Archive

It’s been clear for a while that the additional regulation landlords and agents are facing has helped professionalise the private rental...

The National Audit Office, a spending watchdog, has exposed the government’s Starter Homes policy with a damning critique of its failure The...

In recent months, we’ve seen headlines dominated by changes to tenancy rules, government consultations and more than a few scare stories. Landlords...

Countrywide’s upmarket brand Hamptons International is urging all owners of homes with septic tanks to prepare for new regulations that kick...

Welcome back to Property Jobs Today - your Monday roundup of all the latest employment news from the industry. If you have...

We know that the tenant fee ban has cost letting agents dearly, with an estimated loss of £300 million paid to...

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

Hello and welcome to your regular Monday PJT, the essential guide to who’s moving where in our industry. Everyone mentioned here got...

HM Revenue & Customs has revealed that the original Emoov online agency has been fined for breaches of money laundering regulations. HMRC...

Hunters chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who is also a Conservative MP, has given notice that he would resign the party whip if...

Professional client account solutions for modern letting agents Letting agents will need to come up with new ways to manage client money...

A PropTech firm is marketing anti-money laundering audit checks for agents to help the industry comply with tighter regulation. Identity verification business...

A well-respected agent who was president of the NAEA just five years ago has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking...

Recently a number of politicians and charities have been calling for the introduction of rent controls or rent freezes in the...

A new digital platform has been set up in a bid to provide a one-stop-shop for self-build enthusiasts - and it...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Phil Smith - mio Account manager What is mio and what does...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Lino Goncalves – Area Sales Manager What is Lets bid property...

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

We now have a new Leader of the Conservative Party and, rather more importantly, a new Prime Minister. That individual is Boris...

Trade bodies and property firms have strongly welcomed the recommendations for root and branch reform of the agency industry - and...

The government has published its response to an MPs’ committee’s comments on overseas buyers of properties in the UK - and...

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

All new-build homes could soon be fitted with an electric car charging point. The government has issued a consultation on the move,...

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

Estate agents have been urged to ensure they are carrying out an annual independent audit of their anti-money laundering (AML) processes. ID...

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

With this summer marking forty years since Margaret Thatcher came to power, her legacy continues to invoke both celebration and consternation...

In the second part of my exploration of startups, I talk to a number of people with lived experience of creating...

Increasing legislation and regulation has arguably been the biggest talking point in the private rented sector (PRS) over the last few...

The weekend is over all-too-quickly but at least if it’s Monday, it’s Property Jobs Today - your weekly catch up with...

Recent figures from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have revealed a rather worrying landscape for small business owners across the...

You may be right in thinking that Brexit has dominated the thinking of the government in the last three years. However,...

When employing a new member of staff there are a lot of checks and balances put in place by any business...

Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ policy that was implemented in 2012 was designed to make staying and residing in the UK as...

It may well seem that the government is pre-occupied with one issue, and one issue alone. While preparations for Brexit take up a...

Three ultra-high-value London properties cannot be sold while a money laundering investigation continues. The houses have not been identified but were most...

NAEA and ARLA Propertymark have launched an initiative called Propertymark Inspire to promote training and compliance awareness amongst agents.  A statement says the...

The head of the Property Redress Scheme is urging agents to prepare for yet more regulation and legislation changes likely to...

What a great time to be a letting agent. In decades, never has there been so much change. As you’re well aware,...

A Parliamentary committee has claimed that 160 properties in the UK are owned by “high corruption-risk individuals” and wants more to...

With the Tenant Fee Ban obliterating a key income stream, letting agents should be looking at ways they can increase the...

I hope you had another wonderful Bank Holiday weekend; only three weeks to hold on until the next one. Personally, it...

It’s clear that some agents are not fans of Trading Standards officers, described in the comments sections of the trade press...

The head of the new Trading Standards authority regulating estate agents says Online firms are treated exactly the same as High...

Estate Agent Today has been given details of the new National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agents Team - the body...

The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) keeps deposit money safe for letting agents, landlords and renters during the course a tenancy....

The jury appears to be out on whether the new enforcement body for estate and lettings agents will be resourced sufficiently...

A new team has been set up to police all estate and letting agency legislation including the upcoming tenants' fees ban. The...

Low risk letting is everyone’s aim, but unless legitimate guidelines are followed it’s difficult to know if a tenant will prove...

It has been a long time coming, but the tenant fees ban, which forbids landlords and letting agents in England from...

Winkworth has a new office at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, as an independent local agency rebrands as part of the franchise giant. Previously trading...

One of the industry’s leading compliance experts is to lead a roundtable discussion in May on the anti-money laundering issue -...

The Law Society claims that the unforeseen charges faced by some purchasers of leasehold properties could be addressed “if developers and...

I don’t believe it’s unfair to state that our government, indeed, the entire political establishment is in some turmoil at the...

The topic of introducing rent controls in London crops up time and time again in our industry. But it’s been hitting...

It’s time, surely, for government to crackdown not just on rogue agents and landlords but on rogue councils that confuse the...

Competition for landlords will be fiercer than ever this year. Landlords are facing a raft of changes and will likely be...

The demand for rural properties is high, and with 20.7% of England’s population in countryside areas, estate agents have a large...

Nobody likes change. It makes people feel threatened, undermines their confidence, and makes them worry about the future. But regardless of...

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

When it comes to letting a property, it is important that landlords and renters have faith in their agent. The more...

Alongside hundreds of agents and suppliers, I recently attended the Guild of Property Professionals’ annual conference. As ever, it was a great...

The government has this morning set out wide-ranging changes to redress systems for agents, the sales and lettings sectors, and other...

I often speak of my wish to see property taken out of the hands of politicians. Indeed, this is likely to...

Even with 2019 well underway, letting agents need to keep refining their long-term goals and business targets. For agencies with a...

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

Recent years have seen tighter regulation and new legislation hit the lettings industry. Combined with the fee ban, there is no...

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...

With a new year nearly upon us, it’s always a good idea to be aware of the major events that are...

Over the past year I've had so many conversations with agents telling me how they feel that offering a premium customer...

There is a perfect storm brewing in the lettings market, and as the saying goes, “you can’t change the direction of...

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

People now expect a streamlined, digital-first experience from every single service they interact with - and the lettings industry is no...

1.             Who are you and what do you do? HeyJuno Property is a business dedicated to empowering estate and letting agents throughout...

It’s time to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to overseas buyers of property. If you listen to Theresa...

The head of a leading Chinese property portal has taken the unusual step of commenting on a British tax policy -...

Landlords and letting agents might feel they’ve taken a bit of a battering from the government in recent years – and...

Almost all buyers of new build houses who purchased a leasehold regret doing so, and the vast majority say they definitely wouldn't...

Estate agents have been warned that underestimating their legal obligations when it comes to anti-money laundering (AML) could see an increase...

A downbeat report from property investment specialist London Central Portfolio says “there are very few causes for optimism in the domestic...

A maverick Cornish estate agent who falsely gave the impression to customers that his business was highly successful has been hit...

An OnTheMarket sales rep - who now no longer works for the company - wrote a critical review of an independent estate...

When Oakland A’s, a small-market team, stunned the baseball world 16 years ago by transforming itself into world-beaters on a shoestring-budget,...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 - has now become effective and is...

It’s holiday time: schools have broken up, quite a few estate agents are taking time off, and the MPs are in...

Does your company apply adequate customer due diligence measures when carrying out estate agency work?  Does it establish and maintain appropriate policies...

Councils across England will have new powers to charge dramatically more council tax on homes left empty for many years following...

We are currently engaged in consultations with our members to help to find a practical solution to the concern of the...

Amid the headline-grabbing political manoeuvring over Brexit, a policy proposal which could have serious ramifications for private landlords, and those who...

Renting has long been characterised as a stepping stone onto the housing ladder for the younger generations. But in recent years,...

Reapit has announced that its head of sales, the well-respected and popular industry figure Simon Whale, is leaving the company.  He is...

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

The head of London’s largest estate agency brand has hit back at a council in the capital which wants enhanced powers...

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

As promised a few weeks ago, this week’s Natter concentrates on the importance of content, design and social media, three easily...

As housing market stakeholders we’ve all had a month or so to try and digest the government’s own response to its...

Mike Day, one of the best known and most popular figures in the agency business, is celebrating 15 years as one...

A leasehold reform campaigner has called on the government to ensure it publishes its report on leasehold reform before the summer recess at...

A leasehold reform campaigning group is warning that “it is likely to be many years” before promised leasehold reform becomes law. Leasehold...

Maplin, Toys R Us, Carpetright, Warren Evans – what do they have in common? All are well-known high street chains that...

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

  More details have emerged of the government’s proposals to enhance estate agency regulation, regulate referral fees, offer guides for buyers and...

In the modern marketplace – where people live their lives on their smartphones and tablets, social media has a bigger influence...

A technology company says that despite government attempts to eradicate money laundering in property transactions, agents and other industry professionals have been left...

At any given moment it’s difficult to say which issue dominates our marketplace, but I think it’s fair to acknowledge during...

Foxtons has reported its 2017 figures to shareholders and the City this morning and as expected they show sharp falls in...

Having built over 1,800 websites for estate and lettings agents in the last 20 years, it will come as no surprise...

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

The General Data Protection Regulation legislation coming into effect in the UK on May 25 has undergone some subtle changes which...

In recent years January has become the month of detoxes, fad diets, health kicks such as Dry January and Veganuary, and...

After the fun and over-indulgence of the festivities, most of us are now back to the world of work. And, with...

It’s no surprise that figures don’t always show the results or consequences we expect - even if they are entirely accurate. Look...

The Home Office has announced a new division to tackle fraud issues, including money laundering. A new national economic crime centre within...

The Advertising Standards Authority has told the organisers of a house raffle that they must not repeat a promotion because of...

Landlords are being urged to step up and ensure that all rented properties and accommodation meet recent laws relating to carbon...

A new EU crackdown on money laundering requires estate agency businesses to adopt a collaborative approach if they are to avoid...

Labour MP Justin Madders is working on a Private Members' Bill creating leasehold reform in a bid to help leaseholders who, he...

It’s something of an understatement to say it’s been a busy fortnight for the industry in terms of announcements, consultations and...

Crowdfunding is nothing new. As I pointed out in a previous Natter, it dates back centuries, playing a part in the...

Another week, yet more consultations - the agency industry can’t complain about not being asked for its views recently. The latest were on...

The UK estate agency and construction industries are not ready for the huge workload and responsibilities involved in the General Data...

A new online property competition platform has launched that gives entrants the opportunity to win a home for £2 - but...

The UK is home to four million leasehold properties in private ownership, according to government figures. The majority of which require...

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform has made a hard-hitting submission to formal government consultations on the...

Stephanie Slater died last week, aged 50. Whilst she died from cancer (tragically, only 11 days after diagnosis), it’s the events...

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

The Property Ombudsman has told Estate Agent Today that it is happy with the controversial deferred payment scheme operated on behalf of...

  You’ll see a lot of 10th anniversary stories in the property industry and consumer media in the coming days: early August...

The government wants the views of estate agents and other professionals affected by anti-money laundering legislation, in a new consultation launched...

The fledgling trade body CIELA says it is going to institute a kitemark-style service for all estate agents to be able...

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

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

The controversial raffle of a home reportedly purchased in 2014 under the Right To Buy scheme for just £360,000 is back...

Estate agents complying with new anti-money laundering regulations introduced this week are unlikely to avoid falling foul of terrorists and criminal...

One of the biggest choices you can make in regards to the logistics of your estate agency can be picking a...

To give you a nice distraction from the post-election madness, here’s an interview with Charlie Wright, founder of CIELA (or The...

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

An audit and tax consultancy is urging estate agencies across the UK to prepare for new EU General Data Protection Regulation...

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

An attempt to raffle a property - like the much-publicised case of an owner in south east London, which reached some...

An investigation by the BBC has revealed that councils are spending million buying back homes they sold at a discount under...

I wrote last month about how the Government, in introducing a 3% stamp duty surcharge on second homes, had scored an...

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

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

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

Some big news in the agency world last week won’t have escaped the attention of many in the industry. Last Thursday news...

Fledgling trade body The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents (CIELA) has described Purplebricks as the 'biggest enemy currently facing...

HMRC and the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team have agreed new procedures to “enhance and ease the current flow of...

The National Association of Estate Agents is rebranding to Propertymark NAEA and the Association of Residential Letting Agents is to be...

First details of the long-awaited Housing White Paper have emerged in stories in newspapers frequently used by government to float ideas. The...

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

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

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

Next year is likely to be a challenging time for letting agents, following a raft of changes introduced by the government...

With effect from the 1st December 2016, amendments to the Immigration act 2014 were made through the Immigration Act 2016.    The soundbite...

A firm is warning of “a wave of litigation from home owners who were given inadequate advice from their solicitors or...

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

What does it say on your business card? Rajeev Nayyar, Managing Director of Fixflo We’re here to talk about your new product,...

When a tenant paid his initial one month’s rent in addition to a tenancy deposit in exchange for the keys to...

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

Buy-to-let landlords may have failed in their recent legal battle against planned government tax relief changes for buy-to-let homes set to...

Agents don’t need reminding that Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today are invaluable sources of daily industry news - but...

A fantastic exclusive this week as I carry out a question and answer session with one of the leading names in...

The Welsh Government has announced that from April 2018, Stamp Duty Land Tax will be replaced with a Land Transaction Tax.  The...

For many people buy-to-let continues to look an attractive income investment at a time of low saving rates and stock market...

It’s a headline from an Australian business journal this week but it has a familiar ring to it: “Estate agents’ attempts...

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

With ever increasing obligations, estate agents know that compliance matters now more than ever.  However, being able to obtain access to the...

Wales has confirmed that it is to scrap the former flagship Thatcherite policy of Right To Buy. Since 1980, 138,423 homes have been...

The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has become the latest body to call for the scrapping of stamp duty to give the...

One of the western world’s ‘hottest’ city residential markets has introduced a near-instant 15 per cent price surcharge on properties purchased...

A residential property consultancy has opened one of the first estate agency coffee shops in the UK.  Go Holdings, which works with...

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

One estate agency leader - you’d all recognise his name - described the victory of the Leave camp in the referendum...

Running a business is not easy, but sometimes it becomes harder because we are expected to modify our behaviour due to...

When a potential buyer comes into the office and says they want to view a property on your books, the natural...

Straightforward money laundering customer due diligence (CDD) is a worry for agents, but then also having to identify beneficial owners and...

There is a substantial amount of misunderstanding over this question, which needs clarifying.   In general terms, the Money Laundering Regulations require...

When, during his budget speech, George Osborne announced Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was going down to 20%, I experienced a mix...

George Osborne has been busy over the last year. First came the General Election which had everyone on tenterhooks until the...

The days are getting longer, the sun is starting to appear on a more regular basis, Easter is just around the...

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is claiming that the government’s flagship Starter Homes project could allow properties to be bought by...

A letter from the Financial Secretary to the Treasury appears to suggest that the government is set on implementing the three...

In a surprise move, The Property Ombudsman is to allow all 420 registered firms in the British Association of Removers to...

Only months after the collapse of the Veyo system aimed at creating a conveyancing portal for England and Wales, the Law...

In January readers of Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today were given the opportunity to give their views on proposed...

With a little over two months to go until changes to Stamp Duty are introduced that will impact purchasers of second...

There’s bad news today for Labour members living in homes valued at £1m or more - one of their own MPs...

Who are you? I’m the Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme. I previously worked for Legal & General PLC dealing...

There are a number of fairly recent regulations that agents need to comply with. One of them, now just over a year...

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the agency industry during your time at TPO?  For me, the biggest change has...

It was an end of an era in the property world this week. Christopher Hamer stepped down as the Property Ombudsman...

Negativity. There’s a lot of it about in the lettings industry right now. Where you might see barriers, hurdles and more...

Someone told me the other day that it’s now only seven Mondays till Christmas. Now there’s a scary thought. Best get...

With a raft of new legislation introduced recently now will be the ideal time to think about whether staff are up...

Headlines across the lettings industry often focus on the behaviour of ‘rogue’ landlords – those that are slow to become compliant...

Who are you? Ellie Hall. What does it say on your business card? Head of Acquisitions. You're on the hunt for acquisitions, what makes a...

The National Association of Estate Agents admits that “take up has been low” in its bid to persuade each member agent to...

The consumer is King and to protect sellers and buyers' best interests estate and letting agents have to operate in the...

Agents' Giving: No less than £20,000 has been raised at the Agents Giving Ball where Phil Spencer and 240 of the...

The largest of the three government-approved redress schemes, The Property Ombudsman, has updated its codes of practice to include new legislation...

It’s been nearly a year since all lettings and property management agents have been legally required to join a redress scheme...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on Alex Chesterman's...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on Alex Chesterman's...

A High Street estate agent has branded the latest guidance to the industry on Consumer Protection Regulations as “a complete mess”...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on the fortunes...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on the fortunes...

Stories of migrants attempting to make their way to the UK are now a daily feature in our news bulletins and...

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

Estate Agent Today understands that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors wants to become a supervisory body under new laws attempting...

People buying or selling property in Scotland would be better protected if the regulation of estate agency was devolved to the...

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

After the passing of the Deregulation Act deposits deadline this week, Richard Price, Executive Director of UKALA, is in a contemplative...

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has announced that its first ever conference will take place in October.  ‘Raise Your Standards’ is being...

Earlier this week we passed the official deadline for letting agents to fully publicise their fees as well as providing evidence of...

The  new government has announced its legislative plans for housing in the coming year.  In the first all-Conservative Queen’s Speech since 1996,...

OK, you’ve had your fun. Now let’s leave the regulators regulate and work for the public. If you don’t know what I...

In 2007, the government introduced a compulsory deposit protection scheme as part of the Housing Act 2004 to help protect tenants...

There was a whopping 42 per cent rise in referrals to The Property Ombudsman last year according to the annual report...