested it has some concerns about the government’s First Homes scheme. This...

One of the leading consumer groups has backed the government’s controversial First Homes policy, which aims to give 30 per cent...

Not for the first time, a government policy on housing ends up begging more questions than it provides answers - but...

After a challenging period for the UK property market, recovery is very much on the cards and the end to uncertainty...

It is possible that agents and their business partners in the conveyancing, mortgage and survey industries could be obliged to have...

HM Land Registry appears to be making painfully slow progress on digitising land charge search data - contrary to its earlier...

A new buying agency has launched, aimed at well-heeled purchasers and sellers.  Called Xander Prime it says it is “acting on behalf...

As part of its commitment to promoting and enforcing high standards, RICS has launched its Home Survey Standard, which will become...

A London council wants government backing for a borough-wide Section 7 direction - effectively banning all agents’ boards being erected without...

The National Audit Office, a spending watchdog, has exposed the government’s Starter Homes policy with a damning critique of its failure The...

Being a market leader means staying on top of industry trends. The more aware you are of what's happening in the...

In recent months, we’ve seen headlines dominated by changes to tenancy rules, government consultations and more than a few scare stories. Landlords...

Upad, the national online letting agent set up by entrepreneur James Davis has announced that it is “closed to new business”...

There’s a clear change of mood music in the country now regarding environmental issues. You don’t need to be old to remember...

If you thought - perhaps hoped - that five weeks of prorogued Parliament meant a break from politics, think again: the...

A former Foxtons estate agent has set up a property finding service which is exclusively for first time buyers - believed...

The National Association of Estate Agents has told the government that it wants one single Ombudsman to provide redress across all...

Is this the ultimate in accountability or a desperate bid to win back public support for a company damaged by the...

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

All new-build homes could soon be fitted with an electric car charging point. The government has issued a consultation on the move,...

In the second part of my exploration of startups, I talk to a number of people with lived experience of creating...

PropTech company Landmark has thrown its weight behind the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ new Home Survey Standard, which is now out...

It may well seem that the government is pre-occupied with one issue, and one issue alone. While preparations for Brexit take up a...

New figures released to Estate Agent Today show that a net total of 284 agents’ offices closed down in 2018. This number -...

The Property Ombudsman says its members must in future disclose referral fees in a bid to make previously-hidden costs open and...

As we move closer to the halfway point of 2019, property market conditions for agents and their clients remain challenging. Brexit may...

In recent weeks our campaign to replace leasehold with commonhold has continued to gather momentum both in the press and across...

Consultation closes today on a Law Commission proposal to radically reshape leasehold and the Right To Manage. Right To Manage was introduced...

The leasehold scandal continues to generate plenty of column inches, with fresh stories emerging almost daily of people living in unsellable...

No, this isn’t about Brexit. But as the saga of leaving the EU is likely to bring about the downfall of...

The leasehold scandal has received plenty of press coverage, with horror stories of people living in homes that are impossible to...

The government has revealed that it’s to ‘test’ the workings of the New Homes Ombudsman before the scheme formally launches. Housing Secretary...

Local media in the east Midlands report that four estate agency offices operated by the Nottingham building society are to close...

Mortgage prisoners - borrowers unable to switch lenders despite being up-to-date with payments - may have an escape route in sight...

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

When it comes to major issues confronting housing, and in particular the direction that the government would like to take the...

Thinking about the state of communication across residential property chains is enough to induce a severe migraine. We work in a world...

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

With the home buying and selling process firmly on the news agenda of late – everything from a possible ban on...

The government has launched an official consultation about a new stamp duty surcharge - the long-awaited additional one per cent for...

To a sales-focused agency, having a lettings department can sometimes feel like losing control of the business. Recent cases of property management...

The beleaguered Your Move estate agency insists there was no breach of customer privacy after an ex-employee reportedly took confidential data...

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

Formal consultations have started concerning the job losses and branch closures for Your Move and Reeds Rains, revealed yesterday by their...

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...

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

  The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Lettings Agents have thrown their weight behind the government’s latest...

The government says it will be releasing details of its ideas to revamp redress systems concerning agents and new homes “in...

Developers have continued to sell thousands of new-build houses with leaseholds, despite a government pledge to ban the “unscrupulous” practice a...

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

A business rates tax break which benefits holiday home owners is to be reviewed by ministers, who have now launched a formal...

The troubled Emoov hybrid estate agency, currently up for sale, has removed an advertisement after a complaint to a watchdog over...

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

Experts suggest that overseas buyers are likely to act quickly to take advantage of a delay in any stamp duty surcharge on...

The agency industry has reacted in a broadly downbeat way at the relatively few housing-related proposals that were announced in yesterday’s...

Stamp duty relief for first time buyers of full-priced houses and apartments is to be extended to first time buyers of...

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...

A leading London estate agency is reporting a surge in overseas buyers sealing deals ahead of the government’s new stamp duty...

An estate agency is moving from its traditional branch to new city centre serviced offices as it expands. East of Exe -...

The cost of new-build leasehold properties has surged 16 times faster than freeholds according to research from property investment platform. The revelation...

The National Association of Estate Agents has welcomed the government’s move to ensure most future new-build houses are sold as freehold...

The vast majority of new-build houses are to be sold as freehold with ground rents for new leases capped at £10...

A series of leasehold roadshows beginning next month in Manchester aims to throw a spotlight on problems associated with the tenure,...

The head of a leading Chinese property portal has taken the unusual step of commenting on a British tax policy -...

An accountancy trade body has revealed that last year it briefed MPs - including the Prime Minister and Housing Minister of...

Experts suggest that overseas buyers are likely to act quickly to take advantage of the delay in any stamp duty surcharge...

The government has used this week’s Conservative party conference to announce a new stamp duty tax of one per cent to three...

Emoov has agreed to change the wording of a Google search advertisement after a complaint was made to the Advertising Standards...

The National Association of Estate Agents has given broad support for radical proposals from the Law Commission to end leasehold abuse...

The Property Ombudsman has urged the government to bring the new homes build sector under consumer redress. New builds are not currently...

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

The Swiss investment bank Credit Suisse has slashed its target share price for the company from 77p to only 17.2p.  The reason...

It’s holiday time: schools have broken up, quite a few estate agents are taking time off, and the MPs are in...

We are currently engaged in consultations with our members to help to find a practical solution to the concern of the...

One of three schemes with government backing to offer redress for complaints about estate and letting agents has reignited the debate...

There’s a new twist in the row between a Cornish agent and the Advertising Standards Authority. The row revolves around a tweet...

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

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

Industry groups have welcomed Kit Malthouse as housing minister - but make little effort to hide their frustrations, disappointment and disillusionment. Malthouse was announced...

National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team and two of the three industry redress organisations have launched a survey to measure the...

As the process of making buying and selling more transparent continues to gather pace, the body that regulates conveyancers says it...

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

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

Ever wondered what it’s like to be on the frontline of property journalism? Well, wonder no more, as our very own...

A leasehold reform campaigner has called on the government to ensure it publishes its report on leasehold reform before the summer recess at...

One of the three official redress bodies serving the estate and lettings agency industry has conducted a survey of complaints across...

Estate agent licensing will reduce competition, make buying and selling homes more expensive, and add another layer of red tape to...

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

  More details have emerged of the government’s proposals to enhance estate agency regulation, regulate referral fees, offer guides for buyers and...

The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, is to hold a briefing on the government’s redress reform on Wednesday - five days before...

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

Ombudsman Services, which recently announced it was quitting its role as one of three approved redress schemes for estate and lettings...

HM Land Registry has taken another step towards its aim to “make conveyancing simpler, faster and cheaper” for the general public. The...

Scotland is considering giving first time buyers relief or exemption from Land and Buildings Transaction Tax - the replacement for stamp...

The government has launched a surprise consultation on the creation of a new redress system for customers of agents and others...

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

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

It’s no surprise that figures don’t always show the results or consequences we expect - even if they are entirely accurate. Look...

A specialist leasehold enfranchisement firm has branded government leasehold reforms as "incredibly weak". In an announcement lost in the noise following Damian Green’s sacking,...

A conveyancers’ trade body has told the government that it wants the house buying process to be modernised by having estate...

It’s traditional before Christmas to either review the year past or anticipate the one ahead - but I’m intrigued about what...

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

The government says it is going to look at “bold options” to improve consumer redress across all aspects of housing -...

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

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

A round table will take place tomorrow between some of the country’s leading PropTech experts and the British Property Foundation to...

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

It’s something of an understatement to say it’s been a busy fortnight for the industry in terms of announcements, consultations and...

An influential consumer group has responded to the government’s commitment to reform the house buying process by advocating legally-binding reservation agreements...

A survey conducted by the National Association of Estate Agents reveals that 79 per cent of agents regard the current home-buying...

Crowdfunding is nothing new. As I pointed out in a previous Natter, it dates back centuries, playing a part in the...

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has launched a consultation on proposals to reform the house buying...

The government should take a close look at gazundering as well as gazumping in its review of the house sales process,...

The Conveyancing Association says some of its members are piloting HIPs-style Digital Home Reports in a bid to reduce fall-throughs and...

Conveyancers and the speed of local council searches have come in for criticism as details have emerged of the government’s consultation...

There has been a wide range of views from trade bodies and individual agents on the government’s surprise ‘call for evidence’...

The government has launched a consultation this weekend calling for evidence on how to make the home buying process “cheaper, faster...

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

It’s been a big week for property news - controversies surrounding Purplebricks, merger discussions between big franchise operators, and another government...

The long-running saga of whether independent agents’ group CIELA is ever going to launch appears to be nearing its end game...

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform has made a hard-hitting submission to formal government consultations on the...

Even so close to the event, I don’t think anyone will be deeming 2017 as the ‘summer of love’.  The summer of...

An early Gold member of OnTheMarket is making a last-ditch bid to stop its parent company, Agents’ Mutual, from floating on...

Parliament is sitting again and the entire lettings industry is waiting with bated breath for more detail on the government’s proposal...

In this week’s Natter I’m going to get all political. Don’t worry, I won’t be giving my opinions on Brexit, Trump...

Jackson-Stops & Staff is undergoing a rebrand including the creation of a snappier title - it’s just Jackson-Stops now - as...

MPL Interiors has not one but two brilliant things to give away this summer. We want to encourage as many estate...

Without wishing to blow our own trumpet at this time, we did say at the start of the year that 2017...

There has been general support from the industry for the government’s apparent intention to ban new homes in England being sold...

The government says it wants to ban “unfair” leasehold charges imposed on buyers of new-build homes in England.  Under the measure, subject to...

The government wants the views of estate agents and other professionals affected by anti-money laundering legislation, in a new consultation launched...

The troubled trade group Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents - which has suggested it may not have enough support...

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

A cluster of conveyancing and legal experts, known as the Legal Sector Group, has published a raft of proposals on leasehold...

In years to come, students of political history might come to look at the 2017 General Election campaign with some interest....

In November 2016 when the Autumn Statement was delivered by Chancellor Philip Hammond, the announcement was made to ban letting agent...

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

The National Association of Estate Agents has thrown its weight behind a government move to create a register of overseas companies...

The Competitions and Markets Authority has released more details of its ‘calling-in’ of the acquisition of Expert Agent by Zoopla Property...

The Competitions and Markets Authority is reviewing the acquisition of Expert Agent by ZPG, parent company of Zoopla and PrimeLocation. A statement...

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

Ministry of Justice probate fee changes coming into effect this spring will affect all individuals inheriting an estate worth more than...

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

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

The government appears to have slipped back on two deadlines concerning measures key to the property industry. Firstly the consultation on the...

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

A post-Christmas treat this week, as I carry out a Q & A with one of the leading figures in property,...

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

Forecasts are so last year: who anticipated Bowie, Brexit or Balls for example? Quotes, on the other hand, really ARE last year...

Countrywide’s share price closed slightly down again yesterday to finish trading at 176.0 after news emerged that the group was selling...

The government has launched an official consultation process on a package of measures to crack down on what it calls ‘rogue...

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

Countrywide says it is unable to comment on speculation that some Bairstow Eves offices in the south of England have been...

A trading update released by Countrywide this morning shows a 29 per cent slump in London exchanges in the third quarter...

In case you missed it yesterday, here’s a summary of everything relating to property that was in Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Autumn...

Phillip Hammond has delivered his first Autumn Statement, tackling amongst other things, what he called “the housing challenge.” The speech made no...

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

The Conveyancers' Association has called for sweeping changes to the house buying and moving system to create a "more certain and...

The Independent Network of Estate Agents is running a survey to collate agents' responses ahead of the closure of the official...

As many northern cities struggled to recover from the 2008 global financial crisis, the north-south divide returned to plague the British...

The Conveyancing Association says new Chancellor Phillip Hammond should use next month’s Autumn Statement as the opportunity to reverse controversial buy...

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

The network of independent estate agents known as the Property Sharing Experts has become the Experts in Property. The change of name...

It’s been a heartening few weeks for those of us who thought that protest was dead – or, more precisely, that...

The government is reported to have yet again delayed a decision on whether to privatise the Land Registry. The Financial Times says...

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

Estate Agent Today has received a list of around 60 Countrywide Group estate agency offices expected to close in the next...

MP Bernard Jenkin, the chairman of the public administration committee, is the latest to raise concerns at the possible privatisation of...

The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Letting Agents have asked new housing minister Gavin Barwell to...

The timing of Labour’s housing review, which has until now been closely associated with John Healey, appears uncertain following the shadow housing...

The Competition and Markets Authority has reiterated controversial remarks about the government’s proposed privatisation of the Land Registry. Last month it surprised...

Tomorrow, June 8, is the closing date for submissions to the Labour Party’s latest consultation on housing policy: it is seeking...

The government's consultation on the proposed privatisation of the Land Registry closes today. Interested parties have had since March 24 to give...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has challenged the government over its renewed attempt to privatise the Land Registry. Last week's Queen's...

Operating hours for CHAPS - the payment system used to trasfer funds for property transactions - will be extended by one...

An online petition against the privatisation of the Land Registry now has around 225,000 signatures with just over a week to...

An NHS foundation trust has had to issue a statement to defuse fears that a local hospital was up for sale...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is urging the industry to comment on a government initiative aimed at cutting red...

The government - which controversially launched consultation on its stamp duty surcharge between Christmas and New Year - has now used...

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

Unlikely as it seems, the Treasury has tipped-off the 909 individuals and organisations that responded to formal consultation over the stamp...

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

The influential Home Owners’ Alliance pressure group says Britain pulling out of the EU would probably depress house prices. The HOA - a...

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

The Nationwide is warning that the busy start to 2016 in the housing market is driven at least partly by the...

Banks have approved the highest number of mortgages for almost two years as the rush to purchase buy to let properties...

The Chartered Institute of Taxation has called on government to introduce an exemption from the stamp duty surcharge for parents buying...

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

A letter from the Financial Secretary to the Treasury appears to suggest that the government is set on implementing the three...

A consumer group which supports the principle of a stamp duty surcharge on second homes and buy to let properties has...

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

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...

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

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors wants to make a valuation an optional element of the long-standing Home Buyer Report. This will...

Estate Agent Today readers are being given the rare opportunity to have their concerns about proposed stamp duty increases and recent...

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

The Competition and Markets Authority says one of its priorities for 2016-17 is to pursue a project analysing the accuracy and...

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

The government chose Christmas Bank Holiday Monday to launch its formal consultation on the ‘additional properties’ stamp duty surcharge, first announced...

A typical 50-day wait for a buyer to receive a mortgage offer “increases the risk that sales will collapse and puts...

A single definitive ‘official’ government house price index is to be launched by June. During the summer the Office for National Statistics...

The little-publicised extension of the CHAPS settlement day - taking the closure up to 6pm from next summer - has received...

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...

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

The government is telling councils to produce local plans for new homes in their area by 2017 – or Whitehall will...

You know you’re doing something right when for the third year running you are shortlisted for the Supplier of the Year...

The chief executive of Countrywide, Britain’s largest estate and letting agency group handling around one in 10 of all residential transactions,...

Restructuring turmoil continues within Countrywide, Britain’s largest estate and letting agency group, with several managers reportedly being handed notices referring to...

Unbelievable transformation from start to finish Harper & Woods Estate Agents approached Fairfield Displays with an idea of creating a stylish and...

Agents and other property professionals are being invited to a briefing on how new trading standards guidance will affect the industry. The...

It now appears likely that there will be a new government house price index launched in the first half of next...

So spring has sprung and the Hare is on the loose. After a very long gestation period, the Veyo leveret has...

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

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

Mike Poole was keen to update the window display of his Middlesbrough branch and decided that LED Light Pockets™ were the...

Regents Estate Agents and Mortgages (REM) contacted Fairfield with the intentions of updating their old displays with bright LED Light Pockets™....