Archive

The Bank of England has once again maintained base rate at 0.75 per cent - but it is warning that the...

Continuing political uncertainty over Brexit and now a significant chance of an autumn or winter General Election makes the case for...

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

Who knows how long any housing minister will last, especially with a General Election widely expected in the coming months. So Esther...

Hunters chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who is also a Conservative MP, has given notice that he would resign the party whip if...

The number of new property listings in the UK fell by a whopping 13.2 per cent in August according to online...

A leading London estate agent has written to The Times dismissing MPs who have been squabbling over Brexit and a possible...

It’s been quite a week for news so you might have missed this story - there is yet another boost for...

Esther McVey is to be the new housing minister - one of the most seasoned politicians to take the job in...

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

Four years ago, as we approached the general election, Andrews Property Group held a roundtable debateon the impact the election might have...

It appears almost certain that there will be another new housing minister named when a new Conservative leader - and thus...

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

Labour is proposing two methods of controlling house price rises should it win the next General Election - and the ideas...

Labour’s housing spokesman, John Healey, has spoken out against the split in the party which has so far seen eight MPs...

A maverick estate agent pictured wearing a yellow vest has threatened to mount what he calls a “civil protest” if Brexit...

It is something of an understatement to say that we are in challenging times. BREXIT is unresolved and we wait with...

Hard not to mention two major breaking news stories of recent days; one directly affecting the property market and one which...

A London buying agent has called for a second referendum on Britain’s EU membership, suggesting that it would give more certainty...

“Baton down the hatches. Stockpile the food cupboard. Brexit is coming and it’s little more than six months away!” I jest, but there is...

With the shelf life of recent housing ministers being on a par with football managers, it's perhaps little surprise that we're...

The little-known Conservative MP Kit Malthouse has been named as the new housing minister. He takes over from the high-flying Dominic Raab,...

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

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

In recent weeks, you could have been forgiven for thinking that you’re not actually in the UK.  Flash floods aside, the...

The Money editor of The Mirror newspaper has finally sold a home he first put on the market in late 2016...

James Brokenshire - yesterday appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - joins the rank of senior politicians...

If you want to know whether buy to let, landlords and letting agents will be in the firing line for more...

December saw the fewest number of people put their homes on the market than in any month in 2017, according to...

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

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

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

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...

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

A breakdown of data from over 4,100 agents has revealed that it takes on average 201 days to move home, from...

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

A man dubbed as Theresa May’s ‘brain’ when he worked in Downing Street has been invited to speak at the annual...

The HomeOwners’ Alliance says vendors must put their homes on the market no later than Tuesday if they are serious about selling by...

Like many of Labour’s recent policy proposals, its call for rent controls leaves more questions than answers.  There has been widespread criticism...

An upbeat survey by online website HouseSimple claims there has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of homes...

Confidence in buying property remains negative according to the quarterly sentiment measure undertaken by the Building Societies Association. Over a quarter of...

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...

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

Ten out of 14 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News say Brexit and economic uncertainty are likely to stall London’s housing market...

Savills has reported strong figures for the first half of 2017 across its worldwide activities, but its UK residential divisions have...

The latest figures from NAEA Propertymark suggest that the market is bouncing back after its hiatus during the General Election and...

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

Housing minister Alok Sharma has blocked some of his Twitter followers, accusing them of “abusive language”.   Sharma has a relatively modest 9,169 followers...

Your Move says the surprise General Election and the creation of a weaker minority government has exacerbated the slowdown in the...

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

We’re already more than halfway through 2017 and, against all the odds, it’s pushing 2016 close in terms of eventfulness and...

For those of us working within the property sector, we’re in the very midst of what, for generations, has been one...

First time buyers have finances stretched beyond their means, buy to let is attracting fewer investors because of taxes, and affordability...

Former RICS residential chief Jeremy Leaf says he is not downcast by the latest Halifax house price index which shows prices...

One of the industry’s leading analysts says Countrywide’s figures for the first half of 2017 are likely to be tough -...

One of the country’s leading buying agents says over six million people are living in the wrong property because they are...

The Competition and Markets Authority has released a set of recommendations on how conveyancing, and other legal services, could be made...

When it comes to provoking anger in property professionals, taxation takes some beating. Press releases are still arriving berating the December...

The National Association of Estate Agents says the General Election led to a drop in the number of registered house hunters...

New housing minister Alok Sharma is set to make his first key speech this week, at the Housing 2017 conference in...

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

The steep drop in price growth for homes across London is beginning to bottom out according to Hometrack, which says values...

The detailed paperwork accompanying the Queen’s Speech includes the Conservative party manifesto pledge to streamline house buying - but gives no...

Average prices in prime central London remained flat in May but are down 6.6 per cent on the year according to...

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

Harry Hill - former chief executive of Countrywide and founder of Rightmove - has sharply criticised the appointment of Theresa May’s...

The managing director of lettings at Foxtons says Brexit and domestic political uncertainty have become ‘the new norm’ in the London...

“Housing policy should be in independent hands.” That was the conclusion of a panel debate that Andrews held, not recently, but two...

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

A regional estate agency has urged the Government and the new housing minister to implement the policies outlined in the housing...

Former housing minister Gavin Barwell has been appointed as Theresa May's chief of staff. Barwell lost his Croydon Central seat – and...

The housing industry has responded with shock, joy, and jitters, after Theresa May’s snap general election went catastrophically wrong, leaving her...

As the nation waits with bated breath to see if Theresa May can form either a minority or coalition government after...

As the nation goes to the polls today, industry boards supplier Agency Express reports that the property market picked up in...

British homeowners have the most confidence in the Conservative Party to run the nation's housing market. A survey of almost 4,500 homeowners,...

As we approach Thursday's General Election, more property professionals have criticised stamp duty and called for the Government to make changes...

London Central Portfolio, a property investment consultancy, has set out a five point plan for the next government elected this week...

If a political party wants to run a country, it’s probably a good idea that it shows it can at least...

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

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

House prices recorded their third consecutive monthly fall in May says the Nationwide. It's the first time this has occurred since 2009, and...

Vigilant followers of the Liberal Democrats may have spotted a blog in the name of Mark Pack early yesterday morning, commenting...

The number of house hunters registered per estate agency branch fell last month to 381 - well down on its figure...

The latest measure of house price rises in key UK cities by the property consultancy Hometrack shows house price in many...

The Conservative and Labour party manifestos do not go far enough to tackle problems with the leasehold system. That’s the view of...

The banning of letting fees levied on tenants has dominated the industry headlines in recent months but this election campaign suggests...

Conveyancers have backed a call by the Conservatives for reform of the house buying process - and says more up-front information...

The UK Independence Party’s housing policy for the General Election hinges around a huge expansion in modular factory-built housing - but...

A conveyancing expert is calling for sellers to complete and return their property information questionnaire to their conveyancer before there have...

The Green Party, one of the final political groups to launch their manifesto for the June 8 General Election, wants an end...

The Conservative Party says it wants greater competition and more digitisation to cut the costs and reduce the amount of time...

Asking prices of homes coming to the market have now been rising for five consecutive months says Rightmove.  Asking prices rose 2.0...

Home ownership has halved for young families across some parts of the UK according to a charity.  The Resolution Foundation says its...

News headlines talk more and more about a slowdown in the property market, a drop in house prices and the need...

The Conservatives now say they are not resuscitating Home Information Packs, despite a suggestion by a prominent former minister that they "had...

The Conservatives have this morning announced a reform of the house buying process in the party’s manifesto for the June 8...

The Liberal Democrats have set a building target of 300,000 new homes a year, have pledged to scrap housing association Right...

The boss of the UK's largest independent agency has called on the government to be 'radical' and consider a range of...

Theresa May's decision to call a snap election in June has so far had 'little effect' on the property market, according...

Is it the Brexit triggering of Article 50, the snap General Election or the cold weather we have had until recently?...

The next few weeks leading to the General Election on June 8 are likely to have “a short term adverse impact...

It’s that time of year again – peak conference/event season. And, while Brexit and a shock snap general election are dominating...

There has been widespread praise for the Nationwide building society's crackdown on criteria for mortgages for leasehold new build homes.   From May...

The Bank of England is warning that approvals of mortgages for property purchases in March were at a lower-than-expected 66,837, the weakest...

Trevor Abrahmsohn, one of London’s best known estate agents and a founder of OnTheMarket, says stamp duty should be split between...

Speculation has grown that the Conservatives may make a manifesto pledge to remove some family homes’ long-established exemption from Capital Gains...

House prices recorded their second consecutive monthly fall in April, while the annual rate of growth slowed to 2.6 per cent,...

Not only did Theresa May stun everyone with her decision to call a ‘snap election’ but with the campaign now underway...

A London estate agency’s analysis of the latest Land Registry data suggests transactions in the capital are the lowest ever recorded.  Land...

The government should resist any further increase in stamp duty not only to help the property market but to help guarantee...

The snap General Election on June 8 adds to uncertainty but does not significantly worsen the market for prime properties in...

First time buyer registrations in the past month have jumped nearly 20 per cent across the UK and almost 30 per...

The price of property coming to the market has hit anoher record high, up 1.1 per cent over the past month...

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

Anyone hoping that the General Election could herald an immediate change of heart by the Conservatives on high levels of stamp...

The aftermath of Easter and shock announcement of a snap General Election have done little to stop the industry making plenty...

There’s no sign yet that the snap General Election is distracting our industry from continuing its fine record of doing good...

Average UK house price growth will reach 2.2 per cent this year, a rise of £4,460 that will see the average...

Yesterday’s decision by MPs to agree to Theresa May’s snap General Election on June 8 means that the current government -...

Estate agents have been broadly supportive of the decision by Prime Minister Theresa May to push for a snap General Election...

The industry has broadly welcomed the shock announcement of a June 8 General Election as a chance to end long term...

My apologies if this causes you to break your Easter egg with a little too much aggression, but I reckon the...

In this Natter we have an exclusive interview with David Cox, CEO of ARLA Propertymark and one of the best-known figures...

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

Becky Fatemi of central London estate agency Rokstone says prime areas of the capital are to suffer a “prolonged phase of...

Just a couple of weeks ago, we waited with anticipation to see what the new Chancellor, Philip Hammond, would say in...

Labour’s long-awaited Redfern Review, set up a year ago after the party’s defeat in the general election, finally reports tomorrow. Although it...

It is fair to say that 2016 is a year full of surprises. Anyone who had the foresight to predict Britain...

Graham Norwood recently wrote that it’s going to be harder than ever to predict the shape of the property market in...

Speculation was rife over the weekend that the government would today announce major changes to housing policy - possibly shifting the...

With the number of new homes being built across the UK still significantly below the level needed to meet demand, housebuilders...

A survey of 1,200 people buying and selling shows that 13 per cent of those questioned “have now cancelled their move...

Rightmove’s latest house price index, covering two weeks either side of the EU referendum at the end of June, suggests average...

It’s over. A win is a win, whichever side you backed. It’s true that everyone seems a lot less happy than...

The haemorrhage of Labour spokespeople now includes the party’s respected shadow housing minister John Healey. His letter to party leader Jeremy Corbyn...

Rightmove says fewer new sellers are coming to market, with this month’s total some 5.3 per cent below the monthly average...

A property investment firm says a British exit from the EU may cause minimal damage to the prime London market and...

Winkworth, the franchise giant with most offices concentrated in or close to London, says the high-end of the capital’s prime market...

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

When it comes to Budgets and Property, you have to hope that the old adage that ‘things happen in threes’ turns...

Foxtons has reported a 4.1 per cent increase in its group revenue in 2015 to £149.8m  although its profits dipped by...

And so it begins. Four months and counting before we vote to leave or remain. For a country apparently so divided about...

Financial analysts at City consultancy Jefferies - which helped Countrywide float on the stock market - say 2016 is a key...

A Strutt & Parker senior partner has dismissed speculation that the residential arm of his agency is about to be taken...

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

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

John Healey - a former housing minister from when Tony Blair was prime minister - has taken the housing post under...

Labour’s low profile housing spokesperson during the coalition government Emma Reynolds has resigned from the opposition front bench in protest at...

Controversial housing charity Shelter has published a report which claims that the government's Starter Homes scheme will fail the people it...

Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that lending to first time buyers bounced back in the second quarter of...

How do you best sum up the current market status quo? Given the specific regional nature of the housing market in...

Transactions in prime central London have plummeted and prices per square foot have dipped. Data from LonRes shows that in the second...

Harry Hill, the former Countrywide chief executive, has described his old company as “going backwards” following the publication of its half-year...

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

The average value of homes across Britain rose by 2.7 per cent or almost £7,000 during the first six months of...

Data from the estate and letting agency answering service Moneypenny appears to confirm what we have been thinking for some weeks...

The Centre for Economics and Business Research, a leading consultancy, says the drought in properties on the market is pushing up...

Confidence in the outlook for house price growth hit its highest level in four years following the general election in May...

Consider the scene. It is July 8th and new Chancellor, Ed Balls, stands at the Dispatch Box giving his first Budget...

The UK’s largest property auctioneer, Auction House, says the number of lot entries received in the first half of 2015 was...

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

The government says it will publish an action plan this week to explain how it is going to implement some of...

This year saw the lowest May for first time buyer completions in three years according to data from Your Move and...

The Financial Times says London Mayor and new Conservative MP Boris Johnson is lobbying the government in a bid to persuade...

Knight Frank says the high-end market in Scotland has slumped as buyers and sellers allow the new Land and Buildings Transaction...

Prime central London house prices appear to have plateaued in recent weeks, failing to recover from the quiet pre-general election period...

Demand for homes last month hit an eight-month high according to the National Association of Estate Agents. But as individual agents have...

The government claims that over 36,000 new home owners have been created through Right to Buy since 2012. Figures released by the...

The latest transaction figures from HM Revenue & Customs show that 98,540 homes were sold in the UK during May -...

Given that I wrote my last article on the day of the General Election but well before the result was known,...

Some agents have recently suggested that the prime central London market is sluggish in the extreme - but now one agency...

The unexpected outcome of the general election has given a shot in the arm to sellers and agents leading to a...

Two new reports add fuel to the continuing debate over portals. Firstly Rightmove claims to have had its busiest-ever May, with 115m...

There was a whopping 15.1 per cent fall in house purchase mortgage approvals in May, taking the total to the lowest...

The majority of agents do not see the supply and demand of homes levelling out over the next five years, according...

Now that the General Election results have been counted and verified, and now that a new parliament has been sworn in,...

Telephone calls taken for estate and letting agents increased dramatically in a number of high-end London postcodes since the general election...

The  new government has announced its legislative plans for housing in the coming year.  In the first all-Conservative Queen’s Speech since 1996,...

The true impact of the election on the housing market has been revealed as the latest government figures on house transactions...

Hunters founder and new Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake says he supports the Tory policy of extending Right To Buy to housing...

An estate agent whose office window had displayed Labour posters says he is devastated at an arson and vandalism attack which...

With some agents squabbling about whether there has been or will be a post-election bounce, Rightmove has come down firmly insisting...

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

For the first time in four and a half years, London is no longer the region with the country’s strongest house...

Stella Creasy - a long-time campaigner against what she regards as rogue practices by estate agents and letting agents - now...

If the first few hours of the new government’s approach to housing are anything to go by, it could be a...

Online estate agency Hatched says its social and digital marketing package offered to clients is generating 350 per cent more visits...

If the first few hours of the new government’s approach to housing are anything to go by, it could be a...

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

The industry is awaiting news of exactly who will become the new housing minister and whether the role will have cabinet...

So, a sigh of relief.  Most agents will be pleased with the election result - even if they are not Tory supporters...

I write this article on the day of the General Election so you’ll forgive the political analogies. In particular, how any...

The agency industry has been acting with delight over the likelihood that there will be a slim overall majority for the...

After a night of remarkable election results, it looks likely that much of the residential property industry - which was strongly...

Gentrification is a divisive, provocative issue, but why are estate agents (especially Foxtons) appearing to bear the brunt of the public’s...

A Conservative victory in this week’s general election will “unleash” a new wave of overseas buyers into the London property market,...

Environmental group Greenpeace claims that a survey of 60 estate agents operating close to potential fracking sites suggests tens of thousands...

Demand for property is at the lowest level it has been since March 2014, according to the National Association of Estate...

Investors now account for almost a third of buyers in prime central London according to one of the capital’s largest chains,...

10 Downing Street is now worth a notional £6,312,292 - a hefty level of appreciation over the £4,574,831 it was worth...

A survey conducted on behalf of Rightmove comes out with predictable results - the two biggest problems facing would-be buyers are...

It is to the credit of our political parties - and our own industry’s lobbying - that so many housing-related matters...

Looking back to the 1980s, it was General Election time and Michael Foot had released the Labour party manifesto. The party was...

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

Haart estate agency claims average UK property prices have risen 5.6 per cent annually and 0.9 per cent in March, to...

Rightmove is reporting its highest ever average asking price as a result of a slump in the number of homes being...

A leading agent's 'ability to buy' measure shows that it is now 77 per cent harder to purchase a home in...

Franchise brand Hunters, currently the sixth largest estate agency group in the UK, is opening two new branches on the Wirral...