Agents and property professionals are travelling far and wide to raise money for charity, plus there is a new way to...
Archive

A ‘frightening’ number of respondents to a Rightmove online poll appear to be unaware of their anti-money laundering reporting requirements. The portal...
05 May 2022
From: Breaking News

The property industry is fortunate in including many great people, doing great work across a range of businesses – from traditional agency...
30 April 2022
From: Features

Property blockchain network Coadjute has launched a research project to identify ways estate agents and conveyancers can improve their working relationship. It...
28 April 2022
From: Breaking News

Estate agency recruiter Josh Rayner has said job demand is at the highest level he can remember. Rayner, who runs property jobs...
28 April 2022
From: Breaking News

In July 2020, two leading lettings technology disruptors - Vouch and Goodlord - announced that they were going into partnership. Now,...
02 April 2022
From: Features

Reapit Elements is an open-source, cross-platform design system that gives designers and developers a framework to quickly create responsive, device-agnostic, and...
18 February 2022
From: Sponsored Content

As this is the first Natter back since the Christmas break, I should like to first wish all our readers a...
15 January 2022
From: Features

The past two years have been a whirlwind of change, challenges and chance. The main catalyst has clearly been the pandemic...
08 January 2022
From: Features

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas – just a week to go now. Presents all wrapped and...
18 December 2021
From: Features

A PropTech platform is urging agents to keep in touch with clients on their databases to increase their chances of future...
18 November 2021
From: Breaking News

PropertyHeads, a platform describing itself as a social network for house buyers and sellers, has a new PropTech partnership. It’s linked with...
10 November 2021
From: Breaking News

I’m going to declare upfront that, as an investor, I have a financial interest in the success of MovePal but I also need...
23 October 2021
From: Features

The recent stamp duty holiday and the subsequent conveyancing logjam this triggered has acted as a wakeup call for the industry....
25 September 2021
From: Features

In this article, the team at Iceberg Digital outline why agents should consider attending the Estate Agency X event as well...
08 September 2021
From: Breaking News

Things can change. For those who remember, it’s no secret that I became one of the industry's strongest critics of OnTheMarket (OTM). My reasons...
21 August 2021
From: Features

NAEA Propertymark says there’s no appetite that it can see amongst its representatives across the UK for charging people £30 for...
02 August 2021
From: Breaking News

The platform behind a controversial proposal to charge prospective buyers and renters £30 or more to view a property on the...
29 July 2021
From: Breaking News

The race to complete home sales before the stamp duty holiday came to an end on June 30 has created what...
03 July 2021
From: Features

In this week’s In Conversation Today, I am delighted to chat with Lucy Morton, Head of Residential Agency at JLL, about...
27 May 2021
From: Breaking News

In this week’s In Conversation Today, I chat with Fine & Country UK’s managing director Nicky Stevenson, one of the most...
29 April 2021
From: Breaking News

One of the industry’s leading consultants has calculated staff turnover rates at the country’s leading estate agencies. Christopher Watkin, the consultant who...
13 April 2021
From: Breaking News

Propertymark has chosen YoungMinds as its charity partner of the year. YoungMinds is dedicated to ensuring every young person gets the mental...
02 April 2021
From: Breaking News

As you’ll know by now, I like to use the Natter to shine a light on independent agents doing things a...
27 March 2021
From: Features

One of the biggest trends in recent times, as a direct result of the pandemic, is the concept of working from...
13 March 2021
From: Features

A conveyancing trade publication wants those involved in residential transactions to be kind to each other - especially as the stamp duty...
25 February 2021
From: Breaking News

In this week's Natter, I focus on the inspiring story of Clare Hughes, who has bounced back in the last 12 months...
13 February 2021
From: Features

Many independents will be based in the capital, but given its size and breadth they may get drowned out even more...
19 December 2020
From: Features

Hello and welcome to our latest doffing of the cap in honour of those in our industry fund-raising for great causes....
11 December 2020
From: Breaking News

Welcome to part three of our ongoing series on local independent agents, as we seek to give this all-important part of...
05 December 2020
From: Features

Firstly, let’s get the obvious out of the way. Lockdown 2, as it’s being known, is now with us, but fortunately...
07 November 2020
From: Features

There’s no denying it, job hunting can be hard work – even more so at the moment, with all that’s going...
27 October 2020
From: Recruitment & Business Matters

Here is a quick read focusing on 5 things you can check your business is doing while on your tea break....
27 October 2020
From: Marketing & Social Media

Independent agent uses innovative ‘feet up’ campaign to win business. An independent letting agency has invited landlords to put their ‘feet up’...
27 October 2020
From: Marketing & Social Media

I was asked recently, how can an agent generate more landlord leads? Well that got me thinking, firstly, we have to...
27 October 2020
From: Marketing & Social Media

Putting fingers to keyboard to create blogs and articles isn’t always the easiest job for agents, particularly when meetings, viewings and...
27 October 2020
From: Marketing & Social Media

It’s a given these days that your business needs to be on social media. Consumers spend a large portion of their...
27 October 2020
From: Marketing & Social Media

Generating leads is a crucial and age-old part of estate agency. Before the internet, lead generation was just as important to...
27 October 2020
From: Marketing & Social Media

Here at The ValPal Network, we know that there are other options available when considering to use a valuation tool, so...
27 October 2020
From: PropTech & Innovation

Agents Together, the wellbeing and mentorship service which came into existence earlier this year, is launching what it calls a Redundancy...
16 October 2020
From: Breaking News

The pandemic and the way the government has reacted to the private rental sector (PRS) has got me thinking about the...
19 September 2020
From: Features

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

For a mixture of reasons, I now only write this column every two weeks. At first, I missed the weekly consideration...
09 September 2020
From: Breaking News

In my last Natter, I explored the differences between estate agency in the UK and the US with the help of...
15 August 2020
From: Features

As we adjust to a life post-Covid-19, letting agents, landlords, and tenants are thinking - ways to speed up the process...
24 June 2020
From: Features

The chief executive of a property information platform says now is a “dangerous time” to buy or sell homes because of...
22 June 2020
From: Breaking News

Online sector veterans Russell Quirk and Kenny Bruce have used social media to call for a temporary scrapping of all stamp...
16 June 2020
From: Breaking News

The Say No To Rightmove campaign has started buying social media advertising space in a bid to recruit agents. In a ‘promoted’...
30 April 2020
From: Breaking News

The Say No To Rightmove campaign, which expects to have some 3,000 offices signed up by the end of the month,...
24 April 2020
From: Breaking News

One of the industry’s top recruitment gurus wants to check the pulse of the industry - and that includes whether furloughed...
20 April 2020
From: Breaking News

Let me start by wishing everyone well in these uncertain and precarious times. I truly hope you, your families, friends and...
18 April 2020
From: Features

For complete transparency, I write this column first thing on a Tuesday morning and have done for a couple of years...
25 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Hello: so much has happened since the last Conquering Corona column . Before we get on with it, a reminder to...
24 March 2020
From: Breaking News

A senior figure in the industry has spoken out against the shock sackings and branch closures announced by Spicerhaart. Jon Cooke, chief...
21 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 coronavirus outbreak has highlighted once again how fragile and interconnected our societies have become. We don’t know yet how dangerous Covid-19...
07 March 2020
From: Features

The landscape of the estate agency market in the UK is evolving to reflect changes in the way we live our...
19 February 2020
From: Features

Estate Agent Today can reveal that one of the most senior figures in Countrywide’s upmarket John D Wood and Hampton International brands...
12 February 2020
From: Breaking News

An outspoken industry commentator says some of the country’s leading agencies are failing because they’re not actually run by experienced agents. Russell...
03 February 2020
From: Breaking News
01 February 2020
From: Features

Following on from the second half of the last decade, the first few weeks of 2020 have been a bit mad...
18 January 2020
From: Features

Yes, you can promise yourself that you won't eat all the mince pies, or yet another roast potato, nor drink as...
11 December 2019
From: Breaking News

A new portal has been launched aiming to take on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket in the retirement property sector - and...
29 November 2019
From: Breaking News

28th NOVEMBER 2019: Christopher Watkin’s recent thought-provoking interview with Dan Marsden sheds light on the property industry today and offers an...
27 November 2019
From: Sponsored Content

The former chief of an online estate agency says the top three surviving firms in the sector must merge if they...
30 October 2019
From: Breaking News
30 October 2019
From: Breaking News

I have been banging on about partnerships and collaborations for years now. Whether it’s between two real estate firms, two PropTech firms,...
09 October 2019
From: Breaking News

One of the biggest changes seen in the property market over the last decade is technology growth. With the likes of Rightmove...
11 September 2019
From: Features

Whinge. Moan. Lead quality. Crap market. Decision procrastination. Fee pressure. Bloody competitors. Especially Purplebricks. Brexit, of course, Brexit... These are just some...
05 September 2019
From: Features

Nicky Stevenson has had a very varied and interesting career in property. She started out as a lettings negotiator for Nicholas...
27 July 2019
From: Features

Sometimes having prior knowledge of a stressful event can be more stressful than the event itself, just look at Brexit for...
24 July 2019
From: Features

Countrywide’s shares took another battering yesterday as they plummeted below the psychologically-painful 5p mark - reflecting a 95 per cent loss of...
30 May 2019
From: Breaking News

So far in our contribution to the campaign to replace leasehold with commonhold we have outlined the stories of some of...
18 May 2019
From: Features

My article last week has sparked some really great engagement, which I’m delighted about! Thank you to everyone who commented or dropped...
01 May 2019
From: Breaking News

With Easter now upon us (happy Easter, by the way, and hope you’re enjoying the long weekend, the Easter eggs and...
20 April 2019
From: Features

The failure of online agencies to significantly disrupt the industry is down to their being too cheap and creating a perception...
16 April 2019
From: Breaking News

It’s a testing time for the property industry, amid Brexit fears, a slowing market and the looming tenant fees ban. There’s no...
03 April 2019
From: Features

Thinking about the state of communication across residential property chains is enough to induce a severe migraine. We work in a world...
20 March 2019
From: Features

Instagram (or, as the younger generation would have it, Insta) is, by any measure, massive. Only launched in October 2010, it’s a...
02 March 2019
From: Features

The former chief executive of Emoov says he has the answer to Foxtons’ current downbeat performance - it should exploit its...
05 February 2019
From: Breaking News

Kit Malthouse has been making headlines this week, but – in keeping with his tenure as Housing Minister so far -...
02 February 2019
From: Features

Kenny Bruce, one of the founders of sector-leading online agency Purplebricks, has sent his good wishes to Russell Quirk, who founded...
15 January 2019
From: Breaking News

The former boss of Emoov, the controversial Russell Quirk, has resuscitated his career as a public relations man and pro-Brexit commentator. Just...
09 January 2019
From: Breaking News

Hard not to mention two major breaking news stories of recent days; one directly affecting the property market and one which...
15 December 2018
From: Features

Rather like doctors, estate agents are present at critical points in our lives – moving in together, bidding farewell to a...
07 November 2018
From: Features

It’s the most obvious visual medium high street agents have at their disposal, and for many decades has been absolutely pivotal...
03 November 2018
From: Features

Sky News says Emoov is to be sold, just months after the controversial online agency merged with Sarah Beeny's Tepilo and the...
31 October 2018
From: Breaking News

The chief executive of Emoov, Russell Quirk, has suggested that the unexpectedly low take up of online agents may mean that...
11 October 2018
From: Breaking News

Fake news has become the popular catchphrase of a certain orange-tinted president in recent years. And everyone, from tech giants like...
08 September 2018
From: Features

As you probably know, I have been no fan of OnTheMarket (OTM) over the years. You may see this admission as...
20 July 2018
From: Features

Before I get into the nitty gritty of the government (well, one of its startup accelerator schemes) giving away £20,000, let...
18 July 2018
From: Breaking News

We all need to lighten up from time to time, especially at the start of another working week at the height...
02 July 2018
From: Breaking News

As promised a few weeks ago, this week’s Natter concentrates on the importance of content, design and social media, three easily...
19 May 2018
From: Features

As noted in Estate Agent Today’s news pages, OnTheMarket’s (OTM) recent dire share performance (at time of writing the price is...
27 March 2018
From: Features

For part two of the 'Day in the life of' series, I spoke to Peter Kavanagh, who first joined Romans in...
24 March 2018
From: Features

Three weeks has flown by (I missed an early deadline last week - apologies) and I find myself writing the next...
24 March 2018
From: Features

Why I won’t buy Purplebricks shares and why if I had any, I’d sell fast… In its latest adverts, Purplebricks attempts to...
13 February 2018
From: Features

OnTheMarket has finally completed its stock market float, with less capital raised, at a lower than planned valuation and, as I write,...
09 February 2018
From: Features

Whatever else you say about OnTheMarket, you can’t say it’s not consistent, consistent in treating its core membership shabbily. We already know...
29 January 2018
From: Features

Who says things slow down before Christmas? The opposite appears to be the case, at least when it comes to the...
21 December 2017
From: Features

Yesterday morning OnTheMarket confirmed its IPO plans but with no firm date. The question remains on whether the float will be...
11 December 2017
From: Features

A new software tool claims to be able to verify leads by checking on buyers via social media. Using Facebook, LinkedIn and...
21 November 2017
From: Breaking News

International property analyst Mike DelPrete has queried the suggestion that Countrywide's online sales option is drawing in additional business to those...
07 November 2017
From: Breaking News

The Savills-backed online estate agency YOPA has found itself in glittering company amongst 25 firms listed by business media site LinkedIn...
02 November 2017
From: Breaking News

Crowdfunding is nothing new. As I pointed out in a previous Natter, it dates back centuries, playing a part in the...
28 October 2017
From: Features

Purplebricks has given more details of its activities in the United States, where it is hoping to break into a market...
14 September 2017
From: Breaking News

Before we go any further, assuming you are an Agents’ Mutual member, let me ask you a question. If you had...
24 August 2017
From: Features

After my article last week predicting that Agents’ Mutual would likely seek to raise external capital, including possibly on the public markets,...
09 August 2017
From: Features
04 August 2017
From: Features

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

The UK PropTech Association (UKPA), of which I am a member of the steering committee, is an organisation with a purpose...
28 June 2017
From: Breaking News

Our recent roundtable on the government’s proposed ban on tenant fees generated 10 tips for growing your business. Since then, we’ve been...
23 June 2017
From: Features

To give you a nice distraction from the post-election madness, here’s an interview with Charlie Wright, founder of CIELA (or The...
10 June 2017
From: Features

There’s barely a week that goes by when you don’t read about an estate or letting agency business that’s been acquired...
10 June 2017
From: Features

Since we last spoke, the ESTAS – the biggest and best property awards ceremony in the UK – has been and...
27 May 2017
From: Features

This actually happened - the names of the guilty have been withheld to protect the innocent. I live in Spain, Marbella actually,...
15 April 2017
From: Features

Purplebricks’ advertising is very negative and critical of the competition. They talk about 'commisery', trying to make potential sellers feel ripped...
08 April 2017
From: Features

For my latest Property Natter I have sought the opinions of two well-known property consultants - Michael Day, managing director of...
01 April 2017
From: Features

One of Countrywide’s most senior management figures has become the managing director of the UK activities of US estate agency Keller...
15 March 2017
From: Breaking News

Instant gratification is nothing new. It’s been around for millennia. It’s an in-built survival instinct for humans – that want, that...
28 January 2017
From: Features

When I read about the possible formation of yet another ‘mutual’ with the aim of furthering and protecting the interests of...
21 January 2017
From: Features

A post-Christmas treat this week, as I carry out a Q & A with one of the leading figures in property,...
14 January 2017
From: Features

I have a confession to make. In 1988 I became a Seekers franchisee. For those of you who don't know who...
07 January 2017
From: Features

Listening to all the coverage of the tenant fee ban, all I hear is consumer groups talking about how some agents...
26 November 2016
From: Features

It is with no pleasure and a touch of sadness that I took in the significance of OTM's recent performance in...
28 October 2016
From: Features

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

The former managing director of Countrywide has responded to claims made by Russell Quirk that the UK's largest agency rejected the...
15 September 2016
From: Breaking News

Countrywide’s former senior management rejected an invitation to buy 10 per cent of eMoov for £100,000 five years ago, according to the...
08 September 2016
From: Breaking News

YOPA, the online agency which now has financial investment from Savills, says its instructions have risen five-fold since February. It also says...
30 August 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

The joke doing the rounds last week still seems to be just as relevant this week: “the only man with a...
08 July 2016
From: Features

I pride myself as a logical person, so much so that it amazes me how most people seem to struggle to...
17 June 2016
From: Features

It’s nearly June – June! – already. Seriously, where has this year gone? This means summer is nearly upon us, with a...
27 May 2016
From: Features

Who are you? I’m the champion of local owner managed estate agents, leading them in the fight to beat the competition What...
03 May 2016
From: 60 Second Interview

When, during his budget speech, George Osborne announced Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was going down to 20%, I experienced a mix...
25 March 2016
From: Features

I'm sure most of you have seen, or at least heard of the Mad Max series of post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasies. The latest...
18 January 2016
From: Features

Andy Clarke, who held a key product development role at OnTheMarket since before the challenger portal’s launch 11 months ago, has...
23 December 2015
From: Breaking News

OnTheMartket (OTM) recently wrote to its membership saying how well its doing, how membership has increased beyond expectations and how it...
27 November 2015
From: Features

Zoopla has extended its Special Agents programme with customised data and newsletters, social media activity and a high-value prize amongst incentives...
18 November 2015
From: Breaking News

Someone told me the other day that it’s now only seven Mondays till Christmas. Now there’s a scary thought. Best get...
06 November 2015
From: Features

Well, the hosts have left the party early. England have crashed out of their own Rugby World Cup after a demoralising...
09 October 2015
From: Features

So, has everyone been enjoying the fine summer weather we’ve been experiencing? Oh, wait…fear not, I will attempt to inject a...
07 August 2015
From: Features

A riposte to Paul Smith's article 'Why Estate Agents Must Stand Up to the Power of the Portals' I just read an...
17 July 2015
From: Features

As estate agents, business people and just plain people for that matter, we can't help looking at the way our society...
19 June 2015
From: Features

Hello and welcome to my brand new blog! Every month I’ll be giving you an insight into the varied, exciting and...
05 June 2015
From: Features

Yesterday we heard about the letter from the CMA warning agents about anti-competitive behaviour. Today, in a scoop for Estate Agent...
04 June 2015
From: Features

This publication recently reported on Russell Quirk's latest attempt to upset the establishment, this time by attacking the hallowed ground of...