Archive

Tenant enquiries and property viewings unsurprisingly slowed this spring, due to the necessary government restrictions brought in to manage the pandemic....

Shorter days and darker nights deflate the spirits, especially in today’s challenging circumstances, but there’s some bright news - a large...

When letting agents are preparing to migrate from one piece of client accounting software to another, it can sometimes seem like...

Ed Mead has joined a growing chorus demanding government action on the cladding crisis. He is one of the industry’s leading figures from...

If you’re in any way connected to estate agency all it takes is a quick glance at Facebook or LinkedIn to...

A leading agent says the government’s new Coronavirus clampdown from Monday will push more home owners to sell. Caspar Harvard-Wills, a partner at...

For a mixture of reasons, I now only write this column every two weeks. At first, I missed the weekly consideration...

With estate agents increasingly offering auction options to vendors, new research makes interesting reading - and suggests that homes sold via...

One of the UK’s market centres set up by US-led agency Keller Williams has strongly defended its policy of recruiting newcomers...

In my last Natter, I explored the differences between estate agency in the UK and the US with the help of...

One of the main points I’ve had reinforced to me from agent after agent over the last year of hosting a...

The Say No To Rightmove campaign says the portal has merely kicked the fees can down the road, deferring a long-term...

The phrase ‘game-changer’ has been hugely overused. But when applied to how Covid-19 is changing the way estate agents will work...

Tuesday mornings at 6am is usually my time to review all the latest PropTech news. This fires off ideas for my...

The latest sentiment snapshot produced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors confirms the trend that the market is still improving...

The Covid-19 crisis hasn’t caused the revolution it has been reported to have. Despite the challenges it has brought, fundamentally, the...

The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into fake and misleading online reviews. The announcement from the watchdog does not...

The industry should continue to prepare for large-scale reforms such as mandatory agency training, the licensing of agents and a new...

A large majority of property professionals polled by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors say a stamp duty holiday would be...

Tomorrow, Bank Holiday Friday, we’re revealing what agents have been doing to maintain morale in their teams during lockdown. You’ve been generous...

We all know the world has gone digital—nothing new there. Every time you jump online, you’re one of 4.5 billion internet...

A regional agency has thrown its weight behind an independent report which says estate and lettings agents could lead the economy...

Hello, this is the final Conquering Corona for the week as we continue to help agents with advice and guidance through...

Just a month ago our homes felt, for many of us, to be a mere pitstop on a centrifuge of work,...

The government has been called upon by one of the industry’s most respected bodies to announce a stamp duty holiday to...

On April 4, EAT published a piece titled: ‘It’s 2024: what will the industry look like, post corona-virus’. To me, this...

Over the last two weeks we’ve seen the country come to a standstill and the property market effectively put on ice...

Where else to start? Since my last Natter two weeks ago, all our lives have changed more than we could ever...

We all know how stressful buying a home is, whether it’s your very first step onto the ladder or your final...

The 2010s were a good decade for disrupters. Early on, Airbnb and Uber shook up the holiday lettings/hospitality and traditional black...

For several years the regular monthly RICS market snapshot has made depressing reading - now, for there second month in a...

Not for the first time, a government policy on housing ends up begging more questions than it provides answers - but...

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

Last November, as part of the Conservatives’ general election campaign, Boris Johnson made a surprise announcement that his party would introduce...

He’s a young and very wealthy up-and-coming MP in his 30s, a Cambridge graduate who also studied in the US and...

A new branch of Keller Williams UK - operating from a so-called market centre office rather than a traditional shopfront branch...

Chancellors Estate Agents is next month opening its newest branch in Swindon - the first time the company has operated in...

Our mental health affects how we think, feel and act. It affects how we handle anxiety, relate to others and impacts...

“There won’t be a single home but millions of different homes”, is one quote.  “There will be an end to gadgets”, is...

Yes, you can promise yourself that you won't eat all the mince pies, or yet another roast potato, nor drink as...

As we know, the world’s moving very fast and how we communicate now is drastically different to even 10 years ago....

Last winter, Agents Giving had a fantastic response to our Winter Coat Drive, which saw the collection of more than 1,500...

The big question for the industry at the moment is the cost and future of portals.  This is especially key for agents...

Troubled London estate agency Foxtons says it has rewritten its remuneration policy for its senior management following a shareholder revolt at...

An estate agency has been fined £30,000 for waiting until minutes after the sale of a flat was completed to tell...

It’s that time again, with the clocks going back an hour to mark the start of slightly brighter mornings and significantly...

A controversial estate agent and former head of an online agency is urging agents to knock on the doors of vendors...

Upad, the national online letting agent set up by entrepreneur James Davis has announced that it is “closed to new business”...

There’s a clear change of mood music in the country now regarding environmental issues. You don’t need to be old to remember...

The Conservative Party conference agenda, now published, gives the housing issue several bites of the cherry in Manchester next week. Housing minister...

In a previous Natter, I promised to talk more about CRMs – and here I stick to that promise. Following on from...

I remember the day well; the day we all fell foul of addiction, the day our website was launched. Until then, at...

Three former online estate agency founders - including the controversial Russell Quirk - are going into mainstream full fee agency. They are...

The Housing Secretary says he wants to make home ownership more affordable for first time buyers - which could mean discounts...

This week, you find me in Italy. Now that we’ve entered that languid month of August, where all of real estate...

The owners of four branches of a franchise agency in Berkshire have launched a new office in the county, just over...

In a trading statement this morning, Countrywide says it has “a new covenant package with lenders provides the financial flexibility to...

London and South East England are to see house price falls this year and only “very modest” growth in 2020 -...

A bid to ban the building of new homes for out-of-town buyers has backfired on a Cornish community - and now...

Property pundit Henry Pryor says he is invited on TV and radio in order to provide “balance” against estate agents who...

A more stable trend is now emerging in the UK housing market, according to the latest results for the RICS UK...

My experience in marketing over the last 10 years has been an interesting journey, however I don’t want to bore you...

The estate agency industry is at a crossroads. A turbulent market, unstable political situation and a chronic lack of public confidence has...

We’ve reached the final instalment of my market transformation do’s and don’ts.  In previous articles, we’ve looked at: Do encourage, don’t deter;...

A new and comprehensive analysis of the housing market shows a jaw-dropping collapse in stamp duty revenue going to the Treasury...

The London Marathon may be just one of literally thousands of fund-raising events but we know it’s a favourite with many...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says house price sentiment improved by a small amount last month for the first time...

More than 800 property transactions fall through daily, which can have repercussions both practically and financially, as agents fail to get...

UK estate agents charge the lowest commission in the European Union according to new research from a comparison website. Despite high levels...

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

The director of strategy at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers says “the onus is very much on estate agents” to respond...

House Network, one of the first ever online estate agencies, is alleged to be considering calling in administrators. Two reliable sources close...

It’s been a theatrical week in Westminster with talk of defections and duplicity worthy of Shakespeare. Yet the estate agency world has...

A new free-to-list property portal is launching in the UK, and has a pledge to serve over 20 counties by the...

Customer experience (CX) will largely determine the future of estate agency in the UK. This is now a key battleground for...

At the end of January the Asian PropTech company PropertyGuru announced the imminent launch of beta-phase testing of its cutting-edge new product, PropertyGuru Lens. This...

The former chief executive of Emoov says he has the answer to Foxtons’ current downbeat performance - it should exploit its...

Purchasing a property. It’s a key life goal that so many Millennials aspire to - yet one that has become frustratingly...

Property industry commentator and former online agency chief executive Russell Quirk has defended Rightmove’s charges to agents, saying that compared to...

EweMove, the hybrid agency owned by The Property Franchise Group, has announced five new franchisees - several of them are independent...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Beccy Moore. Office Manager for Nicholas Humphreys Tell us more about Nicholas...

It’s the word on everyone’s lips: after two and a half years of debate, and months before that leading up to...

How do you remove an estate agent from an oven? How would you remove an Estate Agent from an oven? Sounds...

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

With a new year nearly upon us, it’s always a good idea to be aware of the major events that are...

In the past year it seems every other story has been about PropTech - the big stuff like Purplebricks and the...

Hard not to mention two major breaking news stories of recent days; one directly affecting the property market and one which...

It’s that time of year when we gaze to the future, when we ponder what the coming year will bring, and...

Hello and welcome to this week’s Agents Do Charity - it’s our weekly round-up of good work done by the industry. Everyone...

The market is now over-supplied with homes to sell while at the same time demand is dipping and there are widespread...

Hello and welcome to another Agents Do Charity, our round-up of great work done by our industry to raise funds for...

Hello and welcome to a bumper edition of Property Jobs Today, your weekly insight into the key moves within our industry. Everyone...

Given that ‘UK buyers are the most digitally active home hunters’, with HSBC’s Beyond the Bricks report stating that 90% of...

The last couple of weeks’ articles were penned very much for a specific agent readership, something I am trying to be...

Local business reviews are becoming increasingly important for reputation management, with recent research showing 90% of consumers read online reviews before...

Landlords and letting agents might feel they’ve taken a bit of a battering from the government in recent years – and...

Hello and welcome to this week’s PJT, your chance to catch up on the major moves in the agency industry over...

DISCLAIMER: The author of this article retains no responsibility for any reader discomfort experienced when recalling the seemingly endless horrors of...

I received a press release yesterday - one of many that get sent my way - and, as I always do,...

Small print in the Countrywide rescue plan announced yesterday spells out in stark terms what could happen if the company’s bid...

There have been two stories dominating the PropTech headlines over this past week. As WeWork places a gentle arm around the...

The latest transaction figures from HM Revenue and Customs make depressing reading - a three per cent drop between May and...

The creators of a website using market data to define postcodes as hosting a seller’s market or a buyer’s market have...

There’s more gloomy reading for vendors from a new report by website Home, which says the volume of properties slashing their...

Two more price reports from high-end agencies make grim reading about the prime London housing market. New data from Savills suggests that...

By now we’ve all seen news about the long-term decline in property sales and competition from online alternatives leading to ‘more...

A decade ago we were still years away from Purplebricks, Countrywide was a colossus in the industry, no one had thought...

Cast your mind back to July 2008 – Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, the Euros were in full swing in Austria/Switzerland...

What a big week for PropTech! With the very first MIPIM PropTech conference, taking place in Paris today and tomorrow, comes...

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

I have sold hundreds of lettings businesses over the last twenty-five years. Based on this experience, these are the mistakes that you...

Online estate agency House Network claims that “the percentage of houses sold at the original valuation price is 98 per cent”.  The...

The sun has finally returned to ours skies and you’re on the lookout for a little bit of summer reading. As...

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

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

Thanks very much to everyone getting in touch to publicise their efforts for good causes: we’re always delighted to help. Just let...

A new report by the residential property team of a legal firm has found widespread criticism of online agents’ over their...

House Network, which describes itself as the UK’s first online estate agency, is using TV advertising to promote a new "20-point...

The housing market has started 2018 as it ended 2017 according to the RICS, with new buyer enquiries, instructions and sales...

MPs will next month debate a Bill which aims to have the energy efficiency of all UK homes brought up to...

The printing industry is in the midst of a decline as digital products and services displace printed materials, which is why...

The story of this week - the ousting of Countrywide chief executive Alison Platt - prompts two key questions. Firstly, who takes...

Oh we do love a busy Agents Do Charity page, and this week’s is busy indeed - thanks to everyone for...

Rightmove says its visits so far in January are running over nine per cent higher than the same period a year...

It didn’t take long - within 24 hours of high-flying Tory Dominic Raab being named as housing minister, so there was...

With an average house price of £252,896 and trains to London taking as little as 24 minutes, Luton has been named...

HM Land Registry has revealed how major house price indices are compiled - showing the huge variation in transactions behind the headline figures. The critique,...

Here it is - the industry’s verdict on the latest set of figures from Purplebricks. The agency doesn’t play by any of...

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...

An estate agency has used the experiences of Cambridge, Oxford and other cities to forecast that pockets of central London's housing...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has issued a downbeat snapshot of the current housing market with "subdued sales trends" across...

Thanks so much to those agents who rapidly responded to our shout-out for pics of your Halloween-decorated offices: the first ones...

It’s been a big week for property news - controversies surrounding Purplebricks, merger discussions between big franchise operators, and another government...

As we outlined in our EAT and LAT stories earlier this week, we (Angels Media) are seeking responses from estate and...

The latest RICS market survey shows that buyer enquiries and transactions slipped back last month with expectations pointing to “a subdued...

One of the most thorough analyses of property portals ever undertaken shows that Rightmove is the world’s most profitable portal company...

The housing market remains mixed across different parts of the UK but London and the south east remain the weakest areas...

I’ve been in France for the past few days and depending on your viewpoint, I made a spectacularly good or singularly...

Let’s be honest - few people saw this coming. The 89 to 11 per cent majority amongst Agents’ Mutual members for...

An estate agent who is campaigning for boards to be banned in his local area says they should be 'confined to...

Nearly all home owners (96%) consider fees to be the most important factor when choosing an estate agent, according to research...

Countrywide’s share price hit a record low during trading yesterday afternoon when it dropped to 137.75p, having opened the day at...

The Sunday Times made uncomfortable reading for Purplebricks yesterday as the newspaper raised more questions about the number of homes the...

No one can say Agents’ Mutual has failed to provoke debate within the industry. The project was the centre of fierce argument...

Record low stock numbers, political uncertainty and the aftermath of tax changes are the obstacles hindering the housing market, according to...

There has been a sceptical reception from City analysts to Agents’ Mutual’s decision to restructure and float on the stock market...

A new report reveals how clients’ reviews and star ratings - used by many online estate agents in particular - are...

Housing minister Alok Sharma has blocked some of his Twitter followers, accusing them of “abusive language”.   Sharma has a relatively modest 9,169 followers...

The latest market snapshot from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows price growth dipping further, struggling transaction volumes and the...

Few things provoke argument within the industry more than the online v traditional agency debate - and within that debate, nothing...

The property industry has broadly welcomed the appointment of a new housing minister, which was made yesterday evening. Reading West MP Alok...

High profile estate agency Cluttons has returned to marketing with Zoopla Property Group (ZPG).  The firm rejoined the portal at the end...

A one branch independent estate agency has this week launched a fixed-fee sales option alongside its traditional commission-based service. WH Breading, which...

Home ownership has halved for young families across some parts of the UK according to a charity.  The Resolution Foundation says its...

The director of a respected mortgage broker is warning that market sentiment is changing with more down-valuations from surveyors and some...

The new chief executive of the Guild of Property Professionals has accused some online agents of carrying out “aggressive” marketing campaigns...

There’s no sign yet that the snap General Election is distracting our industry from continuing its fine record of doing good...

You may have noticed some subtle changes to Estate Agent Today in recent weeks, aimed at improving the ‘user experience’ we...

Agents who ignore critical reviews of their services do so at their peril as new figures reveal high levels of readership...

It has been a busy week for investment in PropTech businesses and no doubt you have already got reading fatigue about...

A chronic shortage of affordable housing is forcing councils to spend more than £2m a day on temporary accommodation for homeless...

I had a very interesting chat with the man behind a new portal the other day. He was John Dixon, the portal...

Let’s not be distressed that we’re already over 10 per cent of the way through the year - yes, really -...

When I read about the possible formation of yet another ‘mutual’ with the aim of furthering and protecting the interests of...

A health service tribunal has found that a senior paramedic tried to sexually assault an estate agent as she prepared for...

Estate agency Knight Frank says that the UK housing market has rebounded more strongly than expected after the Brexit referendum -...

Many thanks to the good people at Templeton Robinson and Miles & Barr, the latest agencies to let us know about...

As circus performers, most estate agents would fail. Some of you might find that difficult to comprehend. After all, many uninformed members...

When a tenant paid his initial one month’s rent in addition to a tenancy deposit in exchange for the keys to...

Although Brexit, portal juggling and portal wars have stolen property industry headlines in recent months, there's been one story almost constantly...

As many northern cities struggled to recover from the 2008 global financial crisis, the north-south divide returned to plague the British...

Auction rooms across the UK are filled with people looking to buy property, from bargain hunters to seasoned investors, ensuring that...

Online reviews play an increasingly vital role in shaping the decisions of customers. Practically everyone using the internet to compare estate...

Some of this week’s headlines - ‘Firms must list foreign workers’ and ‘NHS to no longer rely on foreign doctors’ -...

As with finance broking, there can be many frustrations that come with being an estate agent – I perhaps don’t need...

Despite storms in the North and September sun in the South, estate agents haven't been deterred from giving their all for charity this...

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

A data consultancy says it will shortly release the findings of an online survey on estate agents’ concerns over how their...

EweMove Sales and Lettings, which describes itself as the UK's first hybrid estate agency, has opened four new branches, taking its...

A report says agents in the Cornish holiday home haven of St Ives admit the local market has been hit by...

What a month it has been. By the time you read this, we'll have a new Prime Minister, a new Cabinet,...

A month ago we ran a quiz compiled by compliance training expert David Beaumont - and the results do not make...

An equities analyst has suggested that some of the most extreme warnings of housing market chaos after a Brexit vote came...

Estate agents from around the country are reporting only limited damage to business or prices caused by the Brexit result of...

One of the many estate agencies hoping to market increasing numbers of new homes has been praised by a developer client...

The controversy over whether the Land Registry should be sold off will now not be resolved until a new Prime Minister...

The old and eternal debate over whether or not tenant fees should be banned continues to rumble on. It’s a major concern...

As we approach another Bank Holiday weekend, estate and letting agents across the country have again been raising thousands of pounds...

So what is it with young people failing to stand up for themselves and not making the most of their money...

In this business you get used to dealing with regular customer and third-party feedback, input, and (occasionally) complaints.  Much like the agency market...

An estate agent has pleaded guilty to a charge of drink-driving after being found almost three times above the legal alcohol...

Property has long been a safe investment. Before the downturn in 2008, sellers were able to gain a healthy capital return.  Post-economic...

I recently read an article in City A.M. titled: ‘Five ways we will be buying property in 2025’ – it makes...

Who are you? Chris Coates What does it say on your business card? Chris Coates As a small team we don’t have a hang up...

Haus Properties - the agency run by former Apprentice finalist Jamie Lester - has secured a former Foxtons staff member who...

Lomond Capital has acquired John Shepherd Estate Agent in Birmingham as it continues to 'expand south.' The deal, which includes Marwood Homes...

Marketing and property often go hand in hand. But from time to time you might come across certain marketing terms that...

A riposte to Rob Hailstone's article: 'C'mon CHAPS, Don't be faized'. Good Day, and a late Merry Christmas. Sorry for the delay in...

The founder and co-owner of hybrid estate agency EweMove has written to the chief executive of the OnTheMarket portal, lavishly praising...

The scores are in: Estate Agent Today has collated forecasts from 10 of the leading estate agency corporates and major business...

We know that many agents will be shutting up shop at the end of today for a well-earned Christmas break -...

There were 110 million visits to Rightmove on average every month in 2015. Results for the site, which measured hits from January 1...

We’re receiving more photographs from agencies showing just how much you’re getting into the Christmas spirit - and making your offices...

A large survey of home movers reveals that over one in five of them considered using only an online-only estate agent...

The Christmas cheer continues - here’s our fourth selection of estate agents’ offices, and agents themselves, who are entering into the...

Once you go beyond the industry’s anger about the Chancellor’s three per cent stamp duty surcharge – and that’s an anger...

Estate agents have been accused of flouting the rules by erecting For Sale and To Let signs despite a voluntary ban. The...

A body called the UK Housing Market Observatory - consisting of economists at Lancaster University Management School - is giving a...

It’s Halloween weekend but the spirit that burns in many estate agents is a force for good not evil - as...

An estate agency claims there is a “contagion” spreading across the prime London housing market with sales reduced drastically thanks to...

The consumer is King and to protect sellers and buyers' best interests estate and letting agents have to operate in the...

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

Estate agency Romans has claimed that it is the 'strongest property brand' in the Thames Valley.  The Romans Group recently commissioned a...

LSL Property Services, owner of Reeds Rains and Your Move amongst other high street chains, says last month’s sales market was the...

After the passing of the Deregulation Act deposits deadline this week, Richard Price, Executive Director of UKALA, is in a contemplative...

Everywhere we look there’s talk of the high numbers of agents clambering for our attention on the crowded high street. So...

The Conservatives’ election victory came as a surprise, so much so that television pundits spent all night after the vote rubbishing...

No agent reading this will be under any illusions that the agency market is a particularly competitive sector to operate in.  I...