Archive

It has been six years since the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU). Political and economic debate continues to rumble...

In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that the infamous dead cat would come into the debate over government housing targets and...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that he is considering extending Margaret Thatcher’s Right-to-Buy scheme, that gives council tenants the chance to...

A lack of support to help people onto the property ladder has been highlighted as one factor for the Tory party’s...

It’s easy to overestimate the importance of something in one’s own industry or work, but there seems good reason for believing...

Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is believed to have become the first MP to take in Ukrainian refugees under the government’s...

This week, you will have all seen the sad news that Graham Norwood is stepping down as editor of Estate Agent...

The hot topic of rent controls has remerged in recent weeks, with passionate voices on both sides of the argument speaking...

It’s been a busy and arguably fruitful year for the property market, with an eager consumer base pushing forwards with their...

By the time I next write this column, we’ll be just days before the next Budget and Autumn Statement. So I’ll...

Affordability has always been a hot topic when it comes to the property market, and this is doubly true for first-time...

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

It’s been a dramatic week in the world of politics – and this has led to another new Housing Secretary, in...

One of the most senior politicians involved in the property industry is embroiled in a row over her anti-Marcus Rashford social...

The biggest news story in town this last week – which has brought people who don’t usually like or watch football...

Pre-pandemic, virtual and video viewings were a nice little add-on for some agents, but they were far from universally used and...

High end agents usually keep their powder dry when it comes to party politics, to avoid upsetting customers. However Knight Frank has...

If a week is a long time in politics (an old phrase, for younger readers), then a year is a very long...

A branch of London agency Foxtons has been targeted by a group of political agitators called Beyond Politics, which says it’s...

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

Conferences, events and awards dinners are a hugely important part of the property calendar, bringing the great and the good of...

The chief executive of a hybrid agency in London has revealed why he deserted big corporates to create his own company. Rollo...

Back in the day, party politics and the private rental sector used to be straightforward. Conservatives were pro-landlord, Labour were pro-tenant, while...

The government will not announce a Mansion Tax at next month’s Budget. It was first reported by the Sunday Telegraph a week ago,...

As residential sales and lettings professionals we are conditioned to adapt to change, it’s the nature of the profession. However, developments...

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

Boris Johnson is considering introducing a mansion tax for high value homes according to a Sunday newspaper. The Telegraph - citing two...

For a very long time, it was one of the best ways – if not the best way – of generating...

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

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...

There used to be a consolation for some estate agents at this time of year - while it was wintry and...

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

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

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffiths is pledging to improve the quality of housing for serving military personnel if Labour gets into...

If you thought - perhaps hoped - that five weeks of prorogued Parliament meant a break from politics, think again: the...

Welcome to this week’s ADC…and what a week it’s been. Politics? No, hot air of a different kind - the weather.  Yet...

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

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

Average UK house prices rose 0.5 per cent in May according to the latest Halifax house price index as the long...

Four years ago, as we approached the general election, Andrews Property Group held a roundtable debateon the impact the election might have...

In the first Q&A Natter for a while, I catch up with Angelica Donati - CEO of Donati Immobiliare Group, PropTech...

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

Campaigning groups like Generation Rent and Shelter like to think they are simultaneously edgy and radical; likewise some think tanks believe...

Labour’s housing spokesman, John Healey, has spoken out against the split in the party which has so far seen eight MPs...

Phil Spencer is on the warpath against “constant tinkering” by government in housing matters - and instead, he wants the problems...

House price rises are now the slowest they have been for six years according to the Halifax. Across the UK, property values...

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

Perhaps it’s been our pre-occupation with Brexit, or on the other hand maybe we’re bored with politics, but this year’s Budget...

I’ve spoken many times before of my desire to see government take property more seriously. For more than just lip service...

The chief executive of Emoov, Russell Quirk, has suggested that the unexpectedly low take up of online agents may mean that...

A new internet and DAB radio station specialising on the subject of property will launch from purpose built studios next month. Property...

Bank of England governor Mark Carney says a no-deal Brexit exit could lead to a 35 per cent house price crash. The...

Another day, another housing minister – at least that’s what it feels like! The resignation of the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson...

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

Ever wondered what it’s like to be on the frontline of property journalism? Well, wonder no more, as our very own...

One day, I’ll sit down to write for Estate Agent Today and I won’t express my dismay at the lack of...

At the start of February, Nationwide suggested that the housing market was picking up. Last week, RICS reported on its continued...

It’s probably unwise to write too much about politics these days. The most fanciful predictions turn out to be less wild...

Here we are again: another much anticipated Budget has been and gone and, yet, still nothing much has changed! Yes, of course,...

As we hurtle towards the end of 2017, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s just been.   Even better, this property-based...

British politics is extraordinarily volatile right now and the ongoing battle between austerity and anti-austerity, Leave and Remain, and Conservative and...

Like many of Labour’s recent policy proposals, its call for rent controls leaves more questions than answers.  There has been widespread criticism...

And so concludes another party conference season.  We’ve followed the great and the good (both terms are debatable) around Torbay, Bournemouth,...

How has the world of estate agency changed in the last few decades? That’s the question this week’s Natter is going...

I’ve written before about the impact of headlines on the property industry. Interest rate speculation.   Market booms and busts. Demand...

In this week’s Natter I’m going to get all political. Don’t worry, I won’t be giving my opinions on Brexit, Trump...

It’s not just the evenings drawing in that marks the approach of autumn - it’s also the return to work of...

Being a leading world-class city comes at a price – they are the most expensive for occupiers and the most lucrative...

A survey of just over 2,000 candidates and 1,000 employers across London’s residential property market suggests over half of them believe...

“Housing policy should be in independent hands.” That was the conclusion of a panel debate that Andrews held, not recently, but two...

The housing industry has responded with shock, joy, and jitters, after Theresa May’s snap general election went catastrophically wrong, leaving her...

Pole-axed by politics? Bored of ballots? Well, this is where you can escape from pledges, promises and politicians and instead read...

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

Grant Shapps, housing minister between 2010 and 2012, has said the measures in the current government’s White Paper are not bold...

Following the election of Donald Trump, there has been a rise in the number of United States investors searching for property...

There is no doubt that 2016 managed to catch the world by surprise on more than one occassion.  But will 2017 be...

Just a couple of weeks ago, we waited with anticipation to see what the new Chancellor, Philip Hammond, would say in...

What a mad, bonkers year it’s been. We’ve had, in no particular order: Trump, Brexit, Leicester winning the Premier League, a...

Forecasts are a tricky business. And as I wrote in a recent Industry Views opinion piece, any prediction in the current...

We are now only days away from one of the most-anticipated events in UK politics; one which has a considerable impact...

There is really only one topic of debate and forensic analysis at the moment and that’s the ascendency of Donald Trump...

With the number of new homes being built across the UK still significantly below the level needed to meet demand, housebuilders...

I write this during the week that David Cameron resigned as an MP – it is quite startling how quickly politics...

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

Never in my lifetime have I seen so much enthusiasm and passion for politics. Brexit awoke the sleeping dog in almost...

A few of our Industry Views pieces this week focus on the upcoming EU referendum. I don’t think I can add...

I pride myself as a logical person, so much so that it amazes me how most people seem to struggle to...

The new mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to do all in his power to help make London “better” after...

And so it begins. Four months and counting before we vote to leave or remain. For a country apparently so divided about...

I’m sure I’m not the only estate agent confused by the Government’s approach to residential property ownership. Many of the current ministerial...

The party's over. It's probably the best double entendre in the world of politics right now. For centre or right-leaning Labour...

This week the Chancellor, George Osborne, delivered the first Conservative Budget for almost 20 years. While Mr Osborne claimed that it marked...

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

The chief executive of Andrews estate agency chain says housing policy should be decided not directly by politicians but by an...