You have to wonder who is advising Rishi Sunak these days. Months ago, Silverstone must have seemed a terrific venue to hold...
Archive
![RICS Warns Agents - Election Now Hurting Buyer Confidence](/upload/images/Election%20housing%20.jpg)
The latest residential market sentiment survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests confidence in the housing market is beginning...
13 June 2024
From: Breaking News
![JONATHAN ROLANDE: Ignoring the property crisis damages all of us.](/upload/images/shutterstock_1932299855(1).jpg)
If, like me, you watched the two party leaders battle it out in the first head-to-head debate you’ll have noticed that...
07 June 2024
From: Breaking News
![JONATHAN ROLANDE: Is it time to accept the Government can’t build the houses we need](/upload/images/shutterstock_622830233(1).jpg)
There are often very grim snapshots of the current property crisis. But one of the most shocking I’ve read in a long...
01 March 2024
From: Breaking News
![House of Lords launches agency regulation inquiry](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/PropertyNews3-400x310.png)
Peers in the House of Lords have launched an inquiry into agency regulation. The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee will...
26 February 2024
From: Breaking News
![Treasury ‘considering’ 1% deposit mortgages for first-time buyers - report](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/2_MortgageCalculated.png)
The Government’s latest attempt to bolster the property appears to be 1% deposit mortgages. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is reported to be considering...
22 January 2024
From: Breaking News
29 July 2023
From: Features
![40-year mortgages - should you consider one?](/upload/images/__thumbs/40-year%20mortgages%20-%20should%20you%20consider.jpg/40-year%20mortgages%20-%20should%20you%20consider__400x240.jpg)
It’s a tough old road for today’s first-time buyers, with house prices and mortgage interest rates much higher than they were...
03 June 2023
From: Features
![RIP Help to Buy: what comes next?](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/CoupleMakingOffer-400x310.png)
In this guest feature, Ben Bailey, CCO at Even, a mortgage lender for first-time buyers launched this year, provides commentary on the end...
05 November 2022
From: Features
![Buyers advised to wait until 2024 to buy a home - claim](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/PropertyNews-400x310.png)
In a statement likely to rile plenty of estate agents, a proptech firm is suggesting aspiring homebuyers should wait until 2024...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
![Poor Liz and Kwasi. What Do They Do Now?](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/LizTruss01-400x310.png)
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
![Why haven't politicians listened to our industry?](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/Parliament-Night-400x310.jpg)
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
![Extending Right to Buy won’t fix the housing shortage](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/BorisJohnson-4-400x310.jpg)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that he is considering extending Margaret Thatcher’s Right-to-Buy scheme, that gives council tenants the chance to...
14 May 2022
From: Features
![Unlocking £4.5bn of tenancy deposits is the key to the cost-of-living crisis](/upload/images/library/MortgageDepositImage-400x310.jpg)
Earlier this month, the government’s energy regulator Ofgem announced a record 54 percent increase to the energy bill price cap. Combined...
23 March 2022
From: Features
![The Coming ‘Budget’ - What’s In Store For Agents?](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/RishiSunak-400x310.jpg)
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
![Kirstie Controversy - newspaper has corrected my comments, says TV star](/upload/images/Property%20People/KirstieAllsopp-400x310.jpg)
Kirstie Allsopp says the Sunday Times has amended its report of an interview in which she says first time buyers may...
21 February 2022
From: Breaking News
![Allsopp fights back after criticism of first time buyer comments](/upload/images/library/first-time-buyer400x310.png)
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
![Challenges facing the housing market in 2022](/upload/images/library/RowOfHouses-400x310.jpg)
It’s been a busy and arguably fruitful year for the property market, with an eager consumer base pushing forwards with their...
17 November 2021
From: Features
![Rental Sector Enforcement - time to pull our fingers out](/upload/images/Rental%20Market/RentalMarketImage-1-400x310.jpg)
Within weeks the focus of the industry will be on the White Paper to be issued on rental reform before Christmas. Let’s...
16 October 2021
From: Features
![How the 2021 consumer will impact the residential property industry](/upload/images/Housing%20Market%20%26%20Property%20Images/Millennial-BusinessWoman-Communication-400x310.jpg)
The property industry and its many stakeholders are key participants in a global digital transformation that has been underway for quite...
09 October 2021
From: Features
![A Taxing Time: the property industry is set for increases](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/RishiSunak-400x310.jpg)
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
![How affordable is it to buy a new-build house?](/upload/images/library/NewHousing-1-400x310.jpg)
Affordability has always been a hot topic when it comes to the property market, and this is doubly true for first-time...
22 September 2021
From: Features
![Stamp Duty Holiday slammed for not helping “levelling up”](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/RishiSunak-400x310.jpg)
The Guardian has sharply criticised Chancellor Rishi Sunak for introducing and then extending the stamp duty holiday - because helping estate...
25 August 2021
From: Breaking News
![The post-Covid outlook: what next for the lettings market?](/img/default/eat.png)
Our long-awaited ‘Freedom Day’ approaches. From Monday all of the restrictions, introduced since the Covid-19 pandemic made an impact across the...
17 July 2021
From: Features
![Is the tide turning for the lettings industry?](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s been quite a week for the rental sector. Lettings agents and landlords have had such a torrid time in recent years...
15 May 2021
From: Features
![PropTech revolution: how will the sector look in 2025?](/img/default/eat.png)
Over the next few years, the property sector is set to change for the better – all thanks to PropTech. While the...
15 May 2021
From: Features
![The future of the tenant experience](/img/default/eat.png)
The last 12 months have heralded significant change across the property market and indeed we could argue across all markets in...
05 May 2021
From: Features
![Vote, Vote, Vote - Housing and the 2021 Local Elections](/img/default/eat.png)
Local elections rarely set the pulse racing and this year’s poll on Thursday faces a similar problem. But this time, it’s a...
01 May 2021
From: Features
![Labour anger at low-deposit mortgages plan in Budget](/img/default/eat.png)
Labour has accused the government of promoting “sky high mortgages” instead of providing stable accommodation for younger households. A new mortgage guarantee...
02 March 2021
From: Breaking News
![House buying bonanza as Budget helps low deposit purchasers](/img/default/eat.png)
A new mortgage guarantee scheme to help buyers with small deposits will be revealed on Wednesday at the Budget. Chancellor Rishi Sunak...
01 March 2021
From: Breaking News
![You guessed it…10 things to watch for in 2021](/img/default/eat.png)
Here’s hoping you managed to have as good a Christmas and New Year as Covid rules allowed. Journalism in early January is...
02 January 2021
From: Features
![Lettings in 2020 needs a gamechanger - could this be it?](/img/default/eat.png)
There is no doubting that 2020 has been a challenging year for all industries, with the lettings market being no exception. Following...
24 October 2020
From: Features
![Eviction ban extended for another two months](/img/default/eat.png)
The government is extending the eviction ban for a further two months. A tweet early this evening from Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick...
05 June 2020
From: Breaking News
![Tenant Engagement](/img/default/eat.png)
There is no doubt that the BBC News article in early February caused something of a stir within the Deposit Free...
12 March 2020
From: Sponsored Content
![Short lets - should there be selective bans?](/img/default/eat.png)
There’s something of a conspiracy of silence over the problem of short lets. That is a stark claim but many siren voices...
22 February 2020
From: Features
![How can agents build an inclusive rental society and trust with tenants?](/img/default/eat.png)
We are facing a new world in the lettings industry, with the proportion of households in the private rented sector (PRS)...
08 January 2020
From: Features
![General election 2019: The housing crisis remains a top issue](/img/default/eat.png)
With Brexit still unresolved, the domestic agenda has been pushed from the headlines by the seemingly overwhelming public and political discord...
07 December 2019
From: Features
![Why regulation is good for the deposit replacement sector](/img/default/eat.png)
Since I started working with Zero Deposit for me the market leader in deposit replacement alternatives, the most common question I am...
19 October 2019
From: Features
![Will the current political landscape encourage Generation Rent to vote?](/img/default/eat.png)
In recent years, governments and local councils have sought to change the private rented sector (PRS) to make it more appealing...
28 September 2019
From: Features
![Would a Berlin-style rental price freeze work in the UK?](/img/default/eat.png)
Recently a number of politicians and charities have been calling for the introduction of rent controls or rent freezes in the...
24 August 2019
From: Features
![Theresa May’s legacy - how has housing fared under her government?](/img/default/eat.png)
Theresa May arrived in Downing Street some three years ago - but her premiership has not been a smooth ride. As she...
06 July 2019
From: Features
![Shelter and Generation Rent? Radical? Don’t make me laugh…](/img/default/eat.png)
Campaigning groups like Generation Rent and Shelter like to think they are simultaneously edgy and radical; likewise some think tanks believe...
30 March 2019
From: Features
![Rent controls won’t solve London’s shortage of affordable housing stock](/img/default/eat.png)
The topic of introducing rent controls in London crops up time and time again in our industry. But it’s been hitting...
16 March 2019
From: Features
![PropTech Today: Money for good behaviour? PropTech helping renters](/img/default/eat.png)
Interesting news this week from South Africa where the PropTech startup, Flow, has raised R20m in the country’s 'biggest PropTech seed...
20 February 2019
From: Breaking News
![A new approach to data can empower Generation Rent to buy](/img/default/eat.png)
Purchasing a property. It’s a key life goal that so many Millennials aspire to - yet one that has become frustratingly...
02 February 2019
From: Features
![Is the deposit-free rental model a good idea?](/img/default/eat.png)
When renting a property out, letting agents and landlords recognise that it is important to take a deposit from the tenant...
15 December 2018
From: Features
![Help To Buy “important catalyst” for first time buyers - claim](/img/default/eat.png)
A property comparison website has made a defence of the controversial Help To Buy initiative, claiming it “acts as an important...
15 November 2018
From: Breaking News
![Is that it? Industry downbeat after lacklustre Budget for housing](/img/default/eat.png)
The agency industry has reacted in a broadly downbeat way at the relatively few housing-related proposals that were announced in yesterday’s...
30 October 2018
From: Breaking News
![Budget briefing - Seven things to watch for today](/img/default/eat.png)
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...
27 October 2018
From: Features
![PropTech Today: will Unmortgage change our industry forever?](/img/default/eat.png)
Those of you who receive (and read) my Sunday PropTech Review will know that, by far and away, the most shared...
19 September 2018
From: Breaking News
![PropTech Today: Corporate living? No thanks](/img/default/eat.png)
The pace of change is extraordinary. As we reach the middle of one conversation, rumblings of the next already begin. I think...
13 June 2018
From: Breaking News
![Property wealth: More bad news for the young](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s not breaking new ground to say that younger people have what many regard as the raw end of the deal...
02 December 2017
From: Features
![Is the stigma of renting at odds with our broken housing market?](/img/default/eat.png)
I’ve written before about the impact of headlines on the property industry. Interest rate speculation. Market booms and busts. Demand...
16 September 2017
From: Features
![“Super short-term rentals” and subletting: the future of the private rented sector](/img/default/eat.png)
Historically, short-term rentals have been an unattractive business for the majority of estate agents and property managers. Scarcity of demand from tenants...
04 August 2017
From: Features
![PropTech Today: The long-term future of renting is short-term lettings](/img/default/eat.png)
You may have heard that Airbnb and property management company, Lavanda has closed a £1 million angel investment round. Backers include Purplebricks...
19 July 2017
From: Breaking News
![Investor consultancy wants new government to lay off property](/img/default/eat.png)
London Central Portfolio, a property investment consultancy, has set out a five point plan for the next government elected this week...
05 June 2017
From: Breaking News
![Property Natter: Q & A with David Cox, ARLA Propertymark](/img/default/eat.png)
In this Natter we have an exclusive interview with David Cox, CEO of ARLA Propertymark and one of the best-known figures...
08 April 2017
From: Features
![PropTech Today: Goodlord and Nested raise funding for second time](/img/default/eat.png)
In a week that I am recovering from the exuberance of MIPIM, there are two big pieces of fundraising news that...
22 March 2017
From: Breaking News
![James Dearsley: The blooming symbiosis of PropTech and FinTech](/img/default/eat.png)
There has been some really interesting talk recently of the relationship between FinTech (Finance Technology) and PropTech (Property Technology). A few...
01 March 2017
From: Breaking News
![Quote, unquote - What the industry said in 2016](/img/default/eat.png)
Forecasts are so last year: who anticipated Bowie, Brexit or Balls for example? Quotes, on the other hand, really ARE last year...
17 December 2016
From: Features
![Are landlords about to ditch letting agents and go it alone?](/img/default/eat.png)
Next year is likely to be a challenging time for letting agents, following a raft of changes introduced by the government...
09 December 2016
From: Features
![After stamp duty and agents’ fees, it’s time to seize the initiative](/img/default/eat.png)
Let me set out my stall from the beginning. Firstly with two buy to lets managed by an agency, I understand and...
03 December 2016
From: Features
![Zoopla invests in another PropTech startup](/img/default/eat.png)
Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) has announced that it has invested in a soon-to-launch PropTech startup. The group, which now owns uSwitch and...
16 September 2016
From: Breaking News
![If your fees are justified, you shouldn't be afraid to publicise them](/img/default/eat.png)
The old and eternal debate over whether or not tenant fees should be banned continues to rumble on. It’s a major concern...
10 June 2016
From: Features
![Isn’t it time to embrace ‘Generation Rent’?](/img/default/eat.png)
Use of the term ‘generation rent’ has grown beyond all measure in recent years, but it’s not always quoted in the...
27 May 2016
From: Features
![Time to stick it up: Agents still not complying with transparency law](/img/default/eat.png)
Running a business is not easy, but sometimes it becomes harder because we are expected to modify our behaviour due to...
20 May 2016
From: Features
![The rise of an increasingly unpredictable market](/img/default/eat.png)
Property has long been a safe investment. Before the downturn in 2008, sellers were able to gain a healthy capital return. Post-economic...
25 March 2016
From: Features
![Have we reached tipping point for many private landlords?](/img/default/eat.png)
With less than a month to go before the new rate of stamp duty kicks in for second property purchasers, we’re...
18 March 2016
From: Features
![An empty vessel makes the most noise](/img/default/eat.png)
What are we going to do about Generation Rent? Only as recently as February 2016 did tenants steal the headline away...
27 February 2016
From: Features
![Do tenants want longer tenancies?](/img/default/eat.png)
Shelter has been tirelessly campaigning for longer tenancies for the last few years. The charity has led the case for change and...
20 February 2016
From: Features
![Whatever Cameron says we're still waiting to see new homes says NAEA](/img/default/eat.png)
There has been a mixed response from the agency world to David Cameron's pledge to reform planning, promise that 200,000 new...
08 October 2015
From: Breaking News
![Billy Idol, Generation Rent and happiness](/img/default/eat.png)
So housing made itself top of the list of questions by the new Leader of the Opposition’s first PMQs on Wednesday...
18 September 2015
From: Features
![The spotlight on our sector will not diminish, despite the result of the election](/img/default/eat.png)
I write this article on the day of the General Election so you’ll forgive the political analogies. In particular, how any...
08 May 2015
From: Features
!['One million landlords exit the PRS' - the headline you don’t want to read](/img/default/eat.png)
Ian Wilson, the head of Martin & Co, recently threw his hat into the ring regarding Labour’s stated intention to cap...