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KEYWORD "Guardian" - 90 RESULTS
Mr Bates, the Post Office, and Property Industry Marketing

Like so many I’ve been infuriated by the injustice meted out to sub-postmasters and postmistresses over many years.  I was aware of...

13 January 2024

From: Features

Phil Spencer: Good deeds are for all year, not just Christmas!

One of the most heart-warming parts of my job is having the privilege to be the patron of Agents Giving, the...

11 December 2023

From: Breaking News

New app launches to tackle property fraud

A new product has launched that protects homeowners from the growing threat of property-related frauds. Title Guardian is an app that monitors...

08 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Net-zero for lettings: a zero-sum game for landlords?

Landlords are now quite accustomed to the challenges of operating in a market where they are often perceived as the antagonist...

22 April 2023

From: Features

Hamptons schedules Boxing Day TV ad campaign launch

There may be plenty of debate about going live with listings on Boxing Day but Hamptons has chosen the national holiday...

16 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Agents refute making obscene gestures towards Kwasi Kwarteng

One of the stranger stories emerging from the fallout of Kwasi Kwarteng’s sacking last Friday has been news that someone in...

19 October 2022

From: Breaking News

Housing Secretary set for first committee grilling by MPs

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

Getting Britain moving? Truss needs to do much more to reassure property market

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

Purplebricks faces more action over unfair dismissals and pay deductions

Troubled agency Purplebricks is set to face further litigation from the group which is already preparing to bring a class action...

15 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Greg Clark caught up in Rishi Sunak ‘deprived areas’ furore

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

Property Natter – why is the property market joining the podcast party?

If there’s one thing that received a boost as a result of Covid and lockdowns, it’s podcasts – which reached whole...

16 July 2022

From: Features

Home ownership policy promised as PM survives no-confidence vote

A significant housing announcement has been promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a part of a sweetener that saw him...

07 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Property Natter – will the challenger banks ever become major lenders?

Many people in recent years will have become familiar with challenger banks such as Monzo, Starling and Atom. Many will have...

14 May 2022

From: Features

Extending Right to Buy won’t fix the housing shortage

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

Insight – would a four-day working week ever work in agency?

In June, the biggest pilot scheme of a four-day working week anywhere in the world will begin in Britain, with more...

22 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Affordability is the issue of the rent control argument

The hot topic of rent controls has remerged in recent weeks, with passionate voices on both sides of the argument speaking...

02 March 2022

From: Features

Famous campaigner refuses to sell house to second home buyer

A famous environmental campaigner has sold his home to a local - because he feels second homes are “obscene and grotesque.” Green...

14 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Property Natter – events for agents to look out for in the first half of 2022

Property events and functions are now back in full swing, with 2022 likely to be the first ‘normal’ year for this...

12 February 2022

From: Features

Heavier Tax On Second Homes - Tories are now as keen as Labour

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

Is it time to reform the tax we all love to hate?

As we slide into Christmas, with the busiest levels of house buying since 2006 and activity still buoyant, I don’t think...

22 December 2021

From: Features

Challenges facing the housing market in 2022

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

Pincher survives as ruthless Johnson reshuffle concludes

Boris Johnson's sudden and unexpectedly ruthless Cabinet reshuffle, which drew comparisons with Margaret Thatcher's 'purge of the wets' in 1981, ended...

17 September 2021

From: Breaking News

How estate agents can ensure success in the fourth quarter of 2021

The worst of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be firmly in the rear-view mirror as we move into the last quarter...

15 September 2021

From: Features

Stamp Duty Holiday slammed for not helping “levelling up”

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

Property Natter – has Purplebricks dealt a fatal blow to the self-employed model?

One of the biggest trends since Covid, in the property world and elsewhere, has been a shift towards more hybrid, flexible...

14 August 2021

From: Features

Criticism of agency over racist tweet controversy - but is it fair?

There is growing criticism of Savills on social media following the controversy over a racist tweet apparently sent from the personal...

13 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Could an adjustment to BTL Stamp Duty improve the lettings market?

The Stamp Duty holiday has been very beneficial for hundreds of thousands of buyers looking to take advantage of savings, even...

16 June 2021

From: Features

Agents Do Charity - well done Agents Together and industry fund-raisers

Hello and we’re at the end of another week celebrating all those in our industry who do great work. And this...

11 June 2021

From: Breaking News

The Cladding Scandal – what do you need to know?

The Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017 exposed the dangers of inflammable cladding on residential tower blocks, and what has come...

05 June 2021

From: Features

Bank of England warns on interest rates if house prices rocket

The Bank of England will intervene if it considers soaring house prices will affect the inflation rate says Sir Dave Ramsden,...

03 June 2021

From: Breaking News

New Zoopla deal backs ambitious growth plans of agency group

Zoopla has issued a statement saying it’s entering into a long-term partnership with the Leacders Romans Group, which will be “curated...

14 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Prince Philip: how the property landscape changed during his century

For many, the funeral of HRH Prince Philip will be a solemn affair, while for some it will also be a...

17 April 2021

From: Features

Property Natter - is working from anywhere the future for UK estate agency?

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

13 March 2021

From: Features

Stamp duty holiday extension - This horse ain’t dead yet

Just a week ago, I thought it was all over. Christmas and New Year had gone, as had the passionate calls...

09 January 2021

From: Features

Agency launches first-ever radio and podcast ad campaign

Knight Frank has launched a new radio advert for the first time. The rollout marks the firm’s fourth phase of its “partners...

23 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Labour to spend two years debating property and housing issues

Labour’s shadow housing minister has revealed that it will be two years at least before the party sets out its long-term...

28 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Housing Secretary Jenrick may be sacked shortly, says newspaper

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick - currently at the centre of a planning controversy - could be sacked in a September Cabinet reshuffle. The...

22 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Will coronavirus affect attitudes towards referencing and rent guarantee products?

One of the most important aspects of being a successful and profitable agent is selecting the right tenants. The industry manages this...

22 April 2020

From: Features

Property Natter – how is the industry coming together during self-isolation?

Where else to start? Since my last Natter two weeks ago, all our lives have changed more than we could ever...

28 March 2020

From: Features

Spicerhaart under fire for “inhumane” and “disgraceful” sackings

There has been scepticism across the industry as to the motives behind an unspecified number of lay-offs and permanent branch closures...

23 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Agents’ safety boosted by PropTech location alarm system

A PropTech firm claims it will improve the security of estate agents and other lone workers through a new app and location...

04 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Property Natter: what has the last decade meant for the property industry?

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

14 December 2019

From: Features

Not-So-Grand Designs: Kevin McCloud's investors face huge losses

The Guardian has revealed that small investors lured into putting money into TV property guru Kevin McCloud’s eco-friendly housing projects -...

27 August 2019

From: Breaking News

Don’t read all about it - are local property ads dying?

It’s that time again. Each year I take a look at newspaper readership - not from the angle of journalists, but...

17 August 2019

From: Features

All Change: new regulator, licensing and qualifications proposed for agents

The government has published proposals for far-reaching changes to the way estate and letting agents are regulated, trained and licensed. The proposals...

18 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Housing minister in racism row apologises for “inappropriate” words

The minister at the centre of reforms to the estate and lettings industry sector has apologised for what she calls “inappropriate...

24 June 2019

From: Breaking News

Blond ambition - Does Boris Johnson have any housing policies?

Britain lives in fundamentalist black-and-white times - all the more surprising when the country's most divisive point of contention sits on...

22 June 2019

From: Features

How can independent agents become true ‘local property experts’?

The end of 2018 was a bit of a rocky time for online estate agents. Yet only a few years ago...

13 March 2019

From: Features

Property Natter: should you be making your agency Instagram-friendly?

Instagram (or, as the younger generation would have it, Insta) is, by any measure, massive.  Only launched in October 2010, it’s a...

02 March 2019

From: Features

Newspapers are in freefall - what does it mean for agents?

It’s been an interesting week of contrasts when it comes to online replacing ‘the old school’. Data from that clever consultancy The...

12 January 2019

From: Features

‘Major estate agent’ accused in house builder bribery claim

The Guardian is this morning reporting that “a major estate agent” has been accused of involvement in corruption with the house...

22 November 2018

From: Breaking News

PropTech Today: UK government backs blockchain - what next?

When Professor Andrew Baum’s PropTech 3.0 report was first published, a small event was held to celebrate the very first academic...

10 October 2018

From: Breaking News

Why Brexit is killing the London housing market

With the continued indecision surrounding Brexit and the final divorce settlement still months away, it seems property buyers are choosing to...

28 July 2018

From: Features

Want more new homes? Then cut the red tape, say property chiefs

Some of Britain’s top property experts say bureaucracy, lack of cooperation and a dwindling number of smaller builders are the main...

06 July 2018

From: Breaking News

Ex-Countrywide man's legal case could hit value of two million homes

The Court of Appeal is today expected to rule on a legal battle which may be critical in determining the value...

16 January 2018

From: Breaking News

PropTech Today: Bitcoin is technology, not just currency

Bitcoin has smashed into the headlines again recently with major news outlets describing the ever increasing worth of this wildly volatile...

13 December 2017

From: Breaking News

Property Natter: reputation, renewables and an online revolution

They say presentation is key (something that Theresa May now knows all too well after her calamitous conference speech). But equally...

14 October 2017

From: Features

Savills stays silent on valuation allegation and High Court order

Savills is remaining silent on the issues surrounding the apparent filing of a High Court order that may oblige the agency...

31 August 2017

From: Breaking News

PropTech Today: Are we going to buy talk of a doomed high street?

You saw it, right? This article from Monday’s Guardian? It says that one in five estate agents are at risk of...

02 August 2017

From: Breaking News

Trinity Mirror to fight Rightmove and Zoopla for agents' advertising spend

Trinity Mirror is aiming to secure more of agents' marketing spend after launching what it is describing as a 'fightback' against...

17 May 2017

From: Breaking News

Property hotspots: Manchester, Liverpool and Preston

The property market in northern England, supported in part by the Northern Powerhouse concept, has attracted a lot of media attention,...

24 March 2017

From: Features

James Dearsley: Enough about Purplebricks, let’s talk printing bricks

It has been a busy week for investment in PropTech businesses and no doubt you have already got reading fatigue about...

08 March 2017

From: Breaking News

TPO spells out when pre-contract deposits may be acceptable

The Property Ombudsman has reiterated its new guidance in relation to agents accepting pre-contract deposits in certain circumstances. Estate Agent Today reported...

14 February 2017

From: Breaking News

TPO defends code change over buyers' pre-contract deposits

The Property Ombudsman’s office has defended a change to its code of practice which, according to a national newspaper, means agents...

06 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Government to fund group to provide leasehold transparency

Housing minister Gavin Barwell says the government will provide “substantial investment” to ensure more transparency in leasehold tenure. “We are determined to...

03 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Agents Do Charity - and it's a Ten from Len...

There’s a celebrity element to this week’s Agents Do Charity, as you can read below. But whether it’s a big star who...

13 January 2017

From: Breaking News

How can agents manage negative feedback left on review sites?

Online reviews play an increasingly vital role in shaping the decisions of customers. Practically everyone using the internet to compare estate...

22 October 2016

From: Features

London's overseas property buyers win support from an unlikely quarter

The importance of overseas buyers in underpinning increasing elements of the capital’s housing market and won support from an unlikely quarter...

06 September 2016

From: Breaking News

Foxtons pulls out of sale 'after appeal by local community'

Foxtons has removed its listing for the sale of a property on an estate in Walthamstow after concerns expressed by nearby...

25 August 2016

From: Breaking News

Property Natter: online agents – where are they now?

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

19 August 2016

From: Features

Estate agent becomes a hero by saving man from drowning

The head of Oasis estate agency in Staines has become a hero after saving a man from drowning after a pair...

19 July 2016

From: Breaking News

What does Sadiq Khan’s victory mean for housing in London?

The new mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to do all in his power to help make London “better” after...

12 May 2016

From: Features

Hold the front page? Don’t bother – no one reads it any more

I wish it were otherwise, but there’s a crisis just beginning to sweep over newspapers – with, a bit beneath the...

06 May 2016

From: Features

How can traditional estate agents adapt their customer experience to compete with online?

In 2014 there were 19,000 estate agent branches in the UK. Of which 18,000 were registered to list properties on the...

14 April 2016

From: Sponsored Content

The Blairs' property empire expands - just before stamp duty deadline

Research by The Guardian has revealed that the Blair family’s property empire has expanded - secured just ahead of the stamp...

14 April 2016

From: Breaking News

Estate agents' offices already improving to combat online rivals, says display guru

An estate agency display specialist is strongly refuting comments made by a digital marketing company that agents are doing too little...

05 April 2016

From: Breaking News

Agents advised to make offices more fun and hi-tech to defeat online threat

Estate agents have been urged to follow the example of the travel agency industry and make high street offices more stimulating...

01 April 2016

From: Breaking News

An empty vessel makes the most noise

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

Advertising watchdog bans ad by controversial 'sting' estate agency

A letting agency that has been the subject of a BBC investigation and has gone into liquidation in controversial circumstances has...

27 January 2016

From: Breaking News

Is there a gender split in the property industry?

Diversity is a hot topic in offices across the UK as issues regarding the difference in pay and opportunities are being...

11 December 2015

From: Features

Labour's top priority 'to halt decline in home ownership'

The newly-appointed shadow housing minister says his first priority is to arrest the long-term fall in home ownership in Britain. John Healey...

24 September 2015

From: Breaking News

Labour hopeful wants price-capped homes for first time buyers

David Lammy, one of six contenders for the Labour nomination for next year’s Mayor of London election, says he wants to...

02 September 2015

From: Breaking News

Property Natter: Let's embrace the social web

So, has everyone been enjoying the fine summer weather we’ve been experiencing? Oh, wait…fear not, I will attempt to inject a...

07 August 2015

From: Features

From Russia With Cash: agency denies wrong-doing

One of five estate agents identified in a TV documentary has denied any wrong-doing and has specifically denied any involvement in...

15 July 2015

From: Breaking News

Estate agents caught on Channel 4's secret filming

Channel 4 admits to using what it calls “unusual” secret filming techniques and an undercover reporter posing as a Russian politician to...

08 July 2015

From: Breaking News

How to ride the digital wave legally and fairly

The internet and rapidly evolving digital landscape has revolutionised the way people buy and sell properties. With some reports suggesting 95 per...

03 July 2015

From: Features

Revealed - the pay and commissions paid by Foxtons

The Guardian has obtained what it says are details of the salaries and commissions of Foxtons sales staff. The basic payments...

18 June 2015

From: Breaking News

Another agent criticised for charging buyers

An estate agency has been criticised for taking fees from buyers and vendors, known as ‘double-charging’. Over the weekend The Guardian published...

08 June 2015

From: Breaking News

Deposits row: Agent may switch redress scheme

The Brian Cox estate agency, at the centre of a weekend newspaper allegation about £2,000 deposits from buyers, has strongly defended...

12 May 2015

From: Breaking News

Estate agent scraps controversial £2,000 'deposit' idea

An estate agency says it is returning money to buyers after a newspaper revealed it was demanding would-be purchasers paid the...

11 May 2015

From: Breaking News

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