Archive

Former Housing Secretary James Brokenshire has died at the age of 53. The Conservative ex-Cabinet minister, who was diagnosed with lung cancer...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has changed its name to reflect the government’s levelling up agenda. The department’s...

Boris Johnson's sudden and unexpectedly ruthless Cabinet reshuffle, which drew comparisons with Margaret Thatcher's 'purge of the wets' in 1981, ended...

In a day of unexpected drama, Boris Johnson carried out a surprisingly brutal and widespread Cabinet reshuffle which saw a number...

Robert Jenrick has been sacked from his post as Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary. He was the third major name to...

The government is reportedly planning to abandon its next stage of planning reforms. The proposals, previously under consultation, would have given councils...

I’m sorry to break this to you but in 10 days’ time it will be autumn - and we will have...

The number of Energy Performance Certificates issued for new build homes in England rose 16 per cent in the year to...

Agents have given their backing to the government’s First Homes initiative, offering discounted houses for local people and key workers and...

The Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017 exposed the dangers of inflammable cladding on residential tower blocks, and what has come...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has revealed that what it calls its “second HQ” will be in Wolverhampton,...

The government has set up a committee to push forward ideas on the collective form of homeownership known as commonhold. Housing Secretary...

A trade body says it’s been contacted by the government explaining how agencies can get Coronavirus asymptomatic testing for staff. The Guild of...

It’s now more than a year since the government offered an additional £4 million to councils to combat rogue landlords. At the...

The government has given details of two new taxes to provide funds to address the cladding problem on high rise tower blocks...

Agents and a wide range of property experts have demanded yet more government funds to end the cladding crisis that is...

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced “an exceptional intervention” promising that leaseholders in high-rise buildings above 18 metres will bear no...

An estate agent has shut both branches of his business for safety reasons and wants tighter Coronavirus restrictions on the industry.  ITV...

The Westminster government has published extensive guidance on the operation of the new Tier 4 Coronavirus restrictions in England. This includes a...

A scathing document produced by MPs slams the government for its “deplorable” housing policies which are "invented, abandoned and reinvented" -...

Propertymark is in touch with the government to see how the new Tier structure being introduced on December 3 will affect...

There’s one key takeaway for agents from the weekend’s announcements on the next England-wide lockdown - the housing market is staying...

Another attempt is being made to introduce property logbooks to the selling and buying process, and agents are invited to play a...

The Times has revealed new allegations concerning the behaviour of Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. The Cabinet member has been under the spotlight...

Since June 1, under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords in England have been...

New guidance on face coverings for agents working in branches, and for those dealing directly with visitors, was issued last evening. A statement...

Home owners in England will be entitled to add up to two storeys to the height of their home via a...

A London Labour council has won draconian powers to effectively ban For Sale and To Let boards in several parts of...

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 - which require increased electrical testing in rental properties...

More than 24 hours after the government's announcement about the compulsory wearing of facemasks by shoppers in England, and there is...

A PropTech supplier claims that an agency has secured the first ever transaction where the complete chain used Reservation Agreements.  Harrison Residential,...

Government guidelines regarding future Leicester-style local lockdowns suggest that branches can remain open and viewings can continue. However auction houses must shut. So...

It may be that by the time you read this it’s all over for Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for...

Housing minister Chris Pincher has now been named in media investigations into allegations concerning his political boss, Robert Jenrick, and the...

Guidance issued by the government explicitly advises agents, buyers and sellers that more activity should be done online if possible. “The process...

There has been much speculation about when agents will be allowed back to work, and what the new office working environment...

There’s been a furious response to the agent who appears to have breached government rules by opening his branch to the...

NAEA Propertymark has made a series of demands on the government in the light of the Coronavirus crisis.  In a formal written...

Agencies, many of which campaigned vigorously to be included in the business rates holiday announced in March by the government, have...

A trade body has reported some council search departments to the government for refusing to provide email details and forcing search...

It’s been reported that the government is talking with banks and building societies about putting the housing market ‘on ice’ during the...

The government has at last issued extensive advice on home moving and the activities of estate agents during the continuing Coronavirus crisis. This...

Propertymark has been told the agents should shut their offices immediately - they are not “essential businesses” under the new Coronavirus...

The head of a firm that has been creating digital property log books for well over a decade says the house-moving...

The government has launched a competition to attract what it calls “the best and brightest talents of the housing industry” to...

The Trading Standards report on the future of referral fees is almost completed and will be sent to government next week. However, James...

Trials of reservation agreements for buyers and sellers have been delayed until the late spring. Statements last year from the Ministry of Housing, Communities...

The government has - once again - announced the introduction of a New Homes Ombudsman.  The news came yesterday when Housing Secretary...

Earlier this month, Boris Johnson carried out a reshuffle of his cabinet, telling ministers they must 'repay the trust of those...

Esther McVey has been sacked as housing minister; she was the ninth housing minister in as many years. Her successor is the...

The HomeOwners Alliance, a leading property consumer group, has now suggested it has some concerns about the government’s First Homes scheme. This...

One of the leading consumer groups has backed the government’s controversial First Homes policy, which aims to give 30 per cent...

Now we’re well into the second month of the year, we have reached a crucial point in the ongoing plans to...

The government has announced its First Homes scheme - a policy under which it says some new homes will see their...

It is possible that agents and their business partners in the conveyancing, mortgage and survey industries could be obliged to have...

The group charged with pioneering Reservation Agreements in the house buying process admits both the industry and the public are split...

The Law Commission has set out three ways to cut the cost that leaseholders have to pay to buy the freehold...

It’s one of the most crucial aspects of the homebuying and selling process but is too often bogged down by frustrating...

The government has given details of a scheme allowing 30 per cent reductions for what it calls ‘local first time buyers’...

A law firm has spoken out about two possible problems in the government’s much-publicised idea of considering Reservation Agreements as a...

Yes, believe it or not, we’ve nearly reached the end of a whole decade. And what an eventful decade it’s been. We’ve...

In the firmest sign yet that PropTech has entered the mainstream, Housing Minister Esther McVey recently launched an expert advisory council...

Reservation Agreements are the subject of the moment in the agency industry. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is to...

A London council wants government backing for a borough-wide Section 7 direction - effectively banning all agents’ boards being erected without...

Housing Minister Esther McVey has launched an expert advisory council that the government says is “dedicated to the digital transformation of...

Buyers and sellers changing their minds lie behind almost a third of fall-throughs - the single biggest reason why transactions collapse,...

Reservation Agreements may require bigger financial penalties than the £500 to £1,000 currently envisaged if they are to work. That’s the view...

Another estate agency has come out in favour of reservation agreements. High-end agency Chestertons says transactions currently fall through too frequently and the...

There are many adjectives that can be applied to Boris Johnson, probably very few of them complimentary, but there’s one that...

A London agency has told Estate Agent Today that it makes some of its buyers pay upwards of £5,000 in Reservation...

It was in this very column, back in July, when I wrote about how the British government was starting to take...

One of the country’s most prominent estate agents has given renewed backing to a pilot project on reservation agreements, being tested...

First details have emerged of the information vendors may have to provide up-front In future transactions if government house buying reforms...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has given more details of the trial of reservation agreements likely to take...

Reservation agreements locking in buyers and sellers could be trailed with some agencies and conveyancers early in 2020, a government official...

The reform of the buying process is to take centre stage at a special conference called Bold Legal LIVE! taking place...

The Guild of Property Professionals has welcomed government steps to provide buyers and sellers with greater transparency in transactions - and...

A £3.6 billion Towns Fund to support towns across England to build prosperous futures through innovative regeneration is a perfect chance...

The government has issued a revised version of its official How To Buy and How To Sell documents, aimed at consumers...

There has been a sceptical response by agents and others in the property industry to the government’s latest headline-grabbing tweaks to...

The National Association of Estate Agents has told the government that it wants one single Ombudsman to provide redress across all...

A briefing note for MPs prepared from government statistics shows that housing starts and completions have increased from the lows observed...

There’s been only a vague government response to the recommendations for an estate and lettings agency regulator. Last month the Regulation of...

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

Esther McVey is to be the new housing minister - one of the most seasoned politicians to take the job in...

The new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the relatively unknown Robert Jenrick -  but his new housing...

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

Some of the most radical reforms ever proposed for estate and letting agents are expected to be signed off today by...

A new industry regulator is likely to be in place within two years according to the chair of the government’s Regulation...

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

The minister at the centre of reforms to the estate and lettings industry sector has apologised for what she calls “inappropriate...

The National Audit Office says many users of Help To Buy would have been able to purchase a home anyway, without...

Housing minister Kit Malthouse appears to have some difficulty being taken seriously as a candidate for Conservative party leader and Prime...

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

There’s been a mixed response to the government’s surprise announcement that it would make permanent the right of home owners to...

The National Association of Estate Agents has welcomed the commitment by the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate the mis-selling of...

Reforms to the house buying process in England and Wales to bring it more into line with Scotland could slash the...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has launched its long-awaited ‘How to sell a home’ and ‘How to...

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

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

With Easter now upon us (happy Easter, by the way, and hope you’re enjoying the long weekend, the Easter eggs and...

The leasehold scandal continues to generate plenty of column inches, with fresh stories emerging almost daily of people living in unsellable...

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...

No, this isn’t about Brexit. But as the saga of leaving the EU is likely to bring about the downfall of...

The leasehold scandal has received plenty of press coverage, with horror stories of people living in homes that are impossible to...

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

An industry provider of reservation agreements says its services can “entirely eliminate” fall throughs and reduce failed transactions “to almost zero.” PropTech...

The leasehold system has created many unsellable and unmortgageable homes and should change, MPs say. The all-party Housing, Communities and Local Government...

There’s more fuel added to the current debate about reform of the house purchasing process, as new data reveals one buyer...

Last week, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced a number of measures aimed at further tackling homelessness, including...

The proliferation of big data is paving the way to improving our economy on almost every front as entrepreneurial digital companies...

The head of residential property at a law firm is warning that referral fees can backfire on estate agents who may...

The Guild of Property Professionals is seeking views from member agents on the government’s reform agenda.  The Regulation of Property Agents working...

The dust may have settled on the government’s recent announcement regarding housing and property complaints, but opinion is still split on...

A London estate agent says his system of ‘moral agreements’ between sellers and buyers prevents chains collapsing and means his company has...

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

  The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Lettings Agents have thrown their weight behind the government’s latest...

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

Politicians and officials are studying a ‘model’ two page reservation agreement drawn up by a law firm as a possible way...

The civil servant leading work to reform the house buying has revealed key areas of government thinking - with a ban on...

The man who is leading the government’s efforts to reform the house buying process will be one of the speaker at...

The housing minister has made it clear that his government - and the property industry as a whole - must deliver...

The government says it will be releasing details of its ideas to revamp redress systems concerning agents and new homes “in...

Another year is nearly done – and what an eventful year it’s been. We’ve had more than our fair share of breaking...

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

The government says mobile home residents are to receive greater protection from dishonest site owners seeking to make a profit at...

The government has unveiled a new body which, it claims, will raise agency standards. There is a long-standing commitment from the government...

The National Association of Estate Agents has given broad support for radical proposals from the Law Commission to end leasehold abuse...

The Property Ombudsman has urged the government to bring the new homes build sector under consumer redress. New builds are not currently...

Speculation is growing that the Help to Buy scheme is set to be discontinued following a review by government ministers. Recent research...

In a surprise weekend announcement the government has almost doubled funding for the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team - the...

More than 420,000 people have now used the government’s Help to Buy schemes to get themselves on to the housing ladder...

The government has quietly scrapped a proposal to force councils to sell off their most valuable assets, which would have included...

The government has revised its guidance to agents over redress schemes - amending it to take account of the fact that...

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

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...

One of three schemes with government backing to offer redress for complaints about estate and letting agents has reignited the debate...

The new housing minister, Kit Malthouse, has made his first formal statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It...

The little-known Conservative MP Kit Malthouse has been named as the new housing minister. He takes over from the high-flying Dominic Raab,...

It’s been announced this morning that Dominic Raab - who became housing minister just a few months ago - is to...

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

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

James Brokenshire - yesterday appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - joins the rank of senior politicians...

The government has published data related to a claim by housing minister Dominic Raab, who prompted controversy last week by suggesting...

The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, is to hold a briefing on the government’s redress reform on Wednesday - five days before...

Ombudsman Services, which recently announced it was quitting its role as one of three approved redress schemes for estate and lettings...

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

A new national housing agency – Homes England – has been launched by the newly-rebadged Ministry of Housing Communities and Local...