Archive

The ValPal Network is launching a new tool for its 4,100 agent users - an area barometer which reflects the buoyancy of...

An online platform that allows the public to compare the services and fees of traditional estate agents in their areas has...

Some good news is here for landlords and letting agents worried about the energy efficiency rating of their property – the...

Parliament is sitting again and the entire lettings industry is waiting with bated breath for more detail on the government’s proposal...

Whenever any research is released, part of me can’t help thinking of that old adage, ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’ especially...

When a tenant failed to pay any rent after the first month his tenancy last year, the landlord did not expect...

It’s not just the evenings drawing in that marks the approach of autumn - it’s also the return to work of...

Ten out of 14 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News say Brexit and economic uncertainty are likely to stall London’s housing market...

The Property Ombudsman has expelled a London lettings and estate agency for a year and is warning that the firm may...

Almost half of all property purchase valuations last month were conducted on behalf of first-time buyers according to Connells - well...

Are you protecting your data right? This may sound like the sort of direct warning you get from cold callers or...

Research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research has shown that the cost of the average rental deposit is expected...

Shelter, the campaigning charity that has been hugely critical of private landlords and letting agents in recent years, has now launched...

Humberts, which yesterday launched an online-only option for landlord clients, says it is “not closing the door” on expanding the idea...

Humberts, a member of Agents’ Mutual, is today launching an online-only option and claims it can list online-only properties on OnTheMarket. Such...

Stamp duty has become the latest weapon in the ongoing war of words between different wings of the Conservative party, as...

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

Historically, short-term rentals have been an unattractive business for the majority of estate agents and property managers. Scarcity of demand from tenants...

Three agencies have been expelled from membership of The Property Ombudsman for two or more years, after failing to pay awards...

Foxtons has reported its half-year figures for the six months to the end of June and, as expected, they show how...

More than 270 easyProperty licences have been secured by independent estate agents belonging to The Guild of Property Professionals and Fine...

The Property Ombudsman has issued a year-long formal warning to consumers about an estate agency which failed to provide information concerning...

You may have heard that Airbnb and property management company, Lavanda has closed a £1 million angel investment round.  Backers include Purplebricks...

We’re already more than halfway through 2017 and, against all the odds, it’s pushing 2016 close in terms of eventfulness and...

That the private rental sector has become the government’s whipping boy for housing problems - landlords in particular, letting agents almost...

Wimbledon finals and the British Grand Prix await us this weekend and The Open begins a few days later, completing what...

Estate and letting agents are being urged to prepare for new data protection legislation coming into effect next year - but...

Living next to inconsiderate neighbours can be a nightmare, but letting to bad tenants can prove costly, especially when issues, which...

How many property professionals are truly happy with their revenue? High levels of competition from new market entrants is a significant...

Mark Goddard was the founder and CEO of The Property Software Group (PSG), a property software solutions firm established in 2007,...

Over 500 members of the Guild of Property Professionals have requested an easyProperty licence following the merger between the two organisations.   The...

The Queen’s speech to the British parliament this week was a scaled-back affair, which was unsurprising given the Grenfell Tower fire,...

A cluster of conveyancing and legal experts, known as the Legal Sector Group, has published a raft of proposals on leasehold...

The managing director of lettings at Foxtons says Brexit and domestic political uncertainty have become ‘the new norm’ in the London...

The popularity of property auctions in the UK has increased enormously in recent years, supported by popular TV shows such as...

We take a break from the relentless election coverage to look at the great fundraising work being carried out by our industry. Once...

London Central Portfolio, a property investment consultancy, has set out a five point plan for the next government elected this week...

Our recent roundtable on the government’s proposed ban on tenant fees generated a selection of tips for growing your business. We’re now...

The recent rise in consumer complaints against sales and letting agents suggests that there is a general lack of trust and...

Student accommodation is positively luxurious compared with the drafty digs of my student days. En-suites, studio flats, even cinemas in halls...

Baroness Diana Warwick (below right) has been appointed chair of The Property Ombudsman scheme’s independent council. A life peer for the past 18...

The best estate and letting agents in the UK were recognised at the prestigious ESTAS luncheon and ceremony, which was held...

In November 2016 when the Autumn Statement was delivered by Chancellor Philip Hammond, the announcement was made to ban letting agent...

The Conservatives have this morning announced a reform of the house buying process in the party’s manifesto for the June 8...

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

Viewber, the outsourced property viewing service and brainchild of high-profile former estate agent Ed Mead, says its network of 'Viewbers' now...

The Guild of Property Professionals, which has over 800 agent members across the country, has this week launched a new website.  The...

Auctions are a great way to sell property competitively, with a wide range of homes often selling under the hammer, and...

It’s that time of year again – peak conference/event season. And, while Brexit and a shock snap general election are dominating...

Our recent roundtable on the government’s proposed ban on tenant fees generated a range of tips for growing your business.   We recently...

There’s no sign yet that the snap General Election is distracting our industry from continuing its fine record of doing good...

My apologies if this causes you to break your Easter egg with a little too much aggression, but I reckon the...

It’s never more obvious how important good communication is for letting agents than in times of bad weather. Havoc caused by...

A series of strong sales performances at recent auctions has led one firm to claim the sector is leading the residential industry’s...

More than three quarters of developers want to see the government go into reverse on its stamp duty and mortgage interest...

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

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

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

“I predict that within a few years, folks advertising properties for rent or to buy will start to show if their property is a...

Countrywide’s share price, which just over three years ago was riding high at just above 685p, has hit a new low...

A two year investigation by the Law Commission has ended with a claim that some owners of leasehold retirement properties, and...

There’s good and bad in every industry and at first sight, this week has been one where the good have won...

For my latest Property Natter I have sought the opinions of two well-known property consultants - Michael Day, managing director of...

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 triggering of Article 50 may have been regarded as a historic event but it appears to have left the housing...

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

A year ago, we were days away from the introduction of a 3% stamp duty surcharge on second homes – a...

In a week that I am recovering from the exuberance of MIPIM (I didn't want to focus on it in this...

Dust off your black tie and grab a tissue as we’re entering a period of mourning. It’s a bold claim, but...

Former clients of a Scottish estate and letting agency and mortgage company are being asked by a corporate insolvency firm to...

This week I’m lucky enough to be out here in Cannes as a PropTech Ambassador for MIPIM, the international real estate...

The government has admitted that the three per cent stamp duty surcharge has raked in twice as much as expected. In November...

Countrywide has revealed that in 2016 it spent over £8.1m on redundancies, some £7.4m on contract costs relating to closed premises,...

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

Estate agents are angry that Chancellor Phillip Hammond made no attempt in his first Spring Budget to reform stamp duty -...

Chancellor Phillip Hammond has introduced no new property taxes in his Spring Budget - but a clampdown on those setting up...

Looking ahead to the Spring Budget this week, the Chancellor Philip Hammond will be obliged to face up to the implications...

With tax relief changes, a rise in Stamp Duty for second homes and strict mortgage affordability checks now in place, it...

There has been some really interesting talk recently of the relationship between FinTech (Finance Technology) and PropTech (Property Technology). A few...

Over the past two decades, investing in buy-to-let has been a relatively easy way to make money, which is why so...

The buy-to-let market has gone through significant change in the last year and with the Budget just around the corner, what...

So, Property Week has announced its Property Awards shortlist for 2017. Looking at the entries for PropTech Company of the Year, I'm surprised...

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

1) Who are you? Kevin Ward – Director and founder of Agentlocator.co.uk 2) For those not familiar with Agent Locator, can you explain...

A new website supporting high street estate agents has recently launched. Agent Locator provides an online platform for high street estate agents to showcase...

Excuse the puntastic (or not) title, but as you’ve no doubt already deciphered I took a trip northwards a couple of...

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

Welcome to February! It means that 2017 is well under way and we’re edging closer to Spring – a time when...

Legal firm Kirwans have released shocking statistics which state that 70% of eviction notices issued by landlords to tenants may be...

Instant gratification is nothing new. It’s been around for millennia. It’s an in-built survival instinct for humans – that want, that...

The south’s seaside resorts are stealing the headlines for all the wrong reasons and at the heart of the troublesome issue...

Gross mortgage lending reached a remarkable £246 billion in 2016 - that’s 12 per cent higher than the previous year and...

The end of 2016 saw the launch of 30,000 new build-to-rent (BTR) projects in London alone. With market growth projected to...

The government appears to have slipped back on two deadlines concerning measures key to the property industry. Firstly the consultation on the...

A new website that will allow vendors and landlords to compare the expertise and fees of estate and letting agents has banned online...

2016 was quite a year – eventful, dramatic, shocking and impossible to predict. In no particular order, we saw Leicester winning...

The rental market has had to face a raft of changes over the past year, including the introduction of the 3% stamp...

A post-Christmas treat this week, as I carry out a Q & A with one of the leading figures in property,...

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

If you provide a service, you expect to be paid for it. Sound fair? But with the forthcoming ban on tenant...