By Mike Bilboe, Face For Business Buying or selling a home can be one of the most stressful and uncertain times for...
Archive
![Calls for Law Society reform ‘won’t go away’ – warning](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/PropertyNews3-400x310.png)
The Law Society may have seen-off a no-confidence vote but disgruntled solicitors have vowed to keep up the pressure on the...
26 July 2024
From: Breaking News
![PropTech Today - Why we can't afford not to be alive to the growing risk of cyber fraud](/upload/images/PropTech%20.jpg)
THE property sector has embraced technology and the enormous benefits that it can bring. Never was this more accurately demonstrated than during...
15 May 2024
From: Breaking News
![Estate agents and money laundering - the need for vigilance](/upload/images/5%20--%20Proofed%20--%20Estate%20agents%20and%20money%20laundering%20-%20the%20need%20for%20vigilance%20by%20Niall%20Hearty%20Partner%20at%20Rahman%20Ravelli_.jpg)
For most of us, estate agents are key when it comes to the biggest sales and purchases of our lives. With the...
04 May 2024
From: Features
![How Much Will Mortgage Rate Hikes Affect the UK Housing Market?](/upload/images/2%20How%20much%20will%20mortgage%20rate%20hikes%20-%20weekend%20features%20By%20Tom%20Bill%20Head%20of%20UK%20residential%20research%20at%20Knight%20Frank.jpg)
Borrowers are currently rolling off relatively favourable two-year fixed-rate deals agreed at the start of 2022, but the pain from higher...
30 March 2024
From: Features
![Winter warning over Japanese Knotweed](/upload/images/__thumbs/4%20shutterstock_1777590785.jpg/4%20shutterstock_1777590785__400x267.jpg)
Homebuyers viewing properties during the winter months should be extra watchful for signs of invasive Japanese knotweed, which dies back in...
11 November 2023
From: Features
![Join the future of estate agency, today.](/upload/images/adv-2021/sponsored-content/Moveli/360x.png)
Estate agency has changed. No longer is it required to sit in a high street office working the old way. Provide a...
12 September 2023
From: Sponsored Content
![What is ‘mixed tenure’ and why are mixed tenure developments built?](/upload/images/adv-2021/sponsored-content/Sava/EAT%20image%20(5).png)
The term mixed-tenure development usually refers to residential developments where different residential tenures are provided on the same site. Typically, tenure was...
30 August 2023
From: Sponsored Content
![New figures highlight estate agents’ money laundering failings](/upload/images/3%20Weekend%20featuresNew%20figures%20highlight%20estate%20agents%20money%20laundering%20failings%20by%20Niall%20Hearty%2C%20Partner%20at%20Rahman%20Ravelli%20.png)
For most people, buying a house or flat is the largest financial commitment they will ever make. Which is why many...
26 August 2023
From: Features
![Levelling up: how a quality CRM provider helps your agency grow](/upload/images/adv-2021/sponsored-content/ReapIT/RPT%20SC%204%20360x280.png)
Success with your chosen CRM solution should not be a one-and-done package. Once you team up with a stellar CRM provider,...
17 July 2023
From: Sponsored Content
![Unlocking success: capabilities an ideal CRM toolbox should offer](/upload/images/adv-2021/sponsored-content/ReapIT/RPT%20SC%203%20360x280.png)
CRMs can be superheroes for your business, but not all of them possess the necessary powers to save the day. As...
11 July 2023
From: Sponsored Content
![Accelerating growth: the key advantages of implementing a CRM](/upload/images/adv-2021/sponsored-content/ReapIT/RPT%20SC%202%20360x280.png)
By adopting a top-notch Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution, you're not only opening doors to acquiring new customers and nurturing existing...
05 July 2023
From: Sponsored Content
![Agents face a 'perfect storm' for money laundering](/upload/images/Agents%20face%20a%20perfect%20storm%20for%20money%20laundering.png)
Recent research estimated that up to £100 billion is being stolen in the UK each year, with much of it due...
22 April 2023
From: Features
![On the move! Boris Johnson snaps up historic home](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/shutterstock_451439638.jpg)
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is believed to have snapped up the historic Brightwell Manor as his new home. Johnson, who was...
28 March 2023
From: Breaking News
![Condensation mould – a black mark for property](/upload/images/adv-2021/sponsored-content/Sava/360x280%20heading%20image%20-%20black%20mould.png)
Black mould associated with condensation is becoming an increasing problem for homes in the UK and following the tragic death of...
24 February 2023
From: Sponsored Content
![Property Natter - Incoming! It’s hard work to figure out the housing market](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Special%20Logo's/Property%20Natter.jpg)
Lies, damned lies, and statistics this week. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel as though I’m being bombarded...
11 February 2023
From: Features
![Sticky situation! Buyers warned as Gü founder loses Stamp Duty claim](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/StampDuty-Image--400x310.png)
Property buyers aiming to reduce their Stamp Duty bill with “mixed-use” purchases are being warned that HMRC is sniffing out those...
26 October 2022
From: Breaking News
![Agents refute making obscene gestures towards Kwasi Kwarteng](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/_Kwasi%20Kwarteng_400x310.png)
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
![Agent pens book on vendor viewing mishaps](/upload/images/Housing%20Market%20%26%20Property%20Images/HousingMarket-400x310.png)
Many agents will have funny anecdotes about memorable viewings and one has decided to turn them into a book. Adam Bailey, who...
13 September 2022
From: Breaking News
![Reviews site reveals worst-rated agencies - and it's not just Purplebricks](/upload/images/Miscellaneous/ReviewsFeedback-400x310.jpg)
AllAgents has revealed the 10 worst rated agency brands on its customer review platform, with Purplebricks leading the worst performers. The reviews...
31 May 2022
From: Breaking News
![Industry Views - Michael Gove and His Dead Cat](/upload/images/Politics%20(MPs%2C%20party%20logos%2C%20etc)/MichaelGove-400x310.jpg)
In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that the infamous dead cat would come into the debate over government housing targets and...
21 May 2022
From: Features
![Purplebricks chief executive quits because of “personal circumstances”](/upload/images/library/Purplebricks-2019Logo-400x310.jpg)
Purplebricks chief executive Vic Darvey has quit, citing “personal circumstances”. He leaves at the end of this month with chief operating officer Helena...
10 March 2022
From: Breaking News
![Will The Lights Go On Again In Central London?](/upload/images/Housing%20Market%20%26%20Property%20Images/london-property400x310.png)
Almost exactly a decade ago I wrote a blog on the back of a spate on mainstream news stories about prime...
05 March 2022
From: Features
![Predictions 2022 - an interview with Simon Shinerock](/upload/images/Seasonal%20%26%20Holidays/2022Plans-400x310.png)
Peta Milne, founder of Instagram growth and PR service Monimo, and a content writer at Choices Estate Agents, recently sat down...
05 March 2022
From: Features
![Purplebricks wins praise for dropping prejudiced sellers](/upload/images/Logos/Purplebricks-2019Logo-400x310.jpg)
Purplebricks’ decision to de-list a property after the Christian vendors made anti-gay comments has won widespread support from industry figures, including...
24 January 2022
From: Breaking News
![Build To Rent - why is it so cold and unfriendly?](/upload/images/BTR%2C%20PBSA%2C%20Co-living/BTR-Block-400x310.jpg)
Let’s begin with total transparency from this author: I believe there’s a place for Build To Rent in the wider portfolio...
27 November 2021
From: Features
![A guide for Money Laundering Officers: Championing AML compliance in your agency](/upload/images/Housing%20Market%20%26%20Property%20Images/UK-Cash-20-400x310.jpg)
Increasingly rigorous Money Laundering Directives have made regulations in the property industry more stringent than ever, and Estate Agents have a...
22 November 2021
From: Legislation & Compliance
![Blighted! Hundreds of homes on scrapped HS2 route turn agents angry](/upload/images/Locations/EnglandMap-400x310.jpg)
The scaling back of HS2 in the north of England, contained in the government's new Integrated Rail Plan, means hundreds of homes...
22 November 2021
From: Breaking News
![How to minimise pandemic disruption in your estate agency](/img/default/eat.png)
Last month it was reported that up to 500,000 people had been ‘pinged’ by the NHS in a week. While the...
18 August 2021
From: Features
![“Disgraceful” estate agent criticised by Crown Prosecution Service](/img/default/eat.png)
The Crown Prosecution Service has joined in the criticism of unemployed estate agent Lewis Hughes, who last week admitted a count...
04 August 2021
From: Breaking News
![Paying For Viewings - will charging buyers really work?](/img/default/eat.png)
A new service launched over the weekend, proposing to charge buyers £30 for a “guaranteed” viewing, has split opinions amongst estate...
26 July 2021
From: Breaking News
![Estate agency issues statement over racist football tweet](/img/default/eat.png)
High end agency Savills is conducting “a full investigation” into a racist tweet posted overnight. A Savills statement posted on Twitter this...
12 July 2021
From: Breaking News
![Disgraced agent’s accomplice charged over Chris Whitty incident](/img/default/eat.png)
The second man to appear in a notorious video showing an estate agent accosting Professor Chris Whitty has now been charged...
07 July 2021
From: Breaking News
![Crazy times, hazy memories - looking back at more than 35 years in the industry](/img/default/eat.png)
There are just three working days until the end of the stamp duty holiday for most buyers. That’s not even enough time...
26 June 2021
From: Features
![Have buyers been conned about the stamp duty holiday benefits?](/img/default/eat.png)
An estate agency says disgruntled and delayed property buyers are fast falling out of love with the stamp duty holiday, which...
07 June 2021
From: Breaking News
![“Huge un-tapped market for agents” amongst disgruntled owners - Zoopla](/img/default/eat.png)
Zoopla says just over half of current home owners say they are stuck in a property that’s unsuitable for their needs...
03 June 2021
From: Breaking News
![Ten useful tools to aid end of tenancy deposit deductions](/img/default/eat.png)
The TDS annual review 2020 indicates that deposit disputes have remained low over the last year, at around 1%. This is...
24 April 2021
From: Features
![Sarah Edmundson – how Agents Together is helping the industry to talk](/img/default/eat.png)
Mental health – and the importance of good mental health – has become a vital thing for all of us in...
01 April 2021
From: Breaking News
![Agents caught on camera - they call vendor’s house “disgusting”](/img/default/eat.png)
An estate agency has apologised unreservedly for “most regrettable” comments made by two members of staff who described a vendor’s property...
18 March 2021
From: Breaking News
![Conveyancers call for less aggression in house buying process](/img/default/eat.png)
A conveyancing trade publication wants those involved in residential transactions to be kind to each other - especially as the stamp duty...
25 February 2021
From: Breaking News
![Agent sorry for “crass” flyer calling Covid “blessing in disguise”](/img/default/eat.png)
An estate agency has issued an abject apology for calling the Covid pandemic “a blessing in disguise.” There was a huge social...
26 January 2021
From: Breaking News
![2021 will not hold back Agents who are prepared to adapt](/img/default/eat.png)
With the Government announcement this week of another national lockdown across England amid the surging coronavirus infections, it once again puts...
08 January 2021
From: Sponsored Content
![Stamp Duty increase - could it happen across the UK?](/img/default/eat.png)
The shock and almost immediate increase in stamp duty on additional homes in Wales has prompted one question in the industry...
22 December 2020
From: Breaking News
![Agents can do more to speed up transactions by adopting technology](/img/default/eat.png)
Recent debate about urgent need for reform and better collaboration within the property industry, has once again come under the spotlight...
04 December 2020
From: Sponsored Content
![Capital Gains Tax hike is GOOD news for agents, insists top analyst](/img/default/eat.png)
One of the industry’s leading commentators says an unintended consequence of a possible Capital Gains Tax increase could be a bonus...
13 November 2020
From: Breaking News
![Keeping the property market moving](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s been an unexpected year for the property market, shaped by the effects of the pandemic. We didn’t quite anticipate the...
27 October 2020
From: Sponsored Content
![Solve this NOW! Campaign to make cladding flats sell-able again](/img/default/eat.png)
Survivors and bereaved family members from the Grenfell Tower fire have joined forces with residents trapped in allegedly dangerous flats in...
28 September 2020
From: Breaking News
![Disgraced agent pays £110,000 compensation but must pay more](/img/default/eat.png)
A disgraced former estate agent has paid his victims around £110,000 but must pay another £5,000 or so in the immediate...
14 September 2020
From: Breaking News
![Property Natter - perception vs reality - why do agents have a bad rep?](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s fair to say that UK estate agents don’t have the best of reputations, often featuring in the lists of the...
29 August 2020
From: Features
![Nationalists attack agency for using English version of house name](/img/default/eat.png)
A row is brewing over an agency which acted on a vendor’s request to use the English version of a house...
11 August 2020
From: Breaking News
![Disgraced agency directors disqualified after price-fixing scandal](/img/default/eat.png)
Two estate agency directors have been disqualified by the Competition and Markets Authority after taking part in an illegal price fixing...
15 June 2020
From: Breaking News
![Estate agency post-Covid-19: more evolution than revolution](/img/default/eat.png)
The Covid-19 crisis hasn’t caused the revolution it has been reported to have. Despite the challenges it has brought, fundamentally, the...
27 May 2020
From: Features
![Fury over Rightmove’s post-lockdown advertising bonanza](/img/default/eat.png)
There’s been an explosion of anger about Rightmove’s pledge to undertake its biggest-ever marketing campaign - while at the same time...
11 May 2020
From: Breaking News
![Say No To Rightmove leader demands “no return to full tariff”](/img/default/eat.png)
The leader of the Say No To Rightmove campaign says that agents are demanding that there is “no return to full...
17 April 2020
From: Breaking News
![Rightmove downgraded as bank warns of agency closures accelerating](/img/default/eat.png)
Investment bank RBC Capital has downgraded its rating of Rightmove and is warning that the property market is entering a prolonged...
17 April 2020
From: Breaking News
![Spicerhaart under fire for “inhumane” and “disgraceful” sackings](/img/default/eat.png)
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
![Over 600 agents Say No To Rightmove - but will they stick by it?](/img/default/eat.png)
Over 600 agents have now signed up to the Say No To Rightmove campaign including some of the biggest names on...
23 March 2020
From: Breaking News
![Rightmove and Zoopla unveil offers for agents](/img/default/eat.png)
The two major portals have unveiled their discounts and deals for agents facing a dramatic loss of business because of the...
20 March 2020
From: Breaking News
![Rival portal offers free listings as agents rage at Rightmove](/img/default/eat.png)
There’s been widespread outrage amongst agents at Rightmove’s offer to allow some agents a deferred payment scheme operating for just three...
19 March 2020
From: Breaking News
![PropTech Today: Agency mergers and new business models](/img/default/eat.png)
What an interesting few days it’s been. I don’t think the topic of this week’s column is doing anything good for our...
26 February 2020
From: Breaking News
![Countrywide, two years after Platt - time for the last rites?](/img/default/eat.png)
In six years of editing Estate Agent Today, some of my most dramatic moments have been covering the troubles - some...
11 January 2020
From: Features
![Section 8 and safeguarding landlords’ rights - what agents need to know](/img/default/eat.png)
In recent months, we’ve seen headlines dominated by changes to tenancy rules, government consultations and more than a few scare stories. Landlords...
30 October 2019
From: Features
![In Praise of Purplebricks: a senior estate agent speaks out](/img/default/eat.png)
A former Territory Owner at Purplebricks, who at one time managed 11 Local Property Experts, has spoken out in support of...
24 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Blond ambition - Does Boris Johnson have any housing policies?](/img/default/eat.png)
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
![‘Slowest June since 2013’ as homes linger longer on the market](/img/default/eat.png)
It's becoming increasingly difficult to sell a property, especially in those regions undergoing a price correction. That’s the verdict from Home, a...
14 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![The man who polices the agency industry - an exclusive interview](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s clear that some agents are not fans of Trading Standards officers, described in the comments sections of the trade press...
27 April 2019
From: Features
![How can estate agents build their online reputation?](/img/default/eat.png)
When it comes to building online reputation, Google is king. It is estimated that over 90% of consumers Google a business before...
19 January 2019
From: Features
![Case Study: Noise issue could cost agent £9000](/img/default/eat.png)
Our latest case study come from a recent news item to have hit the industry and national press. A disgruntled tenant is claiming...
16 January 2019
From: Sponsored Content
![What are the biggest challenges facing letting agents in 2019?](/img/default/eat.png)
There is a perfect storm brewing in the lettings market, and as the saying goes, “you can’t change the direction of...
12 December 2018
From: Features
![Emoov was never going to find a buyer, says leading agency analyst](/img/default/eat.png)
The demise of Emoov, Tepilo and lettings platform Urban raises question marks over the long-term viability of online agencies according to...
04 December 2018
From: Breaking News
![Emoov: Rival agents try to poach vendors as public complaints mount](/img/default/eat.png)
At least some calls from potential customers to Emoov are being cut off and rival estate agents are now plundering the...
03 December 2018
From: Breaking News
![IAM Sold's associated firms rebrand in bid to woo more agents](/img/default/eat.png)
Intelligent Services Group - parent company of online auction service IAM Sold - is rebranding around the IAM name. ISG and its...
20 November 2018
From: Breaking News
![Ombudsman calls for new build homes to be included in consumer redress](/img/default/eat.png)
The Property Ombudsman has urged the government to bring the new homes build sector under consumer redress. New builds are not currently...
10 September 2018
From: Breaking News
![Agent upset at online firm's huge over-valuation spills the beans...](/img/default/eat.png)
OK, so the headline has drawn you into the story - but you’ll enjoy the video we have below. It’s the...
29 August 2018
From: Breaking News
![Boris Johnson wants absurdly high stamp duty to be cut](/img/default/eat.png)
Boris Johnson is calling for a cut to Britain’s “absurdly high” stamp duty. Writing in this morning’s Daily Telegraph - the same newspaper...
13 August 2018
From: Breaking News
![GDPR Weekly: All you need to know about subject access requests](/img/default/eat.png)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...
26 June 2018
From: Breaking News
![Housing Minister Raab's speech seen as key to Theresa May's future](/img/default/eat.png)
It may seem innocuous enough but a speech at a party by pro-Brexit housing minister Dominic Raab is being interpreted by...
06 June 2018
From: Breaking News
![Agents Do Charity - despite getting an hour's less sleep this weekend...](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s spring at last! Although we’ve only just finished wiping the snow off our boots, it’s great news that the clocks...
23 March 2018
From: Breaking News
![Japanese knotweed: what estate agents need to know](/img/default/eat.png)
When it comes to property, ‘Japanese knotweed’ are the two words most homeowners and prospective buyers do not want to hear. With...
03 March 2018
From: Features
![Purplebricks: boards up, shares down?](/img/default/eat.png)
Why I won’t buy Purplebricks shares and why if I had any, I’d sell fast… In its latest adverts, Purplebricks attempts to...
13 February 2018
From: Features
![Housing: its part in Theresa May's downfall](/img/default/eat.png)
It’s probably unwise to write too much about politics these days. The most fanciful predictions turn out to be less wild...
03 February 2018
From: Features
![Halifax and Nationwide price indices slammed as out of date by rival](/img/default/eat.png)
House price indices provided each month by Halifax and the Nationwide have been branded as “misguiding” and “out of date” and...
01 February 2018
From: Breaking News
![‘Groping’ Club Scandal - 10 of 21 tables were sponsored by property firms](/img/default/eat.png)
The Financial Times has identified that 10 of the 21 tables at the notorious Presidents Club dinner last weekend were sponsored by...
25 January 2018
From: Breaking News
![Exclusive: New 'super-portal' launching in the UK on March 1](/img/default/eat.png)
A new property portal called Linktosale aims to launch in the UK at the start of March following what appears to...
08 January 2018
From: Breaking News
![Agents Do Charity: It's going to be a wonderful year](/img/default/eat.png)
Welcome to 2018 and if your charitable activities are an indicator, it’s going to be a busy year with plenty happening...
05 January 2018
From: Breaking News
![Party conference season - A housing plan for UK Plc](/img/default/eat.png)
And so concludes another party conference season. We’ve followed the great and the good (both terms are debatable) around Torbay, Bournemouth,...
07 October 2017
From: Features
![Agents Do Charity - the helping children edition...](/img/default/eat.png)
Agents’ charity fundraising obviously spans a wide range of genuinely good causes, but it’s noticeable that at the end of each...
22 September 2017
From: Breaking News
!['Cartels Hotline' launched on back of disgraced agencies' case](/img/default/eat.png)
The Competition and Markets Authority - which yesterday released details of an infamous cartel case involving estate agencies - has now...
19 September 2017
From: Breaking News
![Cost of moving rises 6% in a year - that's mostly down to stamp duty](/img/default/eat.png)
The average cost of moving home in the UK has increased by £628 over the past year from £10,966 to £11,624...
15 September 2017
From: Breaking News
![Agency earns £350,000 in commission from 'disgruntled' online sellers](/img/default/eat.png)
Arun Estates reports that it has netted an additional £350,000 in fees thanks to a scheme designed to woo vendors using online...
06 September 2017
From: Breaking News
![Agents Do Charity - the first-mention-of-the-C-word edition](/img/default/eat.png)
Now we hate to spoil a long weekend but for much of the UK this is the final Bank Holiday before......
25 August 2017
From: Breaking News
![What now for Agents’ Mutual?](/img/default/eat.png)
Agents’ Mutual (oops, that name might need to change…read on) has been touting its recent legal victory and is about to...
03 August 2017
From: Features
![Housing minister Sharma at centre of Twitter and speech disputes](/img/default/eat.png)
Housing minister Alok Sharma has blocked some of his Twitter followers, accusing them of “abusive language”. Sharma has a relatively modest 9,169 followers...
17 July 2017
From: Breaking News
![4 Reasons Why Virtual Furnishing Really Is The Future](/img/default/eat.png)
It seems prop-tech is exploding at a scary rate, and the latest brands are all trying to grab our attention by...
17 March 2017
From: Sponsored Content
![Agent fined by CMA says responsible partner 'acted alone'](/img/default/eat.png)
One of the four estate agents fined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for price-fixing has spoken about the details...
07 March 2017
From: Breaking News
![Guarantee blue skies! Bad weather doesn’t mean bad photos when you use Doctor Photo](/img/default/eat.png)
Annoying isn’t it. You take on a stunning property, agree a compelling asking price and your Vendor is desperate to get the...
02 February 2017
From: Sponsored Content
!['Why are searches taking 17 weeks?' estate agent asks MP](/img/default/eat.png)
An estate agent has blasted his local council for "unacceptable" delays that mean searches can take up to 17 weeks. Mark Parker,...
14 November 2016
From: Breaking News
![Trump victory will spark period of global change over next four years](/img/default/eat.png)
There is really only one topic of debate and forensic analysis at the moment and that’s the ascendency of Donald Trump...
12 November 2016
From: Features
![Whither Countrywide](/img/default/eat.png)
Although Brexit, portal juggling and portal wars have stolen property industry headlines in recent months, there's been one story almost constantly...