Archive

Will he stay or will he go? You don’t need me to say who ‘he’ is - it’s the only story...

Propertymark, the main industry trade body, has this evening updated its guidance on Covid safety for estate and letting agents in...

Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer has promoted housing minister Lucy Powell to a more senior position after just six months. This leaves...

A pilot scheme has been announced to test ways of limiting second home ownership and reducing the impact additional properties have...

Leading politicians operating in the housing industry have paid tribute to murdered backbencher Sir David Amess. Housing Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “David...

Labour is to reveal a raft of new housing policies at its party conference this weekend - and it claims it’s...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has changed its name to reflect the government’s levelling up agenda. The department’s...

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

Every so often it comes around – the argument that stamp duty should be reformed/removed/replaced (delete as appropriate). But why? Where’s the...

The government has thrown its weight behind the concept of Unique Property Reference Numbers as a way of speeding up transactions. UPRNs...

The row over whether agents should be allowed to vet people who view properties on the basis of their wealth has...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has revealed that what it calls its “second HQ” will be in Wolverhampton,...

It’s been quite a week for the rental sector. Lettings agents and landlords have had such a torrid time in recent years...

Labour’s new housing spokesperson is the experienced MP Lucy Powell, who until the weekend was shadow business and consumer affairs minister.  She replaces...

Local elections rarely set the pulse racing and this year’s poll on Thursday faces a similar problem. But this time, it’s a...

Propertymark - still reeling over two senior resignations in less than a week - says its lobbying sessions with politicians are...

The high-end housing market on Jersey has been rocked by a plan from the island’s government which may ban foreign investors from...

Housing minister Kelly Tolhurst has resigned from the government for personal reasons. Tolhurst had formal responsibility for the government’s policies to combat...

Propertymark, the overarching body aiming to bring five different associations (ARLA, NAEA, NAVA, ICBA and APIP) into a single brand, was...

The Daily Mail has mocked housing minister Chris Pincher for advising people to going £174-a-bottle champagne while awaiting the rollout of...

Here’s hoping you managed to have as good a Christmas and New Year as Covid rules allowed. Journalism in early January is...

First off, hello and welcome to this new series – appearing in Estate Agent Today’s Breaking News section each month –...

A scathing document produced by MPs slams the government for its “deplorable” housing policies which are "invented, abandoned and reinvented" -...

The industry regulator who comes into force when the Regulation of Property Agents’ recommendations are adopted may take over versions of...

A leasehold group has written to Housing Minister Chris Pincher pressing for an update on the government’s approach to reform for...

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher announced that the introduction of the Renters' Reform Bill will be delayed for an indefinite period due...

Customers must be told about third party referral fees when buying or selling a home says the National Trading Standards Estate...

The Times has revealed new allegations concerning the behaviour of Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. The Cabinet member has been under the spotlight...

NAEA Propertymark has written a letter to Housing Minister Christopher Pincher, asking what measures the government is taking to get more...

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

It may be that by the time you read this it’s all over for Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for...

Housing minister Chris Pincher has now been named in media investigations into allegations concerning his political boss, Robert Jenrick, and the...

Beleaguered Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is under growing pressure to explain his part in a planning decision - now deemed illegal...

Dominic Cummings has been at worst a cause of huge anger to a nation that’s already extremely anxious. At best, he’s been...

Housing Minister Chris Pincher and Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick stayed well clear of the Dominic Cummings row over the weekend -...

There has been much speculation about when agents will be allowed back to work, and what the new office working environment...

Housing minister Chris Pincher is drawing up guidelines which could allow agents to return to something like normal working in the near...

Labour’s long-standing housing spokesman, John Healey, has been moved to become shadow defence secretary on the front bench of new leader...

The NAEA and ARLA have jointly written to the government asking it to include agents’ commission in its plans to help those financially...

Former housing minister Alok Sharma has revealed new measures to allow agencies and other businesses to avoid insolvency during the virus...

Housing minister Christopher Pincher, who has been in the role for less than a month, has revealed that his home is...

The author of dramatic reform proposals for estate agents has given a clear message to ministers - Get On With It!  Lord...

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

Earlier this month, Boris Johnson carried out a reshuffle of his cabinet, telling ministers they must 'repay the trust of those...

Despite still being in the transition period after leaving the EU on January 31, we are seeing an upturn in the...

Hello and welcome to the start of a new week - and it’s been a frantic seven days since the last...

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

Esther McVey has been sacked as housing minister; she was the ninth housing minister in as many years. Her successor is the...

Unsourced stories in a number of newspapers over the weekend - all likely to have come from government off-the-record briefings -...

The chair of the working group introducing mandatory examinations and qualifications for estate and letting agents says senior politicians will meet...

The annual conference of the National Association of Estate Agents takes place on February 27 - the date when the future...

He’s a young and very wealthy up-and-coming MP in his 30s, a Cambridge graduate who also studied in the US and...

A new year dawns - but will 2020 bring new change for the agency industry now that the market appears to...

It’s one of the most crucial aspects of the homebuying and selling process but is too often bogged down by frustrating...

In the firmest sign yet that PropTech has entered the mainstream, Housing Minister Esther McVey recently launched an expert advisory council...

In just over two weeks, the UK population will head to the polls for the fourth general election since 2010. Of course,...

A PropTech company that monitors search times for transactions says only just over two thirds of them are now completed in...

Housing Minister Esther McVey has launched an expert advisory council that the government says is “dedicated to the digital transformation of...

It’s on - although judging by the early lack of enthusiasm amongst the British public, you might be forgiven for thinking...

It was in this very column, back in July, when I wrote about how the British government was starting to take...

Housing minister Esther McVey says Compulsory Purchase Orders and brownfield land registers are to be made digitally transparent.  This will allow CPO...

First details have emerged of the information vendors may have to provide up-front In future transactions if government house buying reforms...

Reservation agreements locking in buyers and sellers could be trailed with some agencies and conveyancers early in 2020, a government official...

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

In recent years, governments and local councils have sought to change the private rented sector (PRS) to make it more appealing...

The Conservative Party conference agenda, now published, gives the housing issue several bites of the cherry in Manchester next week. Housing minister...

Labour will this week discuss plans to allow councils to compulsorily purchase homes left empty for six months. Young Labour - a...

The new housing minister has admitted that her party has tried to “put a lid” on house price rises and has...

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...

The Liverpool Echo says housing minister Esther McVey, who was born in the city, is now ”reviled” there following comments about poor families. According...

There’s been only a vague government response to the recommendations for an estate and lettings agency regulator. Last month the Regulation of...

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

If you’d asked me at the start of the year how I thought the political landscape might look now, I wouldn’t...

Housing experts have expressed their concerns that speculation about a radical stamp duty reduction to be introduced by Boris Johnson’s government...

Hello and welcome to the start of a new week and a new Property Jobs Today column, bringing you the industry’s...

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

The new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the relatively unknown Robert Jenrick -  but his new housing...

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

This may be the final full day in office for Kit Malthouse, the latest politician to occupy the short-term position of housing...

The industry press has given substantial space to recommendations from the Regulation of Property Agents, the government’s working party which has...

Some of the most radical reforms ever proposed for estate and letting agents are expected to be signed off today by...

A new industry regulator is likely to be in place within two years according to the chair of the government’s Regulation...

Theresa May arrived in Downing Street some three years ago - but her premiership has not been a smooth ride. As she...

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

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

Housing minister Kit Malthouse appears to have some difficulty being taken seriously as a candidate for Conservative party leader and Prime...

In a surprising announcement overnight, housing minister Kit Malthouse says he is standing to become the Conservative party leader and next...

Homeowners will be able to extend properties more easily instead of moving home. In a surprise announcement this morning - less than...

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

So far in our contribution to the campaign to replace leasehold with commonhold we have outlined the stories of some of...

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

An ex-housing minister and ex-Brexit secretary says he wants to radically change taxes on buy to let capital appreciation to help...

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...

This article was originally written for City AM in response to an article it published attacking letting agents. See more here.  A...

The founder of the Hunters franchise agency group, Kevin Hollinrake - now a Conservative MP - is the latest parliamentarian to...

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

Kit Malthouse has been making headlines this week, but – in keeping with his tenure as Housing Minister so far -...

There’s been a dramatic improvement in the speed of searches being completed and returned by local authorities, the government claims. Housing minister...

It’s been revealed that the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is to deliver new guidelines to agents for referral fees...

It’s the word on everyone’s lips: after two and a half years of debate, and months before that leading up to...

The housing minister has made it clear that his government - and the property industry as a whole - must deliver...

As 2018 ticks away and 2019 beckons, it’s time for everyone at Estate Agent Today to wish you, your family and...

There’s nothing new about identifying 10 figures who have helped shape an industry over the past year, but that doesn’t mean...

Another year is nearly done – and what an eventful year it’s been. We’ve had more than our fair share of breaking...

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

Housing minister Kit Malthouse appears to be backing Theresa May as Brexit chaos consumes the government. A request from Estate Agent Today...

The government says mobile home residents are to receive greater protection from dishonest site owners seeking to make a profit at...

The government has unveiled a new body which, it claims, will raise agency standards. There is a long-standing commitment from the government...

A government minister has told the estate agency industry that it must be more transparent over the issue of referral fees. In...

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

A new book has revealed that one of the long line of recent housing ministers was known as “the invisible minister”...

Another day, another housing minister – at least that’s what it feels like! The resignation of the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson...

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

It may not be a good idea for a journalist to be personal about a politician, so I write about our...

First things first, I have to mention the World Cup. The dream is over, football’s not quite coming home (not until...

The new housing minister, Kit Malthouse, has made his first formal statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It...

A leading agency chief says the frequent churn of housing ministers means there is only one answer if our industry wants...

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

Former housing minister Dominic Raab, who yesterday left his post after just six months in office, may have had a lucky...

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

It’s been announced this morning that Dominic Raab - who became housing minister just a few months ago - is to...

In what is regarded as his most important speech since becoming housing minister, Dominic Raab has told a conference that it...

To say this is a turbulent time for UK politics would be something of an understatement. As I write, the Brexit...

It may seem innocuous enough but a speech at a party by pro-Brexit housing minister Dominic Raab is being interpreted by...

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

The game of musical chairs that has so often gone on with politicians in charge of housing continues today with the...

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

Several newspapers are carrying allegations that the diary secretary working for housing minister Dominic Raab has been selling sex via a...

As the estate agency business in England moves towards being more robust with professional qualifications and higher standards being introduced, there...

The government has published data related to a claim by housing minister Dominic Raab, who prompted controversy last week by suggesting...

‘Respect’ is the new mantra for politicians: whether it’s about street gang leaders, social media trolls or those on either side...

  Chancellor Phillip Hammond claims over 60,000 first time buyers have already benefitted from the stamp duty relief he announced at his...

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

Housing minister Dominic Raab took to Twitter to make a Trump-style criticism of trade magazine The Negotiator and its editor, the...

It’s probably unwise to write too much about politics these days. The most fanciful predictions turn out to be less wild...

The latest release of data from the English Housing Survey reveals that the number of under-45s owning their own homes has...

Labour MP Chris Williamson, regarded as an ally of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, is suggesting that high-value homes in England should...

It didn’t take long - within 24 hours of high-flying Tory Dominic Raab being named as housing minister, so there was...

There has been general surprise at the appointment of legal expert and outspoken Brexiteer Dominic Raab to the post of housing...

In a surprise announcement this lunchtime, Dominic Raab has been appointed as housing minister. Raab, the 16th housing minister in the past...

New housing minister Sajid Javid says the subtle change of name for his department and his own job “reflects this government’s renewed...

The Department of Communities and Local Government has been rebadged as the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government in 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...

Former National Association of Estate Agents president Simon Gerrard is renewing his campaign for the government to adopt two innovative reforms...

It has been revealed that the beleaguered government of Theresa May is to hold a summit at 10 Downing Street tomorrow...

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

Simon Gerrard, a past president of the National Association of Estate Agents, has called on the government to switch the burden...

Labour’s shadow housing minister John Healey is reported to be one of a number of prominent front bench opposition spokespeople being...

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

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...

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

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

The political ebb and flow continues - seemingly with all the subtlety of a Boris Johnson rugby tackle on a 10-year...

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

Figures released by the government suggest that over 285,000 people, including 240,000 first time buyers, have used one or more of...

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...

Industry trade bodies NAEA and ARLA Propertymark have announced the appointment of their new presidents. At an AGM on Friday, Katie Griffin...

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

The property industry has broadly welcomed the appointment of a new housing minister, which was made yesterday evening. Reading West MP Alok...

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his first Budget this week pledging extra funding for the NHS, transport in the Midlands and the...

One thing that can be guaranteed in the property world each year is a range of conferences and awards dinners. Very...

If you work in lettings, I’ll already have a pretty good idea on how you feel about the current Conservative Government.  The...

Housing minister Gavin Barwell has told the NAEA conference that there is no quick fix for the country’s housing shortage -...

Grant Shapps, housing minister between 2010 and 2012, has said the measures in the current government’s White Paper are not bold...

The government’s attitude of “Nanny knows best” has “squandered another opportunity” to make a real difference to the housing crisis, according...

A series of leaks to national newspapers and a flurry of broadcast interviews by housing minister Gavin Barwell means we already know...

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

Over 168,000 new homes were completed in the year to March 2016, according to data released by the government, over 15,500...

The National Association of Estate Agents has lured housing minister Gavin Barwell to speak at its conference next month.  Barwell will outline...

There is no doubt that 2016 managed to catch the world by surprise on more than one occassion.  But will 2017 be...

Confusion surrounds the timing of the government’s eagerly-anticipated White Paper on housing. Respected property industry weekly magazine Estates Gazette has tweeted that...

Now I’m not one to lose sleep over politicians, but it strikes me that Communities Secretary Sajid Javid and Housing Minister...

The government’s blizzard of New Year announcements about new homes has received a distinctly frosty welcome from many within the property...

Housing minister Gavin Barwell says the government will put forward proposals in the new year to stop abuses of the leasehold...

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

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

The Conveyancing Association has revised its wish-list of reforms to, in its words, “ensure fewer delays, a less costly process, and...

The Daily Mail has calculated which of the 13 housing ministers in office before this autumn has been the most successful,...

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

Housing minister Gavin Barwell has taken to Twitter to tell those for and against Brexit to "tone down the rhetoric" that...

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

The Labour Party claims there has been a strikingly large reduction in the number of under-45s who own a home -...

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

Housing minister Gavin Barwell has met campaigners to scrap anti-buy to let measures introduced by the Cameron government in the past...

If you want an indicator that the United Kingdom isn’t so united any more, have a look at Right To Buy. The...

Right To Buy - the controversial sell-off of council and housing association homes initially introduced as a flagship of Margaret Thatcher’s...

Older readers may recall a terrific movie called Network where a character, disillusioned by life, shouts from a window: “I’m as...

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

It has been revealed that the new housing minister, Gavin Barwell, appears to be campaigning to oppose a new housing scheme...

Housing appears to have a disappointingly low priority in the new Theresa May-led Cabinet - at least judging from the time...

I’m indebted to one of the most enthusiastic estate agents I’ve had the pleasure of meeting for suggesting the subject of...

The news that Theresa May will be installed as Prime Minister tomorrow has immediately stabilished the share prices of estate agents...

In case you were wondering, it appears that the Labour party has still to find someone to replace John Healey as...

Brandon Lewis, the housing minister, is backing Theresa May as a crowded field of candidates begin seeking support to become leader...

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

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

Housing minister Brandon Lewis has joined many others across the country in paying tribute to Jo Cox, the Labour MP murdered last...

Government figures claim almost 50,000 households in council and other forms of social housing have taken up their Right To Buy...

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

A respected housing market analyst says “it's a bit cheeky” of housing minister Brandon Lewis to claim credit for figures suggesting...

The goverrnment says new figures show that after a year-after-year decline in the number of people owning their home, starting in...

As we all know, Peter Redfern is critical to the future of the British housing market and.... What? Wait? You don’t know...

It’s time to take a pause, to reflect and put into context—and what a year it has been for our industry...

So this weekend some of us will see our first snow of the season. Harsh weather, Christmas adverts and winter generally...

The new shadow housing minister says Labour will build 100,000 new council houses and housing association homes a year with more...

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

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

Housing minister Brandon Lewis has been announced as the headline speaker at the Future: Property Tech Conference, taking place in the...

A new website has been launched to fight back against the attack George Osborne made in the Summer Budget on the...

Housing minister has Brandon Lewis has thrown his weight behind the right of foreign investors to purchase buy to let properties,...

The Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors says it supports a call by housing minister Brandon Lewis for personnel retiring from the...

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

Labour’s low-profile shadow housing minister, Roberta Blackman-Woods, has come out for Yvette Cooper - herself a former housing minister - in...

The government has allegedly ruled out any regulation of estate agents for fear that it would lead to higher fees and...

This week RICS reported a further drop in the number of people putting their homes up for sale; new instructions fell...

The Conservatives’ election victory came as a surprise, so much so that television pundits spent all night after the vote rubbishing...

Watch the latest weekly video roundup of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on a London...

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

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

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

Former Conservative housing minister Kris Hopkins warned two years ago that allowing housing associations to sell their stock was a policy...