Archive

In this week’s In Conversation Today, I speak with Anthony Payne, Managing Director and co-founder of LonRes, a data and network...

Being a letting agent today means keeping up to date with the long list of rules and regulations governing how a...

Estate agencies have been named by HM Revenue & Customs for breaching anti-money laundering regulations. The list of those breaching the rules...

A customer due diligence training webinar is being held for Rightmove members next week. This is the third anti-money laundering training webinar...

Start-up letting agents looking to enter the market are finding it increasingly difficult to set up in business as banks point...

Around half of all estate agencies selling homes for £5m or more have not even registered for anti-money laundering processes, and/or...

The coronavirus pandemic has somewhat eclipsed Brexit this year – which is no mean feat. Cast your mind back to pre-Covid...

Over a fifth of key businesses say they do not trust any element at all of automated anti-money laundering checks and...

A leading board member of NAEA Propertymark warns a small number of rogue agents continue to flout anti-money laundering regulations - and...

The property market, and therefore, estate agents have been accused of being the 'weak link' in the UK’s money laundering defences. This...

In recent years, the extent and role of the private rented sector (PRS) in the housing market has seen significant changes. The...

The government has issued new guidance to estate and lettings agencies on their obligations regarding money laundering issues - and online...

A security company says it is “disappointing” the estate agency industry is only around 55 per cent through preparations to cope...

A new online platform claims to be the first of its kind to speed up the private treaty sales process for...

The cross-sector group looking at reforming the sales process has agreed a new pledge which it says introduces greater transparency for...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been criticised for its lack of enforcement of anti-money laundering (AML) legislation so far in...

The letting industry has come a long way over the past few years, embracing regulation and taking pride in doing good...

Letting agents are struggling to open new bank accounts and even large established letting agents with a long history of trading...

The last few months have been tough for the property sector, and the pressure will continue as estate agents across the...

If anyone thought the days of Purplebricks bosses making millions were in the past,  think again. The chief executive and chief finance...

Agents have long been the victim of a poor public reputation, from scoring highly in most disliked profession polls to being...

NAEA Propertymark is calling on agents to show “greater diligence” when dealing with Russian buyers, in the light of the report...

A PropTech platform that aims to lock-in sellers and buyers via a mutually agreed reservation agreement system is being offered free...

The hunt is on for a new boss of Countrywide according to news reports. Sky News says the company has recruited professional...

Another new PropTech platform claims it can streamline the completion process - this time by coordinating the work of estate agents...

They are the names we hear about often, pushing for this or seeking clarifications on that. They are the representatives of...

Businesses across all sectors have struggled to adapt to the changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. One group that have bucked...

Buyer registrations and sales enquiries are reportedly back to pre-Covid levels. Completions, however, are lagging behind. This is probably down to...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has revised its Anti-Money Laundering guidance in the light of Coronavirus. It says the scale of...

A PropTech firm has launched a new facial recognition feature to its existing digital anti-money-laundering platform. Due to the restrictions on travel...

A six-point guide is to be issued today to agents reopening offices when the government gives the go ahead, possibly in...

Aside from the obvious health crisis, the current pandemic is proving difficult for the business worldwide. However, despite the increasing contact...

A PropTech firm is reporting a surge in demand for its remote ID verification software products during the virus lockdown. The software,...

The lightbulb moment for LonRes was born out of sheer frustration. I’d just missed out on a deal and the postman...

Monthly webinars via Facebook are being set up to discuss compliance issues with member agents of the Guild of Property Professionals. “Because...

Future complaints about property raffles by individual home owners seeking to avoid estate agency fees will in future be handled by...

A woman claims she had no idea that her husband stole almost £1.5m from two high-profile employers - one of them...

Property auctions – online or otherwise – can be hugely helpful to sellers, buyers and estate agents. Online auctions, in particular, are...

“It appears conveyancers either aren’t too concerned with PropTech right now, or they don’t yet have all the information needed to...

Suddenly Brexit Day is nearly here. It may have taken three and a half years from the Referendum but the UK will,...

In the field of conveyancing, there’s a new dynamic at play. And that dynamic is customer-driven and customer-focused, using digital technology...

As I look towards this year, I am sure that my thoughts are the same as many within the industry. I am...

Estate agents and others in the property industry have much more to do to deter money laundering. That’s the view of a security...

Yesterday (January 10 2020), the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) became law. It forms part of ongoing international efforts to tackle...

A digital platform claims its taken “a massive step” towards speeding up property sales with what it says is the first...

Alex Chesterman, the entrepreneur who founded Zoopla, has given vocal backing to a new conveyancing app called Thirdfort. The app allows conveyancers’...

The government introduced the Fifth EU Money Laundering Directive into UK law just before Christmas - and it has a significant implication for...

A statement made by Purplebricks in its trading statement yesterday appears to fly in the face of statements it has made...

The Fifth Money Laundering Directive becomes law in the UK on January 10 2020, strengthening the responsibilities placed on private companies...

There’s been a new warning to estate agents to check they are fully compliant with GDPR regulations following a European case...

Countrywide’s ever-patient investors appear to have been unfazed by the company’s latest compliance issue, which has led to a £100,000 fine...

London-focussed business-to-business deal data service LonRes has acquired an anti-money laundering compliance consultancy specialising in residential and commercial property. Financial Crime Services,...

Purplebricks - which is at the centre of a string of controversies - has joined the growing campaign for stamp duty...

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

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

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

As the founder of Jupix, I worked in the property industry between 2008 - 2014. I had the privilege to lead...

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

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

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

A member of a legal information and networking organisation says an online estate agency expects him to do some work in...

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

An IT firm says small and medium-sized estate agencies without the infrastructure of large corporates are putting themselves and their customers...

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

The UK property market can be seen by criminals as an effective vehicle to conceal the proceeds of economic crime. Criminally...

A survey undertaken by the respected Economist Intelligence Unit and a risk solutions company suggests that estate agency may be one...

A London sales and lettings agent has revealed to Estate Agent Today some of the tactics used by his rivals in...

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

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

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

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

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

Estate agent anti-money laundering (AML) compliance is under scrutiny again following the publication of figures detailing the fines levied for AML...

The Money Laundering Regulations require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation to...

The influential Treasury Select Committee says estate agents should be more closely monitored to ensure they abide by anti-money laundering regulations. In...

The huge £215,000 fine levied on Countrywide for failing to abide by anti-money laundering procedures is a demonstration that estate agents...

HM Revenue & Customs has issued more details of its bid to encourage estate agents to combat money laundering in the...

It’s been revealed that Countrywide has been hit with a £215,000 fine as part of a swoop by HMRC cracking down...

The Money Laundering Regulations require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation to...

The government’s anti-money laundering campaign Flag It Up has published an A to Z which it claims will help agents understand...

The Money Laundering Regulations require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation to...

The government policies and enforcement plans for anti-money laundering measures are set to take centre stage at next month’s annual conference...

The government has moved to crack down on money laundering in the UK with a new campaign focusing on the accountancy,...

The National Association of Estate Agents has met with other members of a high-level government board to look at ways of...

The government has told the estate agency industry that it has a “moral” obligation to report suspicions about potential money laundering. Figures...

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

A London estate agent who works closely with High Net Worth overseas buyers has hit out a proposed law which he...

A government minister has made a pointed jibe at estate agents who appear not to regard cash purchases of high-value properties...

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

Technology is transforming the way we comply with Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulation. It is providing a consistent approach, reliable outcomes...

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

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

A PropTech company boss says evidence given to MPs confirms the need to improve anti-money laundering processes through greater automation and...

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation...

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation...

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require estate agents to risk assess their business relationships and apply an appropriate level of investigation...

A new anti-money laundering app has been launched which allows agents to conduct checks remotely.  The app allows access from devices -...

An outspoken estate agent has given the government a clear message - get off our backs , ease the red tape...

Many agents are missing out on significant time saving opportunities when it comes to their floor plans say Landmark, parent of the Metropix...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Ben Robinson, Director of Agency Services at Landmark What is Landmark...

The Guild of Property Professionals has launched a series of regional roadshows with a target of enhancing the success of independent...

A central London buying agent says she was once offered a bribe by an estate agent to try to persuade a...

Coming into force on May 25, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 -...

The announcement that MPs will set up a Select Committee to probe the scale of money laundering in the UK property...

A 15-month research project says HMRC should do more to engage estate agents in recognising the importance of complying with anti-money...

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

The Guild is offering member agents a service which will allow them to verify the legitimacy of their clients to conform...

A survey suggests that the average fine incurred by estate agents for apparent non-compliance with anti-money laundering regulations is £11,842. Research by...

The Treasury Select Committee of MPs has announced an inquiry into ‘economic crime’ - including the possibility that overseas-owned UK homes could be...

Industry suppliers Landmark Information and The ValPal Network have entered what they call “a strategic relationship” to provide the firms’ respective...

A compliance specialist company is warning that as it believes relatively few estate agents fully understand their anti-money laundering obligations, firms...

The National Association of Estate Agents says a new tool just launched will make it easier for agent members to comply...

Coming into force on May 25, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 -...

The UK property sector has been a hotbed for financial crime in recent years, with many criminals seeing it as an...

Almost a third of all ‘Suspicious Activity Reports’ concerning possible anti-money laundering infringements and reported to the National Crime Agency have...

Estate agents have been hit with six- and seven-figure fines under new anti-money laundering and anti-tax evasion regulations according to the...

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

A major industry supplier has reminded estate and letting agents that they have to check their responsibilities and systems ahead of...

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

The owner of a penthouse flat in London says he is willing to accept the cryptocurrency Bitcoin - providing the buyer...

The spread and sophistication of financial crime in the UK in recent years has been unprecedented.  Figures from UK Finance show that...

One one in every 300 property purchases by overseas buyers trigger a so-called ‘red flag’ with the National Crime Agency -...

easyProperty has unveiled details of its relaunch, declaring itself to be the UK’s second largest hybrid estate agency - second only...

The Guild of Professional Estate Agents and Fine & Country are offering agent members the option to have in-person reviews and...

The National Association of Estate Agents is rolling out a series of masterclasses to prepare members for the European Fourth Anti-Money...

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

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

The new anti-money laundering regulations introduced this week will delay the routine buying and selling of homes, a lawyer warns -...

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

The National Association of Estate Agents has thrown its weight behind a government move to create a register of overseas companies...

A group campaigning for the reform of money laundering and other accountability laws claims that billions of pounds worth of investment...

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

The Independent Network of Estate Agents is running a survey to collate agents' responses ahead of the closure of the official...

The government has published details of the Criminal Finances Bill with prime central London property used for purposes of money laundering...

Auction house Clive Emson has launched a digital service through which vendors can sell land and property via an online auction. Clive...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is to expel an estate agent for breaking several of its membership rules.  Dion Beard,...

With an anticipated “Call for Evidence” from the Dept of Business Innovation & Skills looking into the home-buying experience ETSOS is...

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

After all the recent Whitehall upheaval we can perhaps get back to business; and first item on the agenda seems to...

The plummetting pound following the UK’s shock vote to leave the European Union risks creating more money-laundering operations through this country’s...

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

This debate has been running for some time, but it tends to be the online providers of electronic checks that put...

A man has been prosecuted for fraudulently attempting to purchase a Right To Buy council property from one of the local...

A fair amount of scaremongering has been going on when it comes to money laundering checks, with the eye-watering fines issued...

London transaction data company LonRes and law firm Eversheads are launching an agent-to-agent anti money laundering compliance service for LonRes subscribers.  The...

The National Association of Estate Agents says it welcomes the government’s commitment to establish a public register of beneficial ownership information...

Conducting Customer Due Diligence on clients and beneficial owners is a requirement for all estate agents.   The articles in this series...

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

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

It’s all too easy to look sleazy in the eyes of a sceptical world, and there’s a danger right now that...

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

Just a third of conveyancers are carrying out the most thorough electronic anti-money laundering checks for all transactions, it is being...

There is widespread misunderstanding within agency concerning money laundering obligations.  The first thing to note is that contrary to popular belief the...

The firm which this week announced it had won a landmark money laundering appeal case says it's not all doom and...

Money laundering compliance is the hot topic at the moment, with various organisations making statements about the need to change and...

Purplebricks chief executive Michael Bruce is to speak alongside eMoov founder Russell Quirk in a debate to be held at the...

HMRC is staging its next anti-money laundering webinar for estate agents next Wednesday. Entitled ‘Customer Due Diligence for Estate Agency Businesses’ it...

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

“Estate Agents have been highlighted by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as under reporting relative to their vulnerability to money...

A report from anti-corruption campaign group Transparency International says British estate agents reported only 179 suspicions of money laundering in a...

Money laundering and the controversies raised by the From Russia With Cash documentary will be amongst the subjects under discussion at...

News from the Halifax this week that the combined values of the residential properties in London amounts to £1.13 trillion, virtually...

The National Association of Estate Agents is awaiting a response from the government to its demand for four changes to sale...

The National Association of Estate Agents has teamed up with a campaigning anti-corruption body to call for four major changes to...

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

An estate agent is going on trial concerning allegations that he defrauded people of over a quarter of a million pounds. Russell...

A legal expert suggests central London’s house prices may have been skewed because of money-laundering - “and we all know it.” Jonathan...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says it wants to see 'minimum competency' requirements for sales and letting agents to handle...

It was interesting to see the report on Estate Agent Today about the meeting between London estate agents, NAEA, and HMRC. No,...

With the industry still awaiting the outcome of two investigations into allegations surrounding London property money-laundering, one estate agency is now...

Over 64,000 property purchases over the last year involved the buyer relying on a gift of cash for all or part...

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

I received a call from a prominent agent known to many in the industry this week, asking an unexpected question: he wanted...

Labour’s housing spokesperson on the London Assembly wants estate agents and mayor Boris Johnson to take money laundering in property more...

The head of research at lettings portal Lettingweb.com says the National Crime Agency’s claims about hundreds of billions of pounds of...

Estate agents have been warned by the National Crime Agency that they must not hesitate to inform the authorities if they...

Competition is hot among home buyers in my part of southern England to take ownership of properties that come onto the...

A pressure group is calling for estate agents to conduct additional checks to ensure the legal provenance of buyers’ funds, and...

One of five estate agents identified in a TV documentary has denied any wrong-doing and has specifically denied any involvement in...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is the latest body to warns its estate agent members that they have a legal...

The chief executive of online agency easyProperty says the money laundering scandal exposed in Channel 4’s ‘From Russia With Cash’ would...

The National Association of Estate Agents says the agents named in Channel 4‘s From Russia With Cash documentary may have tarnished...

Channel 4 admits to using what it calls “unusual” secret filming techniques and an undercover reporter posing as a Russian politician to...

The National Association of Estate Agents says HMRC have been making unscheduled visits to individual agency offices to check on their...

The new Lawline operated for the National Association of Estate Agents appears so far to be concentrating on calls about employment...