Archive

If anyone thought Brexit may allow domestic buyers a bigger share of the market, think again: no fewer than 57 per...

There was a huge 33 per cent collapse in transactions in central London in the final quarter of 2018 compared with...

A maverick estate agent pictured wearing a yellow vest has threatened to mount what he calls a “civil protest” if Brexit...

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

A slew of property experts and commentators have put the blame on Brexit for a surprise drop in house price growth...

It is something of an understatement to say that we are in challenging times. BREXIT is unresolved and we wait with...

The chief executive of Haart, Paul Smith, is warning that a No Deal exit from the EU could leave Britain with...

A senior figure in the Knight Frank agency says those buyers who may be expecting Brexit-inspired bargains in the so-called ‘super...

A London buying agent has called for a second referendum on Britain’s EU membership, suggesting that it would give more certainty...

A leading London estate agency is reporting a surge in overseas buyers sealing deals ahead of the government’s new stamp duty...

The number of house sales falling through before completion is on the increase according to data collated by a home buying...

“Baton down the hatches. Stockpile the food cupboard. Brexit is coming and it’s little more than six months away!” I jest, but there is...

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

The investment bank Jefferies says Foxtons’ long-running share price slump is a reflection of Brexit uncertainty “until we find out what...

One of London’s leading estate agents says Brexit has had at worst a neutral effect on the housing market and may...

With the shelf life of recent housing ministers being on a par with football managers, it's perhaps little surprise that we're...

First things first, I have to mention the World Cup. The dream is over, football’s not quite coming home (not until...

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

Part of the South Hams area, a popular tourist hotspot in south Devon, has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a ban...

In recent weeks, you could have been forgiven for thinking that you’re not actually in the UK.  Flash floods aside, the...

There’s been a landslide vote to ban new-build second homes in another tourist hotspot. Some 90 per cent of those who voted...

New data from Haart estate agency suggests that despite many homes sticking on the market, apparently would be buyers are locked...

A leading buying agency says the Brexit transition deal will help central London’s fragile sales market. Caspar Harvard-Walls, a partner in the...

Holiday home sales in one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations are holding up, despite stamp duty and the age...

Mortgage Advice Bureau has batted off the flat housing market by reporting good figures for 2017. Revenue for the year increased by...

There’s a new warning being issued for estate agents and all other businesses to ensure they are prepared for the General...

Outspoken buying agent Henry Pryor says some “pretty dodgy” overseas buyers have purchased homes in the UK in the past -...

It’s traditional before Christmas to either review the year past or anticipate the one ahead - but I’m intrigued about what...

The HomeOwners’ Alliance says vendors must put their homes on the market no later than Tuesday if they are serious about selling by...

UBS says London's housing market still faces the risk of becoming a bubble - although that risk has marginally eased over...

Investors from countries as diverse as South Africa and Russia are getting a 21 per cent discount on UK property according...

Winkworth says solid performances from its lettings and property management services, plus new franchise deals, have compensated for a challenging sales...

New research has revealed that Britain's impending exit from the European Union is not a consideration for 71% of consumers. A study...

Savills has reported strong figures for the first half of 2017 across its worldwide activities, but its UK residential divisions have...

The two main political parties have squared up to each other over the issue of increasing council tax on second homes...

Property has been changing hands for centuries, but when did estate agents as we know them today – with their branches,...

A third of small building firms say that soaring material prices are squeezing their margins and almost a quarter have had...

Countrywide has revealed a massive plunge in its profits for the first six months of 2017.   Pre-tax profit for the six months...

The housing market is approaching something of a standstill as the summer holiday season begins according to a downbeat report from...

We’re already more than halfway through 2017 and, against all the odds, it’s pushing 2016 close in terms of eventfulness and...

For those of us working within the property sector, we’re in the very midst of what, for generations, has been one...

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

The political ebb and flow continues - seemingly with all the subtlety of a Boris Johnson rugby tackle on a 10-year...

Prime London house prices are now 5.3 per cent lower than at the time of the EU referendum admits Savills, following...

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

As the nation waits with bated breath to see if Theresa May can form either a minority or coalition government after...

A study described as the biggest of its type seeks to explain why vendors choose - or avoid - online agents. The...

The number of house hunters registered per estate agency branch fell last month to 381 - well down on its figure...

A ‘disrupter’ estate agent says the English housing market operates in a way that is far less efficient than Scotland’s -...

Two more local referendums have, as expected, agreed neighbourhood plans which ban the sale of new-build homes to anyone other than...

Residents in two parts of Cornwall will vote tomorrow on whether to join the holiday resort of St Ives in banning...

Five per cent of homeowners say they will definitely not be buying a property until the Brexit process is over, while...

Humberts - until now known as an agency operating predominantly in market towns across southern England - is opening a Mayfair office in...

Property transactions rose marginally in March this year, up 0.5 per cent on February’s total according to figures from HM Revenue...

Yesterday’s decision by MPs to agree to Theresa May’s snap General Election on June 8 means that the current government -...

A series of strong sales performances at recent auctions has led one firm to claim the sector is leading the residential industry’s...

Peter Robinson, CEO of AIPP – Association of International Property Professionals – shines a light onto the international property market. Some UK...

The triggering of Article 50 may have been regarded as a historic event but it appears to have left the housing...

Savills has revealed relatively strong figures for 2016 in its report to the City this morning, with group revenue up 13...

Foxtons has received lavish praise from investment consultancy Jefferies despite long-term share price worries reflecting its mixed performance in the troubled...

We’re almost nine months on from the EU Referendum and yet the issue remains the big divide across the nation: an...

Foxtons' figures released to the City this morning confirm a huge slump in sales in 2016 - and even lettings revenue...

Looking ahead to the Spring Budget this week, the Chancellor Philip Hammond will be obliged to face up to the implications...

An analysis of estate agents quoted on the London Stock Exchange suggests that almost all the traditional firms have suffered since...

Not many of us have a multi-million property portfolio, so the results of the MSCI / IPD UK property index for...

The rapid growth in popularity of buy-to-let in recent years, fuelled in part by the failings of the pensions industry, has...

There's bad news for the government in the form of house building targets on the eve of its long-awaited Housing White...

The Independent Press Standards Organisation has ruled that a Daily Express newspaper story - “EU Exit Boosts House Prices” - was...

Brexit and the economic uncertainty since the EU Referendum have not prevented Connells delivering overall growth in 2016 - despite a...

Two reports produced by Savills suggests continuing struggles for high-priced properties in prime locations to combat economic uncertainty and the deterrent...

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

A surge in sales of London properties to overseas buyers taking advantage of the Pound’s post-referendum collapse has helped Savills exceed...

The flexibility of Foxtons’ business model - especially its ability to control headcount, including the number of agents it employs -...

Most would-be house buyers have moved on from the shock result of the EU referendum and are likely to renew their...

The managing partner of a property investment firm says London residential property values have fallen by 15 to 25 per cent...

Brexit and wider economic uncertainties worsened by changes to property taxation have forced the Council of Mortgage Lenders to cut its...

Following a strong start to 2016, particularly in the lower to middle range of the UK housing market, that lasted up...

Forecasts are so last year: who anticipated Bowie, Brexit or Balls for example? Quotes, on the other hand, really ARE last year...

Becky Fatemi of central London estate agency Rokstone says prime areas of the capital are to suffer a “prolonged phase of...

There’s been a fall in the typical asking price of a home on sale of 2.1 per cent according to Rightmove...

Strutt & Parker has seen a fall in revenue and profits for the year ending April 30 - and it puts...

House prices will rise 2.0 per cent in 2017, below the rate of inflation and just under half the rise predicted...

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

One of the key factors associated with an active private rental market in the UK, as detailed in the Dataloft PRS...

Prominent top end London estate agent Trevor Abrahmsohn says some homes in the higher levels of the market may now have...

A housebuilder that has in the past profited from its concentration on high-end London schemes says demand for its units is...

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

A trading update released by Countrywide this morning shows a 29 per cent slump in London exchanges in the third quarter...

There’s good news for London’s troubled market - a report from the CML shows that buyers in the capital took out 12...

Foreign exchange giant Moneycorp says the number of Britons buying homes abroad has slumped 25 per cent since the EU referendum. In...

Jefferies, the City investment service known for its analysis of major residential sector firms, forecasts Foxtons’ transactions to fall 10 per...

A solicitor has asked how the ban on the sale of new-build apartments and houses to holiday home buyers in a...

Barratt Homes, the UK’s largest housebuilder, is slashing the asking prices of some of its most expensive London homes by 10 per cent. In...

Figures released by the government show sales during July - the first month after the EU referendum - tumbling by well over...

Confidence in the UK housing market has fallen to its lowest point in three years, according to the latest Halifax ‘confidence...

Knight Frank says overseas buyers are not only benefitting from a significant drop in the effective price of central London properties...

It is fair to say that 2016 is a year full of surprises. Anyone who had the foresight to predict Britain...

The result of a referendum in a tourist hotspot seeking a ban on the sale of new-build flats and houses to...

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

The latest Bank of England data on mortgage approvals - a key barometer for likely transactions for agents - shows Brexit...

We are now less than a month away from Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement to the nation, depending of course on...

The average number of house hunters registered at each branch of the National Association of Estate Agents rose to 333 from 287...

House purchase mortgage approvals last month were 15 per cent lower than in September 2015 according to figures from the British...

Figures from London data consultancy Lonres show that since the referendum the average price cut on homes across most of central...

Most householders taking part in a sentiment survey by estate agency Knight Frank say they believe the value of their home...

Strutt & Parker says it has achieved record annual sales figures from its latest National Open House day on October 8. It says...

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

The huge consequences of the EU referendum, and the impending Brexit negotiations, have drawn into sharp light the consequences for a...

In a surprise announcement this morning, Foxtons has revealed that its total revenues in the past three months dropped 14 per...

It is a tedious fact, but the housing market is underpinned by economic fundamentals. This won’t be a surprise.  However, at a...

Thirty one per cent of residential sales fell through before completion in the third quarter of 2016, showing a sizeable increase...

Countryside Properties and Telford Homes are the latest housebuilders to report good trading conditions following the result of the EU referendum. Countryside,...

Knight Frank has reported a four per cent rise in annual revenues to £461m but a five per cent drop in...

A key decision that may have far-reaching implications for the sale of holiday homes has been delayed by a High Court...

It’s curious how gloom, gloom pre-Brexit Britain’s property market has gained a much brighter outlook now that the result of the...

Research from the consumer organisation Which? suggests that the number of mortgages on the market has increased by 13 per cent...

Fears raised over the UK housing market in the wake of the Brexit vote have so far proved to be ‘wide...

Next week sees a court case which will decide whether there will have to be a re-run of the ‘second homes...

Those working within the UK housing market would have felt considerable worry about the immediate impact of the vote to leave...

The average asking price of a property coming to market has started to recover from the dip that followed June's Brexit...

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

Given the uncertainty that shrouded the immediate build up to, and aftermath of, the EU referendum, the current lettings market in...

House prices increased by 0.4% between June and July, according to the latest UK House Price Index. The data for July, the...

The government needs to provide more details of what could happen to European Union employees after the UK leaves the EU,...

House prices dipped 0.2 per cent last month but remain 0.7 per cent higher than three months ago and a full...

Barratt Homes is the latest housebuilder to report strong figures - for the period up to the EU referendum - with...

The government’s housing policy, while helpful outside London, has had a negative effect on the capital according to one of the...

A campaign has been launched to make Bristol the colour capital of the UK by ensuring that more homes are painted...

Confidence in the UK housing market has slumped according to an annual survey conducted by economic consultancy ING.  The survey, called Homes...

Average house prices across the UK increased by 0.6 per cent in August, taking the annual rate of growth to 5.6...

The Bank of England says the number of new mortgages fell to 60,912 in July, down from 64,152 the previous month...

The see-saw of conflcting post-Brexit indicators is continuing with figures from house builder Persimmon suggesting a strong housing market - contradicting...

The sales website Home claims that London house prices have dropped an average of 1.2 per cent in the past four...

Several agencies have unveiled expansion plans despite the EU referendum, economic uncertainty and fears of a major downturn in the London...

An estate agency is claiming that the psychology of buying and selling has come to the fore following the EU referendum,...

Average house prices across the UK rose 8.7 per cent in the year to the end of June - so including...

There has been another indicator that the Brexit effect on the UK housing market has been less severe than some anticipated. Bovis...

No fewer than 174,000 people moved home in the first six months of 2016 - a rise of nine per cent...

Surveys claiming to show the housing market’s reaction to Brexit continue to be released - there are two new ones this morning.  Firstly...

Jackson-Stops & Staff says the housing market has weakened a little since the EU referendum but prices have not suffered and...

There is likely to be an October court date set for a judicial review into a ban on new-build houses and...

New data from LonRes shows that transaction volumes across the capital’s prime markets tumbled 41 per cent in the second quarter...

Surveys on housing and Brexit are coming thick and fast - the latest have Haart estate agency reporting a £30,000 price...

Prices of homes in Prime Central London have fallen across all sectors in the second quarter of the year and over...

Savills residential fee income rose 10 per cent in the first six months of 2016 but the firm warns that it’s...

Over 37 per cent of prospective buyers are worried that concern over Brexit will trigger a housing market crash according to...

The morning after the EU referendum, and Westminster, Britain, Europe and the world were left in shock at the news that...

A property supply index suggests there has been a bounce-back of homes on the market in July, following the EU referendum.  HouseSimple...

Countrywide says there will “almost certainly” be no more acquisitions of agencies or other firms for the group over the rest...

LSL Property Services - which owns agency brands including Your Move, Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons - has reported strong...

The Centre for Economics and Business Research says that house prices across the UK are set to increase by 5.7 per...

Plans for the Northern Powerhouse scheme, designed to rival London and the South East as the main driver of economic growth...

Foxtons is reviewing its programme of branch openings in London because of the slowdown in the capital's housing market. In figures released...

Countrywide has confounded its critics with an upbeat performance in the first six months of the year, growing revenues by nine...

Rightmove says it is confident of keeping on track to deliver its expected results and profits throughout 2016 despite the unexpected...

The Registers of Scotland is the latest barometer to suggest the market has performed well in the second quarter of the...

The latest figures on mortgage lending suggest that higher house prices led to greater lending in June this year than 12...

Allsop’s latest residential auction in London - its first since the EU referendum - raised £51m, less than 10 per cent...

There has been a gloomy response to the latest Knight Frank measure of house price sentiment - the first of its...

Property prices were at the forefront of the EU debate in the run-up to the referendum, with the now former Chancellor...

Sheffield in South Yorkshire, which was once one of the leading industrial cities in Britain and is still recognised for its...

London’s rising supply of homes on sale and relatively low level of transactions are “pointing to slower house price growth in...

The Bank of England says there has been a dip in the housing market activity after the Brexit referendum result -...

The price of an average house or flat in the UK rose by £16,000 in the year to May after another...

House price falls triggered by weaker economic growth and a drop in economic confidence following the EU referendum may not actually...

House prices in Scotland rose 0.9 per cent in May, taking the average value to £172,119 - still down on a...

Rightmove’s latest house price index, covering two weeks either side of the EU referendum at the end of June, suggests average...

With a number of agent partner programmes available nationwide, estate agents can often increase business by offering sales by auction, especially...

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

Estate agents and mortgage experts have reacted to the Bank of England’s surprise decision to keep base rate unchanged at 0.5...

The Bank of England has kept its base rate to 0.50 per cent despite many analysts expecting it would be cut...

Swiss bank UBS has given an upbeat assessment of online estate agencies in the changing housing market - but it warns...

One of the first major pieces of research to come from an estate agency following the EU referendum suggests the short-term...

Sherry Fitzgerald, a major agency in the Republic of Ireland, says it has seen “exceptionally strong” interest in homes from British...

Buying agent Johnny Turnbull claims that 83.2 per cent of the properties sold in prime central London in the second quarter...

The news that Theresa May will be installed as Prime Minister tomorrow has immediately stabilished the share prices of estate agents...

The pace of property valuations conducted last month grew on both an annual basis and since the previous month, despite jitters...

With the new Formula One season now well underway, we delve into the fast lane to take you on a whirlwind...

As I sit and write this piece, even with the FTSE 100 back up and sterling having recovered some of its...

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

An analysis by a high-end estate agency of homes on the market appears to show no significant ‘Brexit effect’ - at...

Average house prices in June rose 1.3 per cent but as the shock Brexit result was not known until late in...

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

Housebuilder St Modwen has been forced to write down the value of the landmark Nine Elms regeneration scheme because “recent transactional...

The Bank of England is expected to set out its latest thinking on the UK’s Brexit economic changes today - including...

Referendum uncertainty - even before the shock Brexit vote itself - led prime central London prices to drop 1.4 per cent...

It’s over. A win is a win, whichever side you backed. It’s true that everyone seems a lot less happy than...

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

Estate agency recruitment consultancy Property Personnel is urging agents to hold their nerve following the shock Brexit referendum vote just a...

Uncertainty - even that which existed before the EU referendum just a week ago today - means demand for property has...

A leading London buying agency is warning that some areas of prime central London could face a downturn following the Brexit...

The chief economist who compiles Nationwide’s monthly house price index says it is too early yet to see the impact of...

Hometrack is the latest property organisation to forecast that the referendum result will impact turnover far more than house prices in...

Data from Your Move and Reeds Rains - for May, so well before the EU referendum result - suggests average prices slumped 0.4...

The Council of Mortgage Lenders says the Brexit vote will hit transactions as buyers and sellers wait for the dust to...

As post-Brexit referendum vote shockwaves continue to reverberate around stock markets and currency exchanges, many publicly-quoted property companies took a hit...

The haemorrhage of Labour spokespeople now includes the party’s respected shadow housing minister John Healey. His letter to party leader Jeremy Corbyn...

Foxtons says the vote to leave the EU means the expected upturn in the housing market in the second half of...

The director of a high-end foreign-owned estate agency in prime central London says he is surprised that so many other figures...

Humberts is launching an email property clinic to answer any specific buyer or vendor queries on issues, including their concerns following...

One of London’s most outspoken estate agents claims the prime minister who succeeds David Cameron could appoint a chancellor who will...

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

Agents have been giving their reaction to the shock Brexit referendum result - and their comments have ranged from the gloomy...

Much of the nation’s attention may have been on saying Remain or Leave in the EU Referendum but this enormous decision...

Members of the property industry join the rest of the country in going to the polls today to decide whether the...

Prices are wobbling in the London housing market, with the referendum and ongoing currency fluctuations being two of the major causes. That...

Angels Media, publisher of Estate Agent Today, is delighted to welcome on board one of Britain’s top property industry journalists, Marc...

The agency which describes itself as the UK’s first hybrid - EweMove - is claiming a record quarter of property sales...

An analysis of 750,000 homes on sale across the UK reveals areas where activity remains high despite economic uncertainty surrounding the...

Rightmove says fewer new sellers are coming to market, with this month’s total some 5.3 per cent below the monthly average...

The sense of gathering momentum for the Leave campaign ahead of the upcoming EU referendum is causing high levels of uncertainty...

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...

So we now have a new 'official' index of house prices, and much good may it do us. For the chattering classes...

Significant national events such as elections and, in this case, referendums bring with them a level of uncertainty.   No-one can predict...

An estate agency chief operating in an area where there are high levels of holiday home ownership has stood up for...

Berkeley Group, which has given a trading report to the City, says reservations for its new homes are down 20 per...

Three separate surveys appear to suggest that even a long-term shortage of homes on sale is not enough to stop a...

Let’s face it - the biggest distraction for many estate agents in the coming weeks may well be the Euro 2016...

As we have just passed the 6 month half way point of 2016 we thought it would be a good idea...

Home loans activity has fallen to a 12 month low as market torpor sets in ahead of the EU referendum.  According to...

A poll of economists by the news agency Reuters says UK house prices will rise faster than inflation again this year...

A developer is making an offer to buyers of selected units at his new scheme in Slough - buy now but...

Worsening affordability caused by a sustained period of higher-than-earnings house price growth, should curb demand and result in a slowdown in...

Valuation activity in May rose by nearly a fifth on an annual basis despite the upcoming EU referendum according to research...

One of the UK's largest estate agency chains has issued its latest trading update, reporting a strong start to the year. Hunters,...

A high-end agency claims that despite prices falling in Prime Central London (PCL), demand was subdued in May due to the prospect...

It’s nearly June – June! – already. Seriously, where has this year gone? This means summer is nearly upon us, with a...

The glorious thing about the referendum on our EU membership is that four weeks today it will all be over –...

During April demand for housing dropped to the lowest level recorded since March 2014, according to the National Association of Estate...

An increasing number of UK households say they plan to buy a property in the next 12 months.  Knight Frank's latest house...

George Osborne has claimed that average house prices could fall by up to 18% if the UK leaves the EU following...

The National Association of Estate Agents and Association of Residential Letting Agents say that although there are no conclusive ‘leave’ or...

New figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors backs up the theory that the market is slowing down significantly ahead...

Property sales slowed dramatically in April as the market readjusted following the frenzy of buying before the stamp duty surcharge deadline...

A property investment firm says a British exit from the EU may cause minimal damage to the prime London market and...

A judicial review into the process surrounding the controversial 'second homes referendum' in St Ives means the result could, in theory,...

Chancellor George Osborne has moved his campaign for the UK to remain in the EU on to housing issues with a...

The race to replace London Mayor Boris Johnson has entered its final few days, and like never before, housing is the...

Another agency has warned of the likely market slowdown caused by the June 23 EU referendum and political uncertainty over the...

A City investment consultancy says one leading private agency chain has slashed its fees to 0.5 per cent in order to...

Political and economic uncertainty caused by the upcoming EU referendum is beginning to hit the housing market according to two different...

House prices in the three months to March were 10.1 per cent higher than in the same quarter a year earlier...

Forget the gloomy stamp duty news, or the prospect that a new house price index might revalue house prices downwards, or...

Winkworth, the franchise giant with most offices concentrated in or close to London, says the high-end of the capital’s prime market...

A vote by Britain to leave the European Union would be the saviour of the beleaguered high end housing market according...

Foxtons has reported a 4.1 per cent increase in its group revenue in 2015 to £149.8m  although its profits dipped by...

Morgan Stanley says fears over a possible UK exit from the EU and other global economic uncertainty could lead to “a...

A survey of 1,000 people shows that a significant number in each region of the UK are putting their sales plans...

Uncertainty before the EU Referendum could lead to fewer house sales and reduce the number of new homes being built warns...

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

Hometrack claims that the number of sales over the past 12 months has fallen by two per cent on average across...

The chief executive of Countrywide says there’s “no change of course” after a 37 per cent slump in operating profits were...

Kevin Hollinrake - the founder of Hunters estate agency and now Conservative MP for Thirsk, Malton & Filey - says he is...

A high-end estate agent who was one of the founding directors of Agents' Mutual says a British exit from the EU may not...

Cluttons is warning that the prime central London market may stagnate for at least the early part of this year thanks...

A referendum vote to leave the European Union would pose a serious challenge for the UK property market, according to research...

A Strutt & Parker senior partner has dismissed speculation that the residential arm of his agency is about to be taken...