The issue of agency qualifications has finally been mentioned in the Houses of Parliament, almost three years since the landmark Regulation...
Archive
20 May 2022
From: Breaking News

Agents are being urged not to fear exams when it comes to new industry qualifications for the sector. The industry is still awaiting...
10 May 2022
From: Breaking News

An industry veteran who helped train Purplebricks agents has partnered with easyProperty to foster its franchisee talent. The online hybrid agent is...
04 May 2022
From: Breaking News

Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly are due to be held on 5 May and agents are hoping that housing remains...
04 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

A former agency apprentice has worked her way up to a qualified accounts technician in under a decade. Carrie Howcroft joined Preston...
20 April 2022
From: Breaking News

The government has insisted it is still committed to introducing agency qualifications and minimum standards in the sector. It is almost three...
19 April 2022
From: Breaking News

For an unregulated industry, agents have an awful lot of regulations to deal with. For example, there’s the mandatory membership of a...
02 February 2022
From: Breaking News

In this weekend feature, inventory expert and chair of the AIIC, Daniel Evans, sets out what a really good inventory should...
29 January 2022
From: Features
22 January 2022
From: Features

Propertymark conducts spot checks on agents to ensure they are compliant - but perhaps gives too little publicity to its role. The...
15 December 2021
From: Breaking News

One part of the UK is to get a taste of the mandatory estate agent regulation that many want to see...
14 December 2021
From: Breaking News

We all know what did happen in 2021 - Covid and more Covid, the stamp duty holiday frenzy, a soaring rental...
11 December 2021
From: Features

The Propertymark Qualifications Awards annual ceremony taking place early next month have revealed their shortlist. There is a total of nine Awards...
16 November 2021
From: Breaking News

Agent wages have been in the news this week, with boastful claims from a number of self-employed businesses about the sums...
09 October 2021
From: Features

Drone technology has come on a long way in recent years, with different use cases across various industries. New developments in...
15 September 2021
From: Sponsored Content

The Guild of Property Professionals’ formal qualifications platform is set for launch this month. Agents will be able to access the platform...
15 September 2021
From: Breaking News

Since the announcement of the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA), an increasing amount of Principle, Partners and Directors (PPD) from the...
04 September 2021
From: Features

There are some parts of the world, including in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, where estate agent isn’t seen as...
28 August 2021
From: Features

Admin teams in most businesses are often the lynchpins that ensure compliance and deal with issues in order to keep the...
14 August 2021
From: Features

Propertymark Qualifications is reporting a surge in exams being taken and booked as restrictions ease allowing test centres to reopen. Since they...
05 May 2021
From: Breaking News

Hello and welcome to a sunny Friday and this week’s round-up of the industry’s good works. We’re keen to feature agents and...
23 April 2021
From: Breaking News

Our recent state of the property nation survey, which yielded nearly 350 responses from directors to junior negotiators, and many others...
14 April 2021
From: Breaking News

The Guild of Property Professionals says it’s had a strong response to the launch of its Ofqual-accredited Level Three Agency Qualification. It...
25 March 2021
From: Breaking News

The Guild of Property Professionals is to offer a formal agency qualification as it goes increasingly on the offensive in a...
19 March 2021
From: Breaking News

Propertymark has set out a four point strategy for the future of the organisation. The body - which encompasses the National Association...
09 March 2021
From: Breaking News

In this week’s In Conversation Today, I speak with Anthony Payne, Managing Director and co-founder of LonRes, a data and network...
04 March 2021
From: Breaking News

Propertymark’s qualifications division says it’s seen a 30 per cent rise in apprenticeship registrations since the start of this year. In a...
10 February 2021
From: Breaking News

Propertymark, the overarching body aiming to bring five different associations (ARLA, NAEA, NAVA, ICBA and APIP) into a single brand, was...
16 January 2021
From: Features

The Sunday Times has made new and detailed allegations regarding the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. For some weeks the newspaper has...
11 January 2021
From: Breaking News
02 January 2021
From: Features

Propertymark has told the government that it needs to introduce overarching regulation of agents now, because existing piecemeal provisions are unmanageable...
24 December 2020
From: Breaking News

A London estate agency chief executive says agents "have become good at pretending that they are qualified and regulated when the...
08 December 2020
From: Breaking News

The industry regulator who comes into force when the Regulation of Property Agents’ recommendations are adopted may take over versions of...
04 December 2020
From: Breaking News

The agency industry’s new leaders for the coming year have expressed strong support for reform recommendations promoted by the Regulation of...
24 November 2020
From: Breaking News

The advertising watchdog has told the agency industry to clean up its act on four issues, with clarity over fees being...
16 November 2020
From: Breaking News

“I’ve got 47 years of experience as an agent. Do I still have to get a qualification?” asked one attendee at...
31 October 2020
From: Features

The mandatory qualifications expected of agents have not been forgotten and will come into effect in two or three years. That’s the...
29 October 2020
From: Breaking News

A progress report on the Regulation of Property Agents recommendations will be made today by a key RoPA committee member, Mark...
28 October 2020
From: Breaking News

Lawyers, politicians, bankers, insurance sellers – no matter where you go, there are some professions that are just always going to...
17 October 2020
From: Features

Propertymark, which will from later this year combine both the National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Letting...
24 September 2020
From: Breaking News

From December, the new RICS Home Survey Standard will become mandatory for all RICS professionals undertaking home surveys. The below article explains...
02 September 2020
From: Features

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of PJT, the industry’s summary of new movers. Of course many agencies are reassessing their...
24 August 2020
From: Breaking News

Agents have long been the victim of a poor public reputation, from scoring highly in most disliked profession polls to being...
03 August 2020
From: Breaking News

Can technology bring about the lasting change needed to the property industry? The industry has felt the effect of lockdown and...
28 July 2020
From: Sponsored Content

If a week is a long time in politics (an old phrase, for younger readers), then a year is a very long...
25 July 2020
From: Features

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

They are the names we hear about often, pushing for this or seeking clarifications on that. They are the representatives of...
04 July 2020
From: Features

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

The recommendations to regulate and train the estate agency industry put forward a year ago remain on the Housing Secretary’s desk...
30 June 2020
From: Breaking News

It may be that by the time you read this it’s all over for Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for...
27 June 2020
From: Features

The Competition and Markets Authority - which yesterday announced it had disqualified two estate agency directors for their parts in a...
16 June 2020
From: Breaking News

The industry should continue to prepare for large-scale reforms such as mandatory agency training, the licensing of agents and a new...
21 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he was extending the furlough scheme until the end of October appears...
13 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The Competitions and Markets Authority has started court proceedings seeking the disqualification of two estate agency directors over a price fixing...
31 March 2020
From: Breaking News

The author of dramatic reform proposals for estate agents has given a clear message to ministers - Get On With It! Lord...
09 March 2020
From: Breaking News

As residential sales and lettings professionals we are conditioned to adapt to change, it’s the nature of the profession. However, developments...
15 February 2020
From: Features

The new housing minister is Christopher Pincher, who for the past decade has been Conservative MP for Tamworth having had a...
14 February 2020
From: Breaking News

Esther McVey has been sacked as housing minister; she was the ninth housing minister in as many years. Her successor is the...
13 February 2020
From: Breaking News

Unsourced stories in a number of newspapers over the weekend - all likely to have come from government off-the-record briefings -...
10 February 2020
From: Breaking News

The chair of the working group introducing mandatory examinations and qualifications for estate and letting agents says senior politicians will meet...
04 February 2020
From: Breaking News

Hello and welcome to the last day of January, Brexit Day and - perhaps most importantly - the latest edition of...
31 January 2020
From: Breaking News

Some older estate agents may end up retiring when mandatory examinations and qualifications are introduced as there will be no ‘free...
28 January 2020
From: Breaking News
15 January 2020
From: Breaking News

In just over two weeks, the UK population will head to the polls for the fourth general election since 2010. Of course,...
27 November 2019
From: Features

The head of the UK’s longest-established agency recruitment consultancy says experience and qualifications are not key when looking for new staff. Property...
13 November 2019
From: Breaking News

Being a market leader means staying on top of industry trends. The more aware you are of what's happening in the...
02 November 2019
From: Features

The boss of a 15+ branch estate agency group has explained how he thinks regulation could 'ruin' the estate agency industry. Simon...
10 October 2019
From: Breaking News

In recent years, governments and local councils have sought to change the private rented sector (PRS) to make it more appealing...
28 September 2019
From: Features

Earlier this year, the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA) working group announced the initial details of plans for mandatory qualifications and...
18 September 2019
From: Features

If you thought - perhaps hoped - that five weeks of prorogued Parliament meant a break from politics, think again: the...
14 September 2019
From: Features

New compulsory qualifications for estate agents will not only offer more transparency for customers but will help recruit better staff into...
20 August 2019
From: Breaking News

Hello and welcome to PJT, breaking you in to the working week every Monday with news of the movers and shakers...
05 August 2019
From: Breaking News

Countrywide has thrown its weight behind the proposals for a new single industry-wide regulator taking on the roles of Trading Standards...
05 August 2019
From: Breaking News

The Advertising Standards Authority has issued a guidance note warning online estate agents, after complaints about them have “grown dramatically”. “Property is big...
01 August 2019
From: Breaking News

A leading figure in the PropTech sector says clarity and speed are vital to ensure agencies can adequately prepare for a...
22 July 2019
From: Breaking News

The industry press has given substantial space to recommendations from the Regulation of Property Agents, the government’s working party which has...
20 July 2019
From: Features

Trade bodies and property firms have strongly welcomed the recommendations for root and branch reform of the agency industry - and...
19 July 2019
From: Breaking News

The government has published proposals for far-reaching changes to the way estate and letting agents are regulated, trained and licensed. The proposals...
18 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Trade organisations including the National Association of Estate Agents have welcomed today’s publication of the report of the Regulation of Property...
18 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Some of the most radical reforms ever proposed for estate and letting agents are expected to be signed off today by...
15 July 2019
From: Breaking News

A new industry regulator is likely to be in place within two years according to the chair of the government’s Regulation...
11 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Nomination for the Propertymark Qualifications Awards 2019 are now open - and they present a chance to celebrate colleagues or employers...
20 June 2019
From: Breaking News

High Street estate agents should re-define themselves in today’s competitive market by becoming Residential Property Experts offering a wide range of...
14 June 2019
From: Breaking News

Proceedings against an estate agent at the centre of a fees cartel case have been dropped following his agreement not to stand as...
30 April 2019
From: Breaking News

No, this isn’t about Brexit. But as the saga of leaving the EU is likely to bring about the downfall of...
13 April 2019
From: Features

Agents boasting qualifications could generate higher fees and more clients, especially if they are ‘ahead of the game’ and improve their...
10 April 2019
From: Breaking News

The founder of the Hunters franchise agency group, Kevin Hollinrake - now a Conservative MP - is the latest parliamentarian to...
22 March 2019
From: Breaking News
13 March 2019
From: Features

A couple of weeks ago, SoftBank’s Vision Fund led a whopping $200 million investment injection into Clutter, the US-based on-demand storage...
06 March 2019
From: Breaking News

The Competition and Markets Authority has this afternoon taken the latest step in the lengthy case of an estate agency cartel. This revolves...
27 February 2019
From: Breaking News

The Guild of Property Professionals is seeking views from member agents on the government’s reform agenda. The Regulation of Property Agents working...
13 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

When it comes to letting a property, it is important that landlords and renters have faith in their agent. The more...
26 January 2019
From: Features

Alongside hundreds of agents and suppliers, I recently attended the Guild of Property Professionals’ annual conference. As ever, it was a great...
26 January 2019
From: Features

The title may be unfamiliar but most agents know by now that in the corridors of Whitehall a working party exists...
24 November 2018
From: Features

A new junior estate agent apprenticeship standard has been launched with skills being offered for residential, commercial and auction sectors. Created by...
23 October 2018
From: Breaking News

The government has unveiled a new body which, it claims, will raise agency standards. There is a long-standing commitment from the government...
12 October 2018
From: Breaking News

Some conveyancers must publish some price and service information on their websites and in other media from December 6, according to...
28 September 2018
From: Breaking News

Hello and welcome to this week’s Property Jobs Today, the latest weekly catch-up with moves within and across our industry. A quick...
24 September 2018
From: Breaking News

It’s holiday time: schools have broken up, quite a few estate agents are taking time off, and the MPs are in...
28 July 2018
From: Features

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

As the process of making buying and selling more transparent continues to gather pace, the body that regulates conveyancers says it...
05 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

The estate agency sector “is experiencing the worst staff shortages in a generation at a point when the property market is...
24 April 2018
From: Breaking News

Estate agent licensing will reduce competition, make buying and selling homes more expensive, and add another layer of red tape to...
18 April 2018
From: Breaking News

As the estate agency business in England moves towards being more robust with professional qualifications and higher standards being introduced, there...
17 April 2018
From: Sponsored Content

A central London buying agent says she was once offered a bribe by an estate agent to try to persuade a...
17 April 2018
From: Breaking News

‘Respect’ is the new mantra for politicians: whether it’s about street gang leaders, social media trolls or those on either side...
14 April 2018
From: Features

Purplebricks has issued a provocative response to the government’s new measures to promote a more professional and transparent house buying process. The...
11 April 2018
From: Breaking News

The number of house sales falling through pre-completion during the first quarter of 2018 reached its highest level for this time...
10 April 2018
From: Breaking News

Coming into force on May 25, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 -...
10 April 2018
From: Breaking News

Agents and representatives from other property sectors have reacted enthusiastically to proposals to professionalise the industry. As we reported yesterday, the government...
09 April 2018
From: Breaking News

The government has announced further measures which will, in its words, “professionalise” house buying and the estate agency business. In yet another Sunday...
08 April 2018
From: Breaking News

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

Welcome once again to Property Jobs Today, the notice-board for agents, suppliers and other property professionals moving within, out or in...
12 March 2018
From: Breaking News

The consumer affairs correspondent of The Times has savaged High Street estate agents because of the commission they charge when compared...
06 November 2017
From: Breaking News

A campaigning estate agency has taken the distinctly unusual route of exposing what it calls the ‘Top Ten Dirty Tricks’ which...
25 September 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

The founder of the trade group seeking to represent independent agencies says he hopes the National Association of Estate Agents considers...
25 May 2017
From: Breaking News

An estate agent will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to 76 fraud offences. The Get Surrey website reports that Ayodele...
16 March 2017
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

Hunters has developed a formally recognised estate agency qualification for its own network of branches. The qualification - which Hunters claims is...
31 October 2016
From: Breaking News

For young people the length and breadth of the UK, Thursday of this week meant that the waiting was over and...
19 August 2016
From: Features

Barely a week goes by without news of the latest disastrous AirBnB experience suffered by an unsuspecting landlord. Whether it’s damage...
22 July 2016
From: Features

The never-knowingly-underquoted online agency eMoov has renewed its attack on traditional estate agents’ fees, claiming they are as much as £922...
26 February 2016
From: Breaking News

Online estate agency eMoov has changed the wording on its website after a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority. The words under...
10 February 2016
From: Breaking News

The NFoPP Awarding Body will hold its annual awards ceremony this May to recognise outstanding achievements in property qualifications completed during...
02 February 2016
From: Breaking News

Over the past six months I’ve noticed a number of key themes emerge from the conversations I’ve had with agents –...
08 January 2016
From: Features

A major independent agency is launching a training academy for current and future employees. The Dacres Academy, will provide all eligible employees...
25 September 2015
From: Breaking News

IT’S often said that the secret of a happy and thriving business is one in which every single employee is the...
18 August 2015
From: Sponsored Content

Countrywide, the UK’s largest agency group, is teaming up with the National Association of Estate Agents in what both sides call...
23 June 2015
From: Breaking News

I recently visited Life Residential at their bright and modern West London headquarters. I carried out a quick interview with Joint Managing...