Archive

The acquisition of Countrywide by Connells might just be the deal of the century in the British estate agency industry. That’s the...

Estate agents have kept up the pressure on the Westminster government to consider some kind of tapered ending to the stamp...

A group that last year floated the concept of a one-off wealth tax - which would include taxing main homes as...

Mortgage approvals decreased slightly in December but remain well above pre-Covid levels thanks to the continuing incentive of the stamp duty...

The Bank of England is to review the affordability tests imposed on  borrowers, opening the door to a possible relaxation of...

With a new President elected and the old one reluctant to move out, this is a good time to see how...

The Bank of England’s monthly interest rate decision was made today - but instead of it being announced at 12 noon,...

The National Association of Estate Agents wants the government to initiate a mortgage guarantee scheme to encourage more 95 per cent...

The only certainty at the moment is ongoing uncertainty. It’s something we’ve got used to in 2020, but it’s still not...

The scale of the market bounce back after lockdown is made clear in new figures from HM Revenue & Customs. It registers...

Many young people are stuck unable to purchase their first home even if house prices fall in the wake of the...

Mortgage approvals - a key indicator of short-term activity in the housing market - beat expectations in June according to Bank...

Agents have almost unanimously been reporting a big surge in business since the reopening of the housing market, but new figures...

Agents have remained calm in the light of Nationwide’s house price index which shows the first annual fall for eight years...

Restrictions introduced a decade ago after the financial crisis are holding back many first time buyers from purchasing a home. That’s the...

Zoopla’s head of research says a stamp duty holiday could encourage more home owners to move which in turn could help...

At the moment, it somehow seems like tempting fate to think too far into the future, especially in terms of the...

The peak of the 2020 sales market is likely to be September instead of the usual early summer - but that...

The three leading portals have rejected an appeal to give the industry a payment holiday to help firms through the Coronavirus...

The agency behind a poll showing one in six buyers putting plans on hold because of Coronavirus is warning that if...

The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted once again how fragile and interconnected our societies have become. We don’t know yet how dangerous Covid-19...

In another positive sign for the housing market, every region of the UK has seen a price rise according to the...

The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee meets today for its monthly decision on whether the move base rate - and...

Savills says the decisive General Election result appears to have suddenly turned the market around and gave “a strong close to...

House price growth in the past decade was at its weakest for 30 years - and despite that it remains though...

A high end estate agency says prices in Prime Central London are poised to rise 18 per cent by 2024 despite...

The latest market snapshot of prime central London suggests that homes there are now 15.2 per cent cheaper than five years...

It has been said time and time again that the uncertainty around Brexit is causing, well, uncertainty. As I write this, the...

Since I started working with Zero Deposit for me the market leader in deposit replacement alternatives, the most common question I am...

Agents have expressed quiet optimism that the market may be over the worst as it continues to show resilience in the...

The US-based real estate firm Keller Williams says it is aiming to be this country’s leading agency training organisation. Ben Taylor, who...

The latest figures from Halifax show annual house price growth has dipped to a six-year low. Average property price growth in...

Prospective property buyers have been provided with several reasons why they should stop delaying purchasing decisions due to Brexit uncertainty. Buying agency...

Although property transactions have, unsurprisingly, recently seen a decline which is almost certainly in part due to the ‘B-word’, this doesn’t...

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

There are those who say that PropTech is at risk of becoming a bubble market, and others who say bubbles don’t...

I think I speak for most people when I say that we are not currently where we thought we would be...

In the run up to his appointment as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson suggested that he might cut Stamp Duty Land Tax...

The property website Home has identified the four regions of the UK where it says the current market slowdown is at...

The number of owners' properties being repossessed jumped 15 per cent year on year in the second quarter of 2019. There were...

House prices fell unexpectedly for the second month in a row in July according to the Halifax - but the mortgage...

The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee - which meets monthly to set the base rate on which the costs of...

The price of property coming to market fell by 0.2 per cent or an average of £656 in the past month...

It’s now more than three years since the EU referendum result in June 2016, and we’re still no clearer on when...

Agents have reacted gloomily to the release of figures showing that the number of new mortgages offered to both movers and...

1989 was a significant time for the property industry: it marked the beginning of the end of a period of unprecedented...

Monthly mortgage payments as a proportion of income have dropped to 31 per cent now from 43 per cent a decade...

Government figures show the UK’s annual house price growth now being down to 2.5 per cent - the lowest rate since...

While even agents of the calibre of Savills struggle in today’s market - see the agency’s figures here - it’s a...

Phil Spencer is on the warpath against “constant tinkering” by government in housing matters - and instead, he wants the problems...

As 2018 draws to a close, it is fair to say that stretched affordability and uncertainty over the Brexit negotiations has...

Uncertainty will be a key characteristic of the housing market for “the next few years” warns Countrywide - and not just...

There’s been a four per cent rise in the number of estate agencies becoming insolvent according to a new report. In the...

The chief executive of online agency HouseSimple says “sellers need to be prepared and willing to lower their expectations” in the current...

House prices showed an unexpected pre-Christmas boost last last month but worries about Brexit remain foremost for buyers according to the...

Figures released by the government over the weekend show that 14,867 Help To Buy equity loans were taken out in the...

Shock figures out this morning show that a staggering £15.4 billion of annual interest is being paid by mortgage borrowers sitting...

Savills has issued its forecast for the housing market for the next five years, and while it highlights some bright spots...

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

The buy-to-let sector, which has been under sustained pressure for a number of years now thanks to tax changes designed to...

When you are starting up a new business, it is unlikely that you will already have enough capital to invest. Taking...

The EY ITEM Club, regarded as one of the most influential groups of economists in the UK, says it’s still “dubious”...

Most estate agents have tried to dismiss the impact of the Bank of England’s base rate rise, which came following a...

A leading estate agent is warning that an interest rate increase today ould hurt the delicate balance of the housing market. The...

The latest transaction figures from HM Revenue and Customs make depressing reading - a three per cent drop between May and...

One of the UK’s leading group of economic experts has repeated its warning that housing market is not going to see...

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

House prices rose at their slowest annual rate in five years in June according to the latest indicator of this summer’s...

The housing market “is clearly currently struggling to gain traction” and any real upturn ”will remain elusive over the coming months”...

Prices grew at a faster than expected rate last month according to the Halifax House Price Index, which has reported a...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has decided to keep the base rate unchanged at 0.5 per cent this month. The...

Coutts bank has issued a starkly pessimistic snapshot of prime London’s housing landscape, reporting price falls, valuation mark-downs and slower sales...

The UK’s real estate sector, embracing estate agencies as well as other aspects of the property industry, has been facing “increased...

Barclays is next week launching a so-called ‘green mortgage’ which links the loan to the Energy Performance Certificate rating of the...

The Ernst & Young ITEM Club - a group of economists highly regarded by politicians and some sectors of the property...

House prices in the UK have suffered their first quarterly fall in almost a year - but strong transaction totals suggest...

House prices fell unexpectedly in February with the Nationwide Building Society reporting a drop of 0.3 per cent. This ended some analysts’...

A 1.0 per cent interest rate rise would add £930 a year to the cost of servicing the average mortgage, according...

Over the last few weeks, mortgage lenders have started to adjust their pricing in anticipation of a further interest rate rise...

ZPG says it anticipates a strong 2018 according to a trading statement ahead of the company’s annual general meeting today. The firm...

The costs of the majority of mainstream mortgages increased in the final three months of last year.  The news comes from mortgage...

A survey suggests that over 10 per cent of existing homeowners have been deterred from selling thanks to the recent interest rate...

Savills has given a pessimistic outlook for the mainstream housing market for the next five years.  It says average house prices across...

The Bank of England has raised the base rate from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The Bank’s monetary policy committee was...

Experts suggest that a possible interest rate rise this morning - if it is backed by a majority of members of...

New figures from UK Finance, the umbrella body for finance houses, show gross mortgage lending in September rose to £21.4 billion...

Respected mortgage market monitor Moneyfacts says that the costs of some mortgages are already rising in the expectation of a base...

UK house price inflation is now running at a modest 2.0 per cent but London's housing market has recorded its worst...

Rightmove’s monthly price index says the average asking price of homes coming to the market has fallen 1.2 per cent in...

Winkworth says solid performances from its lettings and property management services, plus new franchise deals, have compensated for a challenging sales...

Customer service is a definitive priority for prospective borrowers when choosing a mortgage lender.  This is according to a study of over...

As the mainstream mortgage market braces itself for yet another clampdown on buy-to-let lending, a growing number of property investors are...

The housing market is approaching something of a standstill as the summer holiday season begins according to a downbeat report from...

The housing market may appear stagnant but one of the leading monitors of the mortgage market says many rates for borrowers...

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

First time buyers who were supposed to be helped by the high-profile Help To Buy ISA have in fact found it...

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

One of the biggest stories post-Brexit is how the housing market has proven to be more resilient than anyone could have...

Savills is warning that while low interest rates will probably keep house prices relatively static, transaction volumes are likely to remain...

In recent years the mortgage industry has gone through some testing times. Recession and regulation have led to more stringent lending...

Ten years ago this month (April 2007) tenancy deposit schemes were first introduced in England and Wales.  You need to go a...

There are more first-time buyers (FTBs) finding a way on to the property ladder than at any time since the Financial...

Winkworth’s annual figures for 2016 reveal a franchise turnover drop of six per cent and a pre-tax profit fall of 25.6...

The number of home buyers in London dropped to a four-year low in 2016 while the number of loans taken out...

The rapid growth in popularity of buy-to-let in recent years, fuelled in part by the failings of the pensions industry, has...

The highest number of 'risky' mortgages issued during 2015 was in South West London, according to new analysis of the latest...

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

The Nationwide is the latest major industry forecaster to predict a sluggish average house price rise of two per cent in...

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

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

The latest forecast for the housing market in 2017 and beyond includes a warning that Brexit uncertainty will create a slowdown...

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

Savills is the latest estate agency to warn that economic uncertainty following the Brexit vote will trigger two years of low...

House prices were unchanged in October according to the latest Nationwide house price index, but a typical home now costs six...

Most householders taking part in a sentiment survey by estate agency Knight Frank say they believe the value of their home...

I hate to be a party-pooper, but one of the agency industry’s coming-up-to-Christmas traditions is going to be particularly hard to undertake...

The Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on new guidance to lenders on how to measure and treat the repayment of arrears...

It is a tedious fact, but the housing market is underpinned by economic fundamentals. This won’t be a surprise.  However, at a...

Fears raised over the UK housing market in the wake of the Brexit vote have so far proved to be ‘wide...

Three quarters of properties sold by National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) member branches in August were for less than the...

This week, tech startup Habito claims to have launched the world's first artificially intelligent 'digital mortgage adviser'.  The robo-adviser takes into account...

The huge rush to acquire buy-to-let property in the first quarter of the year ahead of the stamp duty change deadline...

I can’t remember a time when there were so many changes in the property industry. Forget Brexit and interest rates, the...

The Bank of England may cut its base rate again, but probably not until November predicts a survey of 59 leading...

Confidence in the UK housing market has slumped according to an annual survey conducted by economic consultancy ING.  The survey, called Homes...

There has been a spur in activity in the mortgage market since the Bank of England base rate dropped to 0.25...

This week, 25 years ago the world's first website went live to those of us who were around then.  Amazingly, despite the...

The morning after the EU referendum, and Westminster, Britain, Europe and the world were left in shock at the news that...

  The Bank of England has, as expected, cut its base rate to 0.25 per cent after a record seven years at...

Respected financial comparison website Moneyfacts says the average buyer requiring a mortgage and securing a deal now will be £240 a...

As promised, this week’s Natter is dedicated to a question and answer session with Peter Brodnicki, the man who has been...

London’s rising supply of homes on sale and relatively low level of transactions are “pointing to slower house price growth in...

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

The Bank of England has kept its base rate to 0.50 per cent despite many analysts expecting it would be cut...

One of the first major pieces of research to come from an estate agency following the EU referendum suggests the short-term...

House owners and buyers with mortgages in today’s market should budget to ensure they can “have enough headroom” for a rise...

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

With the new Formula One season now well underway, we delve into the fast lane to take you on a whirlwind...

Estate agents from around the country are reporting only limited damage to business or prices caused by the Brexit result of...

The Bank of England is expected to set out its latest thinking on the UK’s Brexit economic changes today - including...

The sense of gathering momentum for the Leave campaign ahead of the upcoming EU referendum is causing high levels of uncertainty...

Worsening affordability caused by a sustained period of higher-than-earnings house price growth, should curb demand and result in a slowdown in...

While buy-to-let lenders brace themselves for further interventions as part of proposals currently being drawn up by the Prudential Regulation Authority...

Use of the term ‘generation rent’ has grown beyond all measure in recent years, but it’s not always quoted in the...

Conveyancing firm My Home Move has come up with an interesting view of how the housing market could look if -...

Last time out I spoke about the beginnings of a PropTech revolution, with two major London-based events in the offing over...

A mortgage servicing company is forecasting that the number of UK houses repossessed this year will represent only 0.09 per cent...

House prices dipped by 0.8 per cent in April, the first month of the stamp duty surcharge and the period when...

House prices in the three months to March were 10.1 per cent higher than in the same quarter a year earlier...

New proposals to curtail mortgage borrowing in the buy to let sector have been branded as “a classic case of slamming...

A key Bank of England body has revealed its proposals for tougher borrowing standards to prevent buy to let lending overheating the wider...

The amount of column inches taken up by ‘property’ is at an all-time high.  In my mind there are two major contributing...

The credit agency Standard & Poor’s has taken the radical line of accusing the Bank of England’s low interest-rate regime of...

There’s been plenty of forecasting in recent weeks - banks, consultancies and high-end estate agents have predicted house prices in the...

One of the leading members of the Bank of England's influential Monetary Policy Committee has suggested that the recent fall-back in...

The Nationwide says house prices will rise three to six per cent in 2016, despite the prospect of interest rate rises during...

Property sales in Scotland for first-time buyers and home movers are increasing three times faster than the rest of the UK...

The scores are in: here are the top 10 high-end agencies and property analysts' predictions for what 2016 has in store...

A leading bank is forecasting that if interest rates do not rise next year - as some experts predict - then...

Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, the Halifax, says the housing market will slow next year with average price rises of four to...

New research from the mortgage advice section of the consumer group Which? reveals that one in three mortgage holders have no...

Economic and housing market commentators have interpreted the latest raft of Bank of England data as indicating that interest rates may...

Stephen Moss, CEO of Pring.co.uk the UK’s leading property investment search engine, takes a look at the impact of ‘Corbynmania’ on...

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

The latest blow to the prime central London market has come from Knight Frank, the high end agency, which has slashed...

There was once a time when you knew where you were in the year by virtue of what was happening in...

Over half of Britain's home owners will hit problems if interest rates rise. The Building Societies Association says new research which it...

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

We’ve had a flurry of data for all of us involved in the property sector to mull over on our sun...

A member of the Bank of England’s key Monetary Policy Committee says waiting too long to raise interest rates risks undermining...

The Bank of England is to publish three previously-separate pieces of information on interest rates tomorrow in a bid to avoid...

When Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, recently announced that interest rates would have to start to rise sooner...

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

Lending for house buying is still down compared to this time last year but there are signs that the market is...

The director of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey says “a 15 year property boom, with no bust, is more than a distinct possibility”...

Zoopla says a Labour victory would be “likely” to lead to falling house prices and rising interest rates and suggests “a...