The online petition calling for an extension to the stamp duty holiday is set to pass 100,000 signatures today. This means the...
Archive

A national newspaper is today launching a campaign for the stamp duty holiday to be extended. The Daily Telegraph says its campaign...
13 January 2021
From: Breaking News

HSBC UK is re-introducing its 90 per cent Loan To Value mortgages from next week - a possible lifeline for first...
08 January 2021
From: Breaking News

There’s growing optimism that an extension to the stamp duty holiday - thought to be off the agenda just days ago...
07 January 2021
From: Breaking News

Countrywide’s former management seriously damaged the company’s share value and status by adopting a flawed business plan - and then executing...
06 January 2021
From: Breaking News

Connells has revealed that it’s to keep the existing Countrywide branch structure and staff headcount when the acquisition process is completed...
04 January 2021
From: Breaking News

In a dramatic New Year’s Eve statement on the London Stock Exchange, Countrywide has agreed the terms of a recommended offer...
31 December 2020
From: Breaking News

The Bank of England is to review the affordability tests imposed on borrowers, opening the door to a possible relaxation of...
22 December 2020
From: Breaking News

The proportion of sales that fell through at the worst point of this year was 52 per cent it’s been claimed. However...
22 December 2020
From: Breaking News

Pressure is building on the government to agree a tapered end to the stamp duty holiday, even if a full-blown extension now...
21 December 2020
From: Breaking News
Described on this site as a ‘powerful disruptor’ in March 2020, few would deny that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on...
16 December 2020
From: Sponsored Content

The saga over the future of Countrywide continues with the company urging its shareholders to take “no action” over the latest...
08 December 2020
From: Breaking News

Connells has this morning made a dramatic improvement in its bid to takeover Countrywide. It has increased its cash offer from 250p...
07 December 2020
From: Breaking News

‘Many are in complete denial about the time it takes and still think it’s eight to 10 weeks.’ I won’t tell you...
05 December 2020
From: Features

A leading conveyancing sector spokesmen says some mortgage lenders are making the current delays in the house buying process worse. Rob Hailstone,...
04 December 2020
From: Breaking News

An alarming story has appeared in the mortgage trade press, highlighting an apparent pitfall in the house buying process that has...
03 December 2020
From: Breaking News

It’s that time of year again. Black Friday has been and gone and the run-up to Christmas is well and truly...
02 December 2020
From: Features

Safety checks which are apparently now preventing thousands of owners selling flats are to be eased - but there is confusion...
23 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Asking prices are down for the first time in many months. It’s a small drop - an average of 0.5 per cent...
16 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Property is considered to be a safe investment. The buy-to-let market is booming, fuelled by a generation unable to get on...
13 November 2020
From: Sponsored Content

A law firm wants the government to agree that properties that have exchanged but not yet completed can definitely benefit from the...
13 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Countrywide shares soared yesterday, rising 47 per cent on the previous close at one point as investors relished the prospect of...
10 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Connells has issued a counter statement to this morning’s announcement by Countrywide that a possible takeover is underway. At 7am Countrywide revealed...
09 November 2020
From: Breaking News

A leading firm of conveyancers will this week tell new clients that their property purchases are likely to miss the stamp...
09 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Figures just released from HM Revenue & Customs show just how much stamp duty buyers pay, at least before the current holiday...
02 November 2020
From: Breaking News

A leading market analyst says the widespread belief that we are ‘safe’ in our homes may indirectly lead to the recent...
02 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Recent figures emanating from the mortgage and housing market suggest that – since lockdown was ended in mid-May – transaction levels...
31 October 2020
From: Features

One of Britain’s most respected agents is suggesting Chancellor Rishi Sunak could ‘taper’ the stamp duty holiday to avoid a cliff-edge...
28 October 2020
From: Breaking News

A new survey reveals the uphill struggle first time buyers appear to be having in securing a mortgage. A study of 1,000...
27 October 2020
From: Breaking News

The outgoing chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents is warning that the sales system continues to struggle with...
26 October 2020
From: Breaking News

The troubled Countrywide group has announced a £90m investment by Alchemy Partners, a private equity company that specialises in investing in...
22 October 2020
From: Breaking News

Savills says the shape and size of the housing market in the coming months will be determined by the capacity of conveyancers...
22 October 2020
From: Breaking News

A mortgage service claims 46 per cent of buyers have had their prospective property down-valued by lenders - often forcing them...
19 October 2020
From: Breaking News

Conveyancers are sending a blunt message to estate agents: transactions will take longer than usual and don’t chase us with queries and...
19 October 2020
From: Breaking News

2020 has definitely been a year of change. With little warning, the pandemic disrupted the day-to-day operations of almost every industry...
17 October 2020
From: Features

A Bank of England survey suggests it may be more difficult for prospective buyers to get a mortgage later this year. In...
16 October 2020
From: Breaking News

A new paper from a think tank warns that many low income owner occupiers risk losing their homes when the mortgage...
07 October 2020
From: Breaking News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants to create a ‘Generation Buy’ to help young people purchase homes with low-deposit mortgages. In...
05 October 2020
From: Breaking News

A new online platform claims to be the first of its kind to speed up the private treaty sales process for...
01 October 2020
From: Breaking News

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, better known as the furlough scheme, was introduced by the chancellor Rishi Sunak in March to...
26 September 2020
From: Features

Logjams in the mortgage, conveyancing and removal stages of house moving mean sales are taking much longer than usual, according to...
21 September 2020
From: Breaking News

A new league table drawn up by a property advice website may be the most authoritative yet for first time buyers...
21 September 2020
From: Breaking News

If you’re in any way connected to estate agency all it takes is a quick glance at Facebook or LinkedIn to...
12 September 2020
From: Features

A specialist property lender says transactions are being delayed by key staff being furloughed. Gareth Lewis, commercial director of property lender MT...
02 September 2020
From: Breaking News

Recent speculation that the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad would be playing a reduced role in the housing market has...
02 September 2020
From: Breaking News

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

With access to finance being such a hot topic at the moment, more and more estate agents are turning to commercial...
29 August 2020
From: Features

One of Countrywide’s biggest shareholders has written a second letter to the company to demand bold action to save the agency...
19 August 2020
From: Breaking News

One of the country’s highest-profile mortgage lenders, HSBC, is restricting loans on apartments from today. Only buyers of flats who have a...
17 August 2020
From: Breaking News

Earlier this month, it was revealed that property industry bodies have joined a new Code of Practice Steering Group to enact...
25 July 2020
From: Features

The mortgage arm of a regional property portal has launched pre-approval software which it claims will significantly speed up the initial...
21 July 2020
From: Breaking News

Emma Vigus, managing director of sales progression platform mio, in discussion with key suppliers in the residential property industry on operating...
18 July 2020
From: Features

Britain’s second largest lender is to offer 90 per cent loan to value mortgages once again from next Monday - a...
14 July 2020
From: Breaking News

An estate agency is warning that the likely rush of transactions when the new stamp duty holiday ends next spring will...
09 July 2020
From: Breaking News

An industry analyst is challenging the long-established agents’ view that reducing or temporarily scrapping stamp duty would help the market. On the...
08 July 2020
From: Breaking News

The property market has been reopen for almost eight weeks now and during that time demand from prospective buyers has soared. Rightmove...
06 July 2020
From: Breaking News

We recently issued our Zoopla House Price Index, which analyses the latest real-time trends from the sales market. In our analysis, we...
04 July 2020
From: Features

A survey of 2,000 prospective movers by Zoopla shows the vast majority still intent on buying - but younger purchasers’ plans...
03 July 2020
From: Breaking News

A new estate agency Code of Practice is to be written by a group set up by the Royal Institution of Chartered...
01 July 2020
From: Breaking News

Buyer demand for new-build property has bounced back 66 per cent in the six weeks since the resumption of the housing...
01 July 2020
From: Breaking News

Collaboration creates a bigger market Iain White, of the Innovation Collaboration Group “the Estate Agency industry must recognise that collaboration will...
30 June 2020
From: Sponsored Content

Buyer registrations and sales enquiries are reportedly back to pre-Covid levels. Completions, however, are lagging behind. This is probably down to...
27 June 2020
From: Features

Zoopla predicts that the price strength that has been seen since the reopening of the housing market is likely to continue...
24 June 2020
From: Breaking News

One in six home owners with a mortgage across the UK are now on some form of payment holiday with lenders...
22 June 2020
From: Breaking News

“Let’s Zoom later”, “are we Zooming in the morning or afternoon?” “Yeah, I zoomed the client earlier” – variations on these...
20 June 2020
From: Features

An estate agency with a reputation for PropTech innovation says it now live-streams all instructions in a bid to operate more...
16 June 2020
From: Breaking News

The only story that has come remotely close to pushing coronavirus – and its various knock-on effects – off the top...
06 June 2020
From: Features

Restrictions introduced a decade ago after the financial crisis are holding back many first time buyers from purchasing a home. That’s the...
01 June 2020
From: Breaking News

The outlook for the housing market is still taking shape, but here I take a look at three market indicators to...
30 May 2020
From: Features

Over the last few years, there have been a number of high-profile court cases in which renters took action against letting...
30 May 2020
From: Features

The Financial Conduct Authority has published new draft guidance for lenders which will set out options available to their customers in the extended...
26 May 2020
From: Breaking News

All my recent Natters have been focused on one particular topic, the coronavirus crisis, for obvious reasons. But there has been...
23 May 2020
From: Features

There’s been a cautious welcome for the extension to the current mortgage holiday scheme, due to run out for ‘early adopters’...
22 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The Bank of Ireland UK is the latest mortgage lender to resume physical valuations of properties in England, subject of course...
21 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The Financial Conduct Authority is reported to be considering offering homeowners up to 12 month’s mortgage holidays. Currently 1.2m mortgage payment holidays...
12 May 2020
From: Breaking News

Three of the highest profile industry suppliers and house moving services have given government a four-step plan to restart the housing...
05 May 2020
From: Breaking News

Housing minister Chris Pincher is drawing up guidelines which could allow agents to return to something like normal working in the near...
03 May 2020
From: Breaking News

Rightmove and Knight Frank are today both calling for a series of government incentives to kick-start the market after the Coronavirus...
20 April 2020
From: Breaking News

If it’s really the case that estate agents’ offices could be in the category of High Street premises first allowed to...
18 April 2020
From: Features

Only half of the branches signed up to Zoopla have taken advantage of one or other of the discount offers made...
15 April 2020
From: Breaking News

Over 1.2m mortgage payment holidays have been offered by lenders to customers impacted by the Coronavirus crisis - that’s equivalent to...
15 April 2020
From: Breaking News

A leading estate agency says it has observed that some banks previously opposed to accepting remote and desktop valuations have started...
09 April 2020
From: Breaking News

I won't be the first or last person to say that society and the property industry in which we operate is...
06 April 2020
From: Breaking News

Based on our historical data over twenty years of nationwide operation and a survey conducted in partnership with YouGov, we estimate...
04 April 2020
From: Features

Two financial trade bodies say most mortgage providers will give customers who have exchanged contracts the option to extend their mortgage...
30 March 2020
From: Breaking News

It’s been reported that the government is talking with banks and building societies about putting the housing market ‘on ice’ during the...
27 March 2020
From: Breaking News

The government has at last issued extensive advice on home moving and the activities of estate agents during the continuing Coronavirus crisis. This...
27 March 2020
From: Breaking News

New research of the buying habits of first-time buyers in the UK we’ve undertaken here at reallymoving.com shows that Shared Ownership...
25 March 2020
From: Features

The Financial Conduct Authority has released new guidance which clears up some of the uncertainties surrounding the mortgage holidays announced last...
25 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Hello and welcome to today’s Conquering Corona, a service we’re running to share official guidance and agents’ advice in a bid...
17 March 2020
From: Breaking News

The three leading portals have rejected an appeal to give the industry a payment holiday to help firms through the Coronavirus...
13 March 2020
From: Breaking News

There has been broad support and relief amongst property industry players following announcements from several lenders that they would grant mortgage...
11 March 2020
From: Breaking News

The head of a firm that has been creating digital property log books for well over a decade says the house-moving...
06 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Mortgage lenders approved the highest number of loans for house purchase in nearly four years in January, according to Bank of...
03 March 2020
From: Breaking News

In the last few Natters I’ve focused on the slow death of local newspaper advertising, and how many agents are now...
29 February 2020
From: Features

Predictions that landlords are not buying properties to let out because of tougher rental taxes and regulations appear to be short...
19 February 2020
From: Breaking News

The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a shock warning that mortgage borrowers who purchased properties through the Help To Buy scheme...
19 February 2020
From: Breaking News

The Law Society is telling prospective house purchasers to probe flood risks in the light of a new practice note it...
07 February 2020
From: Breaking News

The Law Society has announced that there will be a new TA6 Property Information Form launching next week, on Friday February...
31 January 2020
From: Breaking News

Rightmove and Zoopla have been working with key figures from government and the agency and conveyancing industries on how to reform...
29 January 2020
From: Breaking News

Logbooks about properties must be made available up-front at the point of marketing and not later in the buying process if...
28 January 2020
From: Breaking News

The increasing demand for information on Japanese Knotweed during the house buying process is emphasising the need for householders to pay...
23 January 2020
From: Breaking News

In its latest State of the Property Nation report, which questions over 650 agents and 6,000 consumers, Zoopla says 55 per...
20 January 2020
From: Breaking News

A new analysis from a financial services trade body shows that gross mortgage lending is expected to rise significantly in the...
17 January 2020
From: Breaking News

It’s one of the most crucial aspects of the homebuying and selling process but is too often bogged down by frustrating...
21 December 2019
From: Features

As part of its commitment to promoting and enforcing high standards, RICS has launched its Home Survey Standard, which will become...
14 December 2019
From: Features

It’s been revealed that Countrywide is involved in a pilot exercise to help the creation of a so-called ‘affordability hub’ for...
10 December 2019
From: Breaking News

Countrywide has this morning revealed that its special general meeting of shareholders to agree the sale of its commercial arm will...
03 December 2019
From: Breaking News

Cash-strapped Countrywide has this morning announced that it is selling its commercial business, Lambert Smith Hampton, for £38m. In a surprise statement...
29 November 2019
From: Breaking News

Pressure is building on the Conservative party to honour its previous commitment to reform stamp duty for British buyers and sellers...
22 November 2019
From: Breaking News

love2move, an online network which allows high street agents to offer a white-labelled hybrid service, has teamed up with the Mortgage...
14 November 2019
From: Breaking News

The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Letting Agents have issued their manifesto for next month’s General...
05 November 2019
From: Breaking News

First details have emerged of the information vendors may have to provide up-front In future transactions if government house buying reforms...
21 October 2019
From: Breaking News

England rugby fans will have been disappointed to find out that Saturday's planned World Cup group stage clash with France in...
11 October 2019
From: Breaking News

Case study: Connells reaping the time-saving benefits of new sales and communication tool Since adopting mio in September 2018, Josh Lally, Senior...
07 October 2019
From: Sponsored Content

We know that the tenant fee ban has cost letting agents dearly, with an estimated loss of £300 million paid to...
02 October 2019
From: Features

The reform of the buying process is to take centre stage at a special conference called Bold Legal LIVE! taking place...
30 September 2019
From: Breaking News

Although property transactions have, unsurprisingly, recently seen a decline which is almost certainly in part due to the ‘B-word’, this doesn’t...
28 September 2019
From: Features

As an agent, it’s part of your role to protect and advise your clients throughout the buying and selling process. Mortgages are...
26 September 2019
From: Sponsored Content

Property management service Move with Us has announced a new partnership with chain management service View My Chain. Move with Us, founded...
19 September 2019
From: Breaking News

There's good news for the market in at least one sector - mortgages offered to first time buyers. Latest figures from the...
18 September 2019
From: Breaking News

The Bank of Mum and Dad is now officially one of the 10 biggest mortgage lenders according to data from Legal...
28 August 2019
From: Breaking News

A media report suggests a mystery ‘predator’ is attempting to acquire Countrywide. The Daily Mail this morning, quoting unnamed “City sources,” says a...
19 August 2019
From: Breaking News

The number of owners' properties being repossessed jumped 15 per cent year on year in the second quarter of 2019. There were...
12 August 2019
From: Breaking News

Countrywide has told Estate Agent Today that it will not be releasing any figures on the branch closure programme it introduced...
01 August 2019
From: Breaking News

In a trading statement this morning, Countrywide says it has “a new covenant package with lenders provides the financial flexibility to...
31 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Data from UK Finance, which represents most of the country’s lenders, shows that gross mortgage lending across the residential market in...
25 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Homes in central parts of London sold for a typical 11.5 per cent below asking price in the first three months...
21 June 2019
From: Breaking News

A conveyancing body is calling on mortgage lenders to standardise their policies in respect of unexpired lease terms in order to...
12 June 2019
From: Breaking News

The Competition and Markets Authority has formally launched an investigation into the sale of leasehold properties - including possible mis-selling. This follows...
11 June 2019
From: Breaking News

While media attention has been on Theresa May, Brexit and the Tories, chatter in the agency industry has been about what...
25 May 2019
From: Features

Reforms to the house buying process in England and Wales to bring it more into line with Scotland could slash the...
16 May 2019
From: Breaking News

Two PropTech suppliers have this week announced new partnerships and products with the aim of helping estate agents. Firstly, sales progression and...
09 May 2019
From: Breaking News

As many as one transaction in three is now undertaken by a so-called Last Time Buyer - twice as many as...
09 April 2019
From: Breaking News

The leasehold scandal has received plenty of press coverage, with horror stories of people living in homes that are impossible to...
06 April 2019
From: Features

New figures from the Equity Release Council suggest more growth in this sector, alarming those agents who see this as a...
03 April 2019
From: Breaking News

More than 800 property transactions fall through daily, which can have repercussions both practically and financially, as agents fail to get...
30 March 2019
From: Features

Mortgage prisoners - borrowers unable to switch lenders despite being up-to-date with payments - may have an escape route in sight...
27 March 2019
From: Breaking News

The leasehold system has created many unsellable and unmortgageable homes and should change, MPs say. The all-party Housing, Communities and Local Government...
19 March 2019
From: Breaking News

Two 'challenger portals' have revealed major new services this morning as they fight to take on Rightmove and Zoopla. OneDome, the new...
15 March 2019
From: Breaking News

Figures released this morning show a surge in first time buyers securing mortgages in recent months, despite the market showing continued signs...
12 March 2019
From: Breaking News

Maverick Cornish estate agent Chris Wood has quit the industry with a stinging attack on those who have “taken their toll”...
11 March 2019
From: Breaking News

More details are emerging of the first-ever ESTAS conference for conveyancers - the Bold Legal Conference - taking place on the...
26 February 2019
From: Breaking News

The latest Rightmove price index suggests that homes are at their most affordable level for some years thanks to wage growth...
18 February 2019
From: Breaking News

Mortgage lenders are relaxing age limits so that house buyers can still be paying off their home loan well into their...
12 February 2019
From: Breaking News

The monthly index of house price changes in Britain’s major cities, for many years operated under the Hometrack banner, has been...
30 January 2019
From: Breaking News

A review of the housing market at present, particularly when it comes to purchase transactions, might not necessarily feel overly positive. The...
26 January 2019
From: Features

One of Britain’s foremost property consultancies has given a relatively upbeat prediction for the UK housing market over the next five...
15 January 2019
From: Breaking News

There’s been a warm welcome from the property and consumer sectors for a suggestion that the Financial Conduct Authority may be...
14 January 2019
From: Breaking News

A slew of property experts and commentators have put the blame on Brexit for a surprise drop in house price growth...
07 January 2019
From: Breaking News

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

Zoopla claims a new Property Valuation Report being trialled in nine areas will win more leads for agents. The PVR will use...
10 December 2018
From: Breaking News

The chief executive of online agency HouseSimple says “sellers need to be prepared and willing to lower their expectations” in the current...
07 December 2018
From: Breaking News

The global chief executive of Purplebricks, Michael Bruce, has warned mortgage lenders against offering so-called ‘super-sized’ home loans to borrowers. Bruce is...
28 November 2018
From: Breaking News

To say legendary ZPG founder and CEO Alex Chesterman left big boots to fill when he stepped back from day-to-day operations...
24 November 2018
From: Features

A no-deal Brexit The biggest impact of a no-deal Brexit in relation to housing is a potential fall in house prices -...
24 November 2018
From: Features

Shock figures out this morning show that a staggering £15.4 billion of annual interest is being paid by mortgage borrowers sitting...
22 November 2018
From: Breaking News

Hard-pressed buyers who try to minimise house moving costs by doing their own conveyancing have been warned of the disastrous consequences...
15 November 2018
From: Breaking News

A house in Mayfair that was sold for £19.175m in 2014 and put on the market this year at £25m has...
08 November 2018
From: Breaking News

Figures from the mortgage lenders’ umbrella group, UK Finance, suggest the government desire to see more first time buyers and fewer...
17 October 2018
From: Breaking News

Is Help To Buy going to remain in existence for much longer? Question marks over the scheme’s future are being raised through...
16 October 2018
From: Breaking News

Even the cheapest local homes are out of reach for at least 40 per cent of young adults according to a...
09 October 2018
From: Breaking News

An insurance company is launching a policy which it says will protect consumers with comprehensive cover in the event of a...
04 October 2018
From: Breaking News

A call has gone out for conveyancers to have all monies - including mortgage funds - in place the day before...
01 October 2018
From: Breaking News

A warning to people selling their homes to beware of internet-based scams offering cut-price surveys has been sounded by a leading...
30 August 2018
From: Breaking News

Out and about recently, I got to thinking: how often do I actually have the call for cash anymore? Or, for...
25 August 2018
From: Features

Rightmove says the housing market is now into a ‘summer sale’ as newly-marketed property shows an average asking price fall of...
20 August 2018
From: Breaking News

Rumours abound over the future of Countrywide, which lost further share value on Friday, closing very slightly down on the day...
13 August 2018
From: Breaking News

When you are starting up a new business, it is unlikely that you will already have enough capital to invest. Taking...
10 August 2018
From: Sponsored Content

Outspoken property commentator and buying agent Henry Pryor has made a scathing attack on some of the main house price indices. In...
06 August 2018
From: Breaking News

Most estate agents have tried to dismiss the impact of the Bank of England’s base rate rise, which came following a...
03 August 2018
From: Breaking News

The Financial Times this morning says that Countrywide suffered a failed bond issue earlier this year, forcing it to rely on...
01 August 2018
From: Breaking News

The mortgage industry may be throwing agents and the housing market something of a lifeline - it’s been revealed that 40...
25 July 2018
From: Breaking News

The debate over alleged ‘down-valuing’ by mortgage lenders has flared again with one leading agent claiming that surveyors are just “covering...
24 July 2018
From: Breaking News

It’s being reported this morning that Countrywide will seek new investment of over £100m, probably in the next few days. The Sunday...
22 July 2018
From: Breaking News

You will notice that there is a new author for this regular column for Estate Agent Today. Last month I was...
21 July 2018
From: Features

One of the country’s leading experts on the housing market says first time buyers are still hampered from purchasing homes despite...
01 June 2018
From: Breaking News

Estate Agent Today understands several major national agencies and some smaller operators are involved in a project to understand why transaction...
09 May 2018
From: Breaking News

As the world becomes ever more digital and people increasingly look to technology to provide convenient solutions to sometimes complex problems,...
08 May 2018
From: Sponsored Content

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Ben Robinson, Director of Agency Services at Landmark What is Landmark...
03 May 2018
From: 60 Second Interview

Fewer mortgages were approved for home buyers last month than in the same month a year ago according to figures from...
27 April 2018
From: Breaking News

A new survey suggests that despite many lenders increasing their rates, most mainstream mortgages are down compared to the start of...
25 April 2018
From: Breaking News

Property purchases for buyers requiring mortgages reached 50,000 in February, the highest level for the month since 2007. The data, from mortgage...
18 April 2018
From: Breaking News

The Conveyancing Association has backed the government’s calls for extensive reform of the buying and selling process, announced at the weekend. The...
12 April 2018
From: Breaking News

Countrywide is not quite finished with online experimentation yet, for today sees the launch of an online mortgage service, backed by...
03 April 2018
From: Breaking News

Gross mortgage lending is set to reach its highest level since 2007 despite Brexit, says the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association. But its...
29 March 2018
From: Breaking News

A magazine claims its investigations into the sales tactics of Countrywide and Connells suggest the two agency are “harming consumers, stopping them from...
21 March 2018
From: Breaking News

Investment consultancy London Central Portfolio has launched a new index which it claims uses “the most comprehensive data available” to assess...
07 March 2018
From: Breaking News

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

Representatives from estate and lettings agencies as well as professional organisations have formed The Home Buying And Selling Group with a...
26 February 2018
From: Breaking News

Over the last few weeks, mortgage lenders have started to adjust their pricing in anticipation of a further interest rate rise...
21 February 2018
From: Breaking News

Countrywide has made a brief announcement to shareholders about amending its credit facility with lenders to help it turn the business...
05 February 2018
From: Breaking News

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

While there is a distinct market for flats held on particularly short leases, there is a middle ground where flat owners...
13 January 2018
From: Features

New analysis by the Nationwide has revealed just how big an obstacle a 20 per cent deposit can be for buyers...
08 January 2018
From: Breaking News

The Society of Licensed Conveyancers says it is worried that HM Land Registry’s decision to publish details of apparent errors in...
03 January 2018
From: Breaking News

Bitcoin has smashed into the headlines again recently with major news outlets describing the ever increasing worth of this wildly volatile...
13 December 2017
From: Breaking News

A housing market expert says agents should be more pro-active and explain to the public that contrary to popular belief, some...
20 November 2017
From: Breaking News

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...
02 November 2017
From: Breaking News

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has launched a consultation on proposals to reform the house buying...
28 October 2017
From: Features

The government should take a close look at gazundering as well as gazumping in its review of the house sales process,...
27 October 2017
From: Breaking News

Conveyancers and the speed of local council searches have come in for criticism as details have emerged of the government’s consultation...
23 October 2017
From: Breaking News

There has been a wide range of views from trade bodies and individual agents on the government’s surprise ‘call for evidence’...
23 October 2017
From: Breaking News

The government has launched a consultation this weekend calling for evidence on how to make the home buying process “cheaper, faster...
22 October 2017
From: Breaking News

Analysts believe a rise in the Bank of England base rate is on the cards next month as a result of the...
18 October 2017
From: Breaking News

Last week was MIPIM PropTech Summit 2017 in New York, and it was the most oversubscribed to date - proof of the...
18 October 2017
From: Breaking News

Mortgage lending reached £24.2 billion in August according to latest estimates by UK Finance. There were some 41,807 house purchase approvals, with...
27 September 2017
From: Breaking News

It appears activity in the housing market in 2017 will be around 15% down on 2016. The number of housing transactions...
16 September 2017
From: Features

Customer service is a definitive priority for prospective borrowers when choosing a mortgage lender. This is according to a study of over...
05 September 2017
From: Breaking News

Jackson-Stops & Staff, a critic of the stamp duty system since its reform in 2014, now says the government should slash...
31 August 2017
From: Breaking News

Independent financial service Moneyfacts says first time buyers who opt for a fixed rate deal might be better off if they chose...
31 August 2017
From: Breaking News

New data from UK Finance - previously the Council of Mortgage Lenders - paints a relatively optimistic assessment of the UK-wide...
24 August 2017
From: Breaking News

As the mainstream mortgage market braces itself for yet another clampdown on buy-to-let lending, a growing number of property investors are...
04 August 2017
From: Features

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

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’s buy to let forecast for 2017 and 2018 has been revised down from previous expectations at...
23 June 2017
From: Breaking News

Today we’re publishing what we think is our longest-ever list of charitable activities being conducted by agents and their supporters -...
23 June 2017
From: Breaking News

A prominent agent admits to being “disappointed” at what appears to be slowing mortgage figures at a time of year when...
26 May 2017
From: Breaking News

Home buyers borrowed £11.2 billion in March - down on the ‘stamp duty bonanza‘ period at the same time last year...
18 May 2017
From: Breaking News

Since the seventies, housing starts and completions across England and Wales have been on a downward trajectory. The long run average...
12 May 2017
From: Features

Cash is becoming an increasingly large proportion of the funding used to buy homes according to a new analysis of transactions...
11 May 2017
From: Breaking News

There are more mortgage products available to buyers now than at any time since 2008 according to respected finance monitor service...
10 May 2017
From: Breaking News

More than one in three first time buyers have missed out on potential home deals because their deposit was too small...
05 May 2017
From: Breaking News

Mortgage rates continue to fall with the average new lending rate at a record low of 2.2 per cent: as a...
27 April 2017
From: Breaking News

The Financial Conduct Authority says it is to review lenders offering solely interest-only mortgages to home owners. In its business plan for...
21 April 2017
From: Breaking News

News was released this week of a new PropTech partnership: banking disrupter Revolut has joined up with mortgage brokerage, Trussle, to offer...
20 April 2017
From: Breaking News

One of the biggest stories post-Brexit is how the housing market has proven to be more resilient than anyone could have...
15 April 2017
From: Features

A building society claims that in the past three years alone no fewer than 1.2m buyers have given up on house...
12 April 2017
From: Breaking News

In recent years the mortgage industry has gone through some testing times. Recession and regulation have led to more stringent lending...
08 April 2017
From: Features

Mortgage brokers say they are encountering fewer difficulties sourcing products now than at any time for three years. Research from the Intermediary...
04 April 2017
From: Breaking News

There are more first-time buyers (FTBs) finding a way on to the property ladder than at any time since the Financial...
01 April 2017
From: Features

The Conveyancing Association wants the creation of a ‘log book’ and ‘Home Reports’ for each home on sale - reminiscent in...
15 March 2017
From: Breaking News

Data from the Council for Mortgage Lenders show that loans taken out by buyers have hit a near two-year low. Home buyers...
15 March 2017
From: Breaking News

Recent stats from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that last year 360,000 people moved homes, meaning the number has stayed...
11 March 2017
From: Features

There has been some really interesting talk recently of the relationship between FinTech (Finance Technology) and PropTech (Property Technology). A few...
01 March 2017
From: Breaking News

Over the past two decades, investing in buy-to-let has been a relatively easy way to make money, which is why so...
25 February 2017
From: Features

The number of home buyers in London dropped to a four-year low in 2016 while the number of loans taken out...
23 February 2017
From: Breaking News

The rapid growth in popularity of buy-to-let in recent years, fuelled in part by the failings of the pensions industry, has...
17 February 2017
From: Features

The chronic shortage of housing supply in the UK relative to demand has been a national issue for decades. The Government...
11 February 2017
From: Features

The number of properties taken into possession last year declined by almost 25 per cent and has hit the lowest level in 35...
10 February 2017
From: Breaking News

The first week of February has seen some extraordinary goings on in the property sector, from which two stories particularly stand out...
08 February 2017
From: Breaking News

Zoopla Property Group’s £120m purchase of Hometrack, announced yesterday evening, is part of its aim to create “the UK’s most valuable...
01 February 2017
From: Breaking News

Zoopla Property Group is buying Hometrack, one of the country’s leading property market business consultancies. Established in 1999, Hometrack is one of...
31 January 2017
From: Breaking News

Gross mortgage lending reached a remarkable £246 billion in 2016 - that’s 12 per cent higher than the previous year and...
27 January 2017
From: Breaking News

There were an estimated 354,000 homemovers in 2016, a fall of 4% compared to the 367,000 recorded the previous year. Analysis by...
25 January 2017
From: Breaking News

Digital mortgage broker habito has announced that it has raised £5.5 million in investment funding. The firm says it will use the...
24 January 2017
From: Breaking News

A new report from the NatWest Bank nips in the bud any speculation that rising inflation may end the current cheap...
20 January 2017
From: Breaking News

The rental market has had to face a raft of changes over the past year, including the introduction of the 3% stamp...
14 January 2017
From: Features

Brexit and wider economic uncertainties worsened by changes to property taxation have forced the Council of Mortgage Lenders to cut its...
20 December 2016
From: Breaking News

I recently came across a consumer comment expressing frustration at the length and complexity of UK conveyancing and raising the question...
17 December 2016
From: Features

New figures from the Council for Mortgage Lenders add weight to the argument that the housing market is gently slowing. Home-owners borrowed £10.5...
15 December 2016
From: Breaking News

The Financial Conduct Authority is to investigate mortgage competition, including the introduction of clients to lenders by estate agents. It’s part of...
13 December 2016
From: Breaking News

House prices will rise 2.0 per cent in 2017, below the rate of inflation and just under half the rise predicted...
12 December 2016
From: Breaking News

Moneyfacts, the independent financial products monitoring service, says first time buyer have a lot to thank Help To Buy for -...
06 December 2016
From: Breaking News

The number of fee-free deals on fixed rate mortgages has more than doubled in the past year according to research by...
30 November 2016
From: Breaking News

There’s good news for London’s troubled market - a report from the CML shows that buyers in the capital took out 12...
24 November 2016
From: Breaking News

It may still be too early to start compiling a Christmas wish list, but it is the right time to provide...
19 November 2016
From: Features

Labour’s long-awaited Redfern Review, set up a year ago after the party’s defeat in the general election, finally reports tomorrow. Although it...
15 November 2016
From: Breaking News

It’s all been kicking off in recent weeks, hasn’t it? Marmite wars, the endless Trump v Clinton debate, Samsung phones blowing...
28 October 2016
From: Features

A business publication says figures from a PropTech peer-to-peer lending firm which markets its products through Zoopla show a 95 per cent...
20 October 2016
From: Breaking News

The Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on new guidance to lenders on how to measure and treat the repayment of arrears...
20 October 2016
From: Breaking News

Fears raised over the UK housing market in the wake of the Brexit vote have so far proved to be ‘wide...
30 September 2016
From: Features

The Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority has confirmed that tighter regulations will apply to lenders providing mortgages for buy to...
30 September 2016
From: Breaking News

Those working within the UK housing market would have felt considerable worry about the immediate impact of the vote to leave...
23 September 2016
From: Features

A mortgage lender has called on the government to reform stamp duty so that it is paid by property sellers instead...
22 September 2016
From: Breaking News

The huge rush to acquire buy-to-let property in the first quarter of the year ahead of the stamp duty change deadline...
09 September 2016
From: Features

The number of mortgage products available is now over 23,000 - a figure last seen during the heady days just before...
22 August 2016
From: Breaking News

There has been a spur in activity in the mortgage market since the Bank of England base rate dropped to 0.25...
17 August 2016
From: Breaking News

The number of mortgages in arrears is now at its lowest level since records began more than 20 years ago. Data from...
12 August 2016
From: Breaking News

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says the controversial findings of an insurance firm’s research shows that millions of homeowners may...
11 August 2016
From: Breaking News

The morning after the EU referendum, and Westminster, Britain, Europe and the world were left in shock at the news that...
05 August 2016
From: Features

The Bank of England has, as expected, cut its base rate to 0.25 per cent after a record seven years at...
04 August 2016
From: Breaking News

Respected financial comparison website Moneyfacts says the average buyer requiring a mortgage and securing a deal now will be £240 a...
26 July 2016
From: Breaking News

As promised, this week’s Natter is dedicated to a question and answer session with Peter Brodnicki, the man who has been...
22 July 2016
From: Features

As I sit and write this piece, even with the FTSE 100 back up and sterling having recovered some of its...
08 July 2016
From: Features

The Council of Mortgage Lenders says the Brexit vote will hit transactions as buyers and sellers wait for the dust to...
28 June 2016
From: Breaking News

A few of our Industry Views pieces this week focus on the upcoming EU referendum. I don’t think I can add...
17 June 2016
From: Features

Home-owners borrowed £8.1 billion for house purchases in April, which was four per cent down on the same month a year ago. There...
16 June 2016
From: Breaking News

A new e-conveyancing platform has been launched in Edinburgh ahead of a roll-out across all of Scotland. This system, Altis, is the...
13 June 2016
From: Breaking News

Sales skills, and the ability to negotiate in particular, have always been a core ingredient for any estate agent – and...
03 June 2016
From: Features

While buy-to-let lenders brace themselves for further interventions as part of proposals currently being drawn up by the Prudential Regulation Authority...
01 June 2016
From: Features

Fraudsters attacking the conveyancing sector, successfully stealing large sums of money from homebuyers, are making national headlines at a depressing rate....
27 May 2016
From: Sponsored Content

The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that gross mortgage lending reached £18.5 billion last month - the highest April figure since...
20 May 2016
From: Breaking News

There has been a 58 per cent rise in the past year for mortgages for house purchase purposes, according to the...
18 May 2016
From: Breaking News

The Financial Conduct Authority is to encourage lenders to give would-be buyers more choice in the mortgages available. In the Responsible Lending...
17 May 2016
From: Breaking News

In this business you get used to dealing with regular customer and third-party feedback, input, and (occasionally) complaints. Much like the agency market...
13 May 2016
From: Features

It’s the news that has got everyone talking: Barclays are bringing back the 100% mortgage. The market has taken a bit of...
13 May 2016
From: Features

The Council of Mortgage Lenders says the number of repossessions in the first quarter of 2016 was 2,100 - the lowest...
13 May 2016
From: Breaking News

A mortgage servicing company is forecasting that the number of UK houses repossessed this year will represent only 0.09 per cent...
11 May 2016
From: Breaking News

On Tuesday we managed hail, snow, rain, sun and a chilly wind all in one day. Whatever you want to say...
29 April 2016
From: Features

First time buyers with small deposits are among those likely to suffer as a result of new regulations on credit risk...
28 April 2016
From: Breaking News

SearchFlow, property intelligence specialists, has partnered with Decision First to offer an unrivalled service to protect conveyancers and homebuyers from the...
26 April 2016
From: Sponsored Content

It’s almost impossible to write about the conveyancing market and not reflect on the activity levels of the past month or...
15 April 2016
From: Features

We’re all talking about second home stamp duty, changes to tax relief and the Prudential Regulation Authority’s suggestion that banks should...
15 April 2016
From: Features

An academic study claims that increasing the supply of new-build properties - widely thought to be the favoured solution to the...
07 April 2016
From: Breaking News

New proposals to curtail mortgage borrowing in the buy to let sector have been branded as “a classic case of slamming...
30 March 2016
From: Breaking News

A key Bank of England body has revealed its proposals for tougher borrowing standards to prevent buy to let lending overheating the wider...
29 March 2016
From: Breaking News

Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that gross mortgage lending reached £17.6 billion last month - that's the highest...
18 March 2016
From: Breaking News

As we know, the property market in London is notorious for sitting a long way outside the conventions of the wider UK...
27 February 2016
From: Features

There has been a warm welcome given to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showing that lending to first time...
19 February 2016
From: Breaking News

In December 2015 first time buyers borrowed £4.5 billion for house purchases - that’s up seven per cent on November and...
17 February 2016
From: Breaking News

Increased competition amongst mortgage lenders and the rush to buy investment properties before the April 1 stamp duty surcharge deadline have...
02 February 2016
From: Breaking News

Predicting how the housing market might play out over the next few months is incredibly difficult. There are a significant number...
30 January 2016
From: Features

Mortgage lending for home buyers dipped by nine per cent in November according to new data - but it is up...
15 January 2016
From: Breaking News

In many respects 2015 has been a good year. Despite global challenges, we have seen a marked improvement in the UK...
11 December 2015
From: Features

You might recall a collective sigh of relief emitted by stakeholders in the housing market and private rental sector back in...
04 December 2015
From: Features

It is anticipated that the government will reveal more details of how it proposes to simplify mortgage fees and make mortgage...
25 November 2015
From: Breaking News

When it comes to the regulation of the conveyancing industry, this question is a topic of open and ongoing debate. Licensed conveyancers...
20 November 2015
From: Features

Two more agents have been expelled by TPO because they failed to pay awards when ordered to pay compensation, and because...
11 November 2015
From: Breaking News

The number of house purchase mortgage approvals has risen by 19.8 per cent over the last 12 months. Data from eSurv suggests...
09 October 2015
From: Breaking News

First came a Bank of England prediction that the market will strengthen in the autumn; then lenders reported a surge in...
01 October 2015
From: Breaking News

In a new sign that the housing market is strengthening, mortgage lending increased in August by the largest amount since 2008. Data...
30 September 2015
From: Breaking News

This month it was announced that Landbay mortgage lenders will release a new rental Index, alongside Zoopla and data-modelling experts MIAC. The...
18 September 2015
From: Features

The residential director at Mullucks Wells in West Essex and East Hertfordshire, William Wells, has contacted Estate Agent Today to highlight...
09 September 2015
From: Breaking News

An unusual story of hard-to-sell homes has emerged from Northumberland where a kind of new town, established in the 1960s, is...
03 September 2015
From: Breaking News

A new website has been launched to fight back against the attack George Osborne made in the Summer Budget on the...
21 August 2015
From: Features

Estate agents have received a substantial thumbs up from a large survey of 1,990 people. On top of that, the survey was...
17 August 2015
From: Breaking News

The repossession rate has fallen again in the second quarter of 2015, and is at the lowest rate since records began. The...
14 August 2015
From: Breaking News

Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that lending to first time buyers bounced back in the second quarter of...
12 August 2015
From: Breaking News

THE UK housing market is reported to be picking up according to figures this month from the Council of Mortgage Lenders...
29 July 2015
From: Sponsored Content

Competition is hot among home buyers in my part of southern England to take ownership of properties that come onto the...
24 July 2015
From: Features

When Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, recently announced that interest rates would have to start to rise sooner...
24 July 2015
From: Features

A number of my member firms (Bold Legal Group) have reported that, compared to three years ago, the time to get...
17 July 2015
From: Features

Connells says its sales figures for June show a 27.5 per cent rise on the same month last year. The agency has...
17 July 2015
From: Breaking News

Lending for house buying is still down compared to this time last year but there are signs that the market is...
15 July 2015
From: Breaking News

Agents have expressed their disappointment at the decision by the government to restrict mortgage interest relief for Buy To let investors...
09 July 2015
From: Breaking News

The not-for-profit Residential Property Surveyors Association wants estate agents to tell clients they should commission 'real' surveys and not settle for automated valuations. Recently...
06 July 2015
From: Breaking News

The Conveyancing Association (CA) has embarked on a mission to engage with the lender community with a view to initiating a...
26 June 2015
From: Features

Given that I wrote my last article on the day of the General Election but well before the result was known,...
19 June 2015
From: Features

The Aston Mead estate agency says “unnecessarily restrictive mortgage criteria" have caused the number of home loans to drop sharply in...
07 May 2015
From: Breaking News

The number of legal actions against estate agents and chartered surveyors has significantly fallen according to figures from a City legal...