Archive

An agent is warning the government it must manage Covid and not simply react ‘too late and too little’. He’s suggesting some...

Leading politicians operating in the housing industry have paid tribute to murdered backbencher Sir David Amess. Housing Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “David...

In this thought leadership article, Videosign CEO Steven Tallant looks at electronic signatures and conveyancing and whether the time is nigh for the...

Some two thirds of agents and other property professionals who have worked alone have suffered an incident endangering their safety, according to...

It’s certainly the case that awareness of part exchange isn’t very high in the property and agency world, despite the potential...

There are a huge array of products and services covering the entire journey of lettings, from prospecting all the way through to...

Agents are being contacted by local council officers to check how Covid-safe their operations are.  Paul Offley, compliance officer for The Guild,...

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

One of the biggest campaign groups calling for leasehold reform has welcomed the action taken by the Competition and Markets Authority...

The worst of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be firmly in the rear-view mirror as we move into the last quarter...

Admin teams in most businesses are often the lynchpins that ensure compliance and deal with issues in order to keep the...

Propertymark says confusion over new stamp duty rules has led to a surge in fall-throughs. Since April 1 homes bought in England...

Taking photographs or video footage during a routine property inspection can be a contentious subject. While landlords have every right to...

Volume house builder Taylor Wimpey has announced a pre-tax profit for the first half of this year of £287.5m - and...

Around 2.66 million landlords were operational in Great Britain in 2019, according to data estimations previously released by Hamptons International. Of those...

Propertymark has welcomed the move by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to help make certain leasehold flats more attractive to would-be buyers...

An agent support service set up in the early days of the pandemic has closed down with its architect saying “If...

It may be ‘Freedom Day’ but it looks certain that many estate agents will still wear masks in offices today and...

Agents are to be told this week that employees can drop face masks, social distancing and other workplace measures put in...

The chief executive of Purplebricks says research into pricing strategies has suggested around a third of sellers at least consider using...

OnTheMarket’s annual general meeting date has been set for later this month - and it’s likely to be virtual despite expected...

The government has thrown its weight behind the concept of Unique Property Reference Numbers as a way of speeding up transactions. UPRNs...

Last weekend we spoke with Liana Loporto, NAEA Propertymark’s president, in an exclusive interview. Here we follow that up with an...

For a match between two great rivals, the England-Scotland 0-0 draw on Friday may have brought both nations together. After all it’s...

Right now it seems that another day means another house price record, an all-time high for transactions, and a conveyancing log-jam...

The Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017 exposed the dangers of inflammable cladding on residential tower blocks, and what has come...

Telephone and chat support service Moneypenny has outlined a strategy to help agents avoid burn out. The service argues that working throughout...

The controversial demands of Trading Standards for more “material information” to be provided upfront in property details have been criticised by...

On 28 April 2021, Fixflo ran the first in a series of quarterly legal update webinars with David Smith, Partner at...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Jack Reid Founding Director of Orlando Reid  In your experience,...

The government has launched a formal consultation process on a new residential property developer tax which is to contribute towards cladding...

Potential house buyers may be fine with virtual tours during lockdown periods, but as the country opens up, people are going...

As the property market continues to boom, competition between portals such as Zoopla, Rightmove, OnTheMarket and Boomin has been hotting up...

The last property event I attended in person – and I think the last physical property event held all told –...

Licensing of the short-term lets sector in Scotland was due to be introduced next month. However, it was recently announced that...

Earlier this month, Fixflo held a webinar with David Cox, legal and compliance director of Rightmove, to discuss key government policies...

Unsurprisingly it’s been a busy few months in the property market so far this year, and a busy few months in...

Uncertain market means additional revenue streams are more important than ever The last year has been an uncertain period for many business...

Later this year, on October 22, the ESTAS 2021 will take place in London. The glittering ceremony will welcome property professionals...

A broker has launched the UK’s longest-ever fixed rate mortgage, with no early repayment charge or exit fees - the first product...

A panel of estate agents recently participated in a webinar to discuss the benefits of livestream open house viewings. The webinar, part...

Fixflo’s webinar on February 9 saw an industry panel debate 2021’s threats and opportunities for letting agents. The panel discussed a range...

The rise and rise of portal listings and changing consumer habits during the pandemic may mean the death of the High...

The government has given details of two new taxes to provide funds to address the cladding problem on high rise tower blocks...

Agents and a wide range of property experts have demanded yet more government funds to end the cladding crisis that is...

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced “an exceptional intervention” promising that leaseholders in high-rise buildings above 18 metres will bear no...

Labour has entered the cladding controversy by calling a vote in the House of Commons to force government action on the...

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we evaluate our lives and, looking more specifically at the property market, it...

It's been announced that MPs will after all debate the Stamp Duty Holiday extension following a hugely popular online petition. The 90-minute...

One of the country’s top auctioneers is not going to stage any ballroom auctions this year - and it’s keeping its 2022...

The MP who presides over online petitions such as the one calling for an extension of the stamp duty holiday says...

An estate agent has shut both branches of his business for safety reasons and wants tighter Coronavirus restrictions on the industry.  ITV...

Revenues for LSL Property Services - owner of Your Move and Reeds Rains - dropped last year by 15 per cent. Although...

Countrywide and Foxtons have thrown their weight behind an idea to identify every single UK residential property with a unique number. The...

There’s a call this morning for estate and letting agents to regard the physical viewing of any property on sale or...

As we approach the end of the year, there is no doubt that it has been a turbulent 12 months for...

Many agents have been operating under Tier 4 Coronavirus restrictions for some days, but today sees another 20 million residents in...

Propertymark has told the government that it needs to introduce overarching regulation of agents now, because existing piecemeal provisions are unmanageable...

The Homes Act requires landlords to consider whether their tenants' indoor air is safe. Five key air contaminants are listed in...

Hello - December is whizzing along. Do you know it’s just two weeks today that we will be enjoying Christmas Eve?...

Agents should know in the next 36 hours how new Coronavirus restrictions will affect how they work. The Prime Minister is announcing...

Safety checks which are apparently now preventing thousands of owners selling flats are to be eased - but there is confusion...

It’s no secret that the recent pandemic has forced more businesses to operate remotely, but the shift for estate agents has...

Watching the government’s surprise press conference a couple of weekends ago the message was clear; we were heading into a gruelling...

The second England-wide lockdown is here. The good news is that this time round, the property market remains open for business,...

An agency in London which was stung by fierce criticism in the spring lockdown has announced its policy for branch activity...

The housing market is to remain open in the four week lockdown in England. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government...

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher announced that the introduction of the Renters' Reform Bill will be delayed for an indefinite period due...

Lettings agents, property managers and landlords should all be aware of the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. The Act...

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

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the way every industry operates and the property sector is no exception. Following an enforced seven-week...

One of the industry's senior agency leaders says it would be a mistake for agents to be stopped from working in...

The National Association of Estate Agents wants the government to initiate a mortgage guarantee scheme to encourage more 95 per cent...

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

Hello again - the good news is it’s Friday and even better news is it’s Agents Do Charity, celebrating the industry’s great...

The latest government rules combined with the Prime Minister’s recent address to the nation is clear – tougher measures are required...

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 have been in place for several months now. While letting...

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

Propertymark has teamed up with an employment and health and safety specialist to establish a service for member agents with Coronavirus-related...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Lee Rix - Head of Business Development What is ‘company name’...

Are agents swimming upstream against the Electrical Safety Regulations? 3 months on from the introduction of the ‘Electrical Safety Standards in the...

Survivors and bereaved family members from the Grenfell Tower fire have joined forces with residents trapped in allegedly dangerous flats in...

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has encouraged people to complain if they are unhappy about working conditions and thousands of complaints...

Hello and welcome to the latest ADC, your regular Friday round-up of great work being done by agents, suppliers and others...

New PropTech products continue to appear, many aimed at enhancing transparency in buying and selling, or helping agents adopt new ways of...

The regional agency group which master-minded the Say No To Rightmove campaign has made a big commitment to the future of...

With the high street open again, and the Chancellor’s temporary stamp duty holiday helping to stimulate the market, estate and letting...

The National Association of Estate Agents is inviting members to join a panel reviewing new PropTech produced as a result of...

Since June 1, under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords in England have been...

Agents are being advised to operate an appointments-only system if they have offices with only one person on duty during the...

It has been three months since the property market was given the green light to reopen. During this time, we have...

Connells Group has announced its trading statement for the first half of 2020 - and its support for its staff is...

Agents should check where buyers and sellers have been on holiday as part of their approach to safety during the Coronavirus...

What do General Electric, IBM, Microsoft, and WhatsApp have in common? Yes, they are American companies that boasted revenues of $50...

Earlier this month, it was revealed that property industry bodies have joined a new Code of Practice Steering Group to enact...

The new code of conduct for estate agents has been dismissed as “a waste of time” - and the senior industry...

Agents now have a chance to say what they think should be in a new Code of Conduct being discussed following...

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

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 - which require increased electrical testing in rental properties...

At a recent Conveyancing Association webinar focused on the provision of upfront information in the property sale process, there was a...

NAEA Propertymark is partnering with a service called REACH UK, to promote selected PropTech start ups to agents who may need...

There are high hopes that the new stamp duty holiday will make an already busy market even busier - but not...

Propertymark is calling in the government for agents to be trained in the use of software operating the Unique Property Reference...

An estate agency with a reputation for PropTech innovation says it now live-streams all instructions in a bid to operate more...

The devolved government in Wales - where the housing market is still officially closed - has urged agents to report rivals...

The managing director of a Winkworth branch is threatening to report a senior member of a nearby Countrywide office to the...

The government is extending the eviction ban for a further two months. A tweet early this evening from Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick...

An agent in the unusual position of operating across the England and Welsh border says many of his competitors appear to...

Social distancing will be part of our daily routine moving forward for the foreseeable future and if you run an estate...

Knight Frank has merged two of its existing divisions to form a new Private Residence Consultancy team - and the new...

The Covid-19 crisis has forced the UK property industry to rethink the way it operates. With little warning, the pandemic disrupted the...

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, and there is a great deal of positive things to be said about a...

NAEA Propertymark is advising agents to continue measures to allow them to operate if a second wave of Coronavirus hits later...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? My name is Tom Harrington and I’m the founder and...

Letting agents up and down the country have undoubtedly felt the financial strain added by the outbreak of COVID19. Whilst this will continue,...

New figures released by Foxtons this morning show a collapse in commission income to the agency during the Coronavirus period. Sales commissions...

** This Bank Holiday Monday both Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today look at how agencies have modified offices and protocols...

** This Bank Holiday Monday both Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today look at how agencies have modified offices and protocols...

** This Bank Holiday Monday both Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today look at how agencies have modified offices and protocols...

Rightmove says it enjoyed 5.3m visits on Tuesday of this week - up four per cent on the comparable day of...

It’s a Bank Holiday weekend and if you’re taking time off we hope you and your families enjoy a well-earned break. We’ll...

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

The Bank of Ireland UK is the latest mortgage lender to resume physical valuations of properties in England, subject of course...

For the coming Bank Holiday on Monday, we’d like to show images of how agency offices have adapted to cope with...

The biggest awards for the agency sector - The ESTAS - will now be a virtual event on Friday July 3,...

A series of polls taken by Estate Agent Today suggest substantial numbers of agents remain uncomfortable about returning to trading even...

The agency at the heart of a fierce row over staff safety in the lockdown says it's now insisting local managers...

It’s back to work today for England’s estate agents and the housing market - but it’s the start of a new...

Domestic cleaners can now re-enter private homes under new Coronavirus return-to-work guidelines - the very guidelines which appear to stop estate...

An estate agent has reopened his High Street office to the public with social distancing and other safety measures in place. It’s...

Rightmove’s shareholders appear to have been generally unmoved by the string of protests against the portal in recent weeks. At the portal’s...

One of the few agents anywhere in the British Isles who has returned to something like normal working has revealed new...

At the moment, it somehow seems like tempting fate to think too far into the future, especially in terms of the...

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...

Some estate agents are now receiving small business grants from the government, according to the Guild of Property Professionals. Guild chief executive...

Allsop has staged its first principal residential auction entirely online, and has raised £28m. Some 76 per cent of all lots offered...

In this time of economic uncertainty, more and more people are becoming unwilling to leave their homes, yet you and your...

I won't be the first or last person to say that society and the property industry in which we operate is...

Countrywide has strongly denied claims made to Estate Agent Today that some people have felt obliged to work at an admin...

One of the biggest issues for agencies at the moment is furloughing - a safety net being offered by the government...

Welcome to the latest edition of our daily service dedicated to advice and guidance on how agents can best cope with...

The boss of controversial estate agency Dexters has hit out at social media reports and press articles about company staff working...

Two auctions held behind closed doors have been deemed a success, and evidence that the property market can still function despite...

Hello, and we trust you had as good a weekend as possible in these difficult circumstances.  As we start a new week...

Former housing minister Alok Sharma has revealed new measures to allow agencies and other businesses to avoid insolvency during the virus...

The government has at last issued extensive advice on home moving and the activities of estate agents during the continuing Coronavirus crisis. This...

Advice to removal companies from their main trade body has put a stop to most transactions not already at a very...

Propertymark has been told the agents should shut their offices immediately - they are not “essential businesses” under the new Coronavirus...

The annual FUTURE PropTech conference scheduled for London next month is the latest casualty of the havoc being caused by the...

Hello and here’s the next batch of guidance and advice from different sectors of the industry, many from influential trade groups. It’s...

Auction houses are the latest part of the residential sector to seek PropTech help to attract business during the Coronavirus crisis. For...

With confirmation that Section 21 will be scrapped, how can agents get ready for life after no-fault evictions? The short answer is...

The head of a firm that has been creating digital property log books for well over a decade says the house-moving...

By now, most letting agents and landlords will have heard about the draft legislation laid in Parliament concerning a mandatory minimum...

A PropTech firm claims it will improve the security of estate agents and other lone workers through a new app and location...

Hello and welcome to this week’s ADC - a sure sign that it’s the end of the week and time to...

The property management industry is evolving at a rapid pace, thanks almost entirely to the rise in PropTech. Hundreds, if not thousands...

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

After a challenging period for the UK property market, recovery is very much on the cards and the end to uncertainty...

Over the past decade, the short-term rental industry, now eponymised by Airbnb, has experienced meteoric growth. This has been driven by the...

It's been two years since the SDL Group launched its franchise block management business, SDL Property Partners, the first of its...

The government has given details of a scheme allowing 30 per cent reductions for what it calls ‘local first time buyers’...

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

An unlicensed landlord who let out rooms with dangerous electrics and refused to pay a civil fine, has been told he...

No one would argue that unfair fees and practices by rogue landlords is a problem that should be ignored, but the...

It’s beginning to look a lot like…we’re running a very popular service for agents, as we’ve been inundated with more fund-raising...

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

The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Letting Agents have issued their manifesto for next month’s General...

A survey suggests that 15 per cent of people who work in the real estate sector feel unsafe at work. This figure...

When renting a property out, letting agents and landlords recognise that it is important to take a deposit from the tenant...

A sales and lettings agency which has entered insolvency is reported by a local newspaper to have offered vendors cut-price fees...

Hello and welcome to your regular Monday PJT, the essential guide to who’s moving where in our industry. Everyone mentioned here got...

Whinge. Moan. Lead quality. Crap market. Decision procrastination. Fee pressure. Bloody competitors. Especially Purplebricks. Brexit, of course, Brexit... These are just some...

With Boris Johnson winning the Conservative leadership election and becoming Prime Minister, he has spent his first few days in office...

Hello and welcome to this latest edition of PJT, your regular weekly column giving all the key appointments news in the...

What a great time to be a letting agent. In decades, never has there been so much change. As you’re well aware,...

With Easter now upon us (happy Easter, by the way, and hope you’re enjoying the long weekend, the Easter eggs and...

It’s no secret that the UK’s housing sector is in crisis. Headlines scream about the shortage of new-build homes. TV pundits...

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

Interesting news this week from South Africa where the PropTech startup, Flow, has raised R20m in the country’s 'biggest PropTech seed...

We’re delighted to say we’ve had a fantastic response to our call for pictures and videos of your decorated offices -...

Communities have missed out on more than 10,000 affordable homes in the past three years as a result of government rules...

It’s now almost a month since the government introduced new rules on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), as part of its...

In what is regarded as his most important speech since becoming housing minister, Dominic Raab has told a conference that it...

It’s no secret that technology has changed the way businesses operate, in all sectors. With that has come changes to the...

Paul Lamplugh, the father of estate agent Suzy who was presumed murdered 33 years ago, has died - tragically, without ever...

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

Any letting agent appreciates the effort, dedication, and sometimes heartache, that comes with running a business yet equally knows that when...

100 years ago, 90% of the UK population rented a home. Today, that figure has flipped, and over two thirds are...

With reports continuing to focus on a slowing property market and an understanding that not enough properties are being marketed for...

Data from a firm specialising in lone-worker protection suggests that there has been a 27 per cent increase in the number...

The Elf on the Shelf has been something of a craze in the build up to this Christmas, notoriously getting up...

PropTech start up OneDome, which supplies online booking and mapping tools, has teamed up with live chat service provider Yomdel in...

Landlords are being urged to step up and ensure that all rented properties and accommodation meet recent laws relating to carbon...

The UK is home to four million leasehold properties in private ownership, according to government figures. The majority of which require...

Stephanie Slater died last week, aged 50. Whilst she died from cancer (tragically, only 11 days after diagnosis), it’s the events...

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...

Local councils say there must be an immediate and fast-moving review of building regulations in the light of the Grenfell Tower...

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

“I predict that within a few years, folks advertising properties for rent or to buy will start to show if their property is a...

The estate agency which was fined £200,000 after a prospective house buyer fell 30 feet into a well during a viewing...

Excuse the puntastic (or not) title, but as you’ve no doubt already deciphered I took a trip northwards a couple of...

The chronic shortage of housing supply in the UK relative to demand has been a national issue for decades. The Government...

Whatever the weather, whatever the season, our industry excels itself at good work - and we are always delighted to publicise...

Legal firm Kirwans have released shocking statistics which state that 70% of eviction notices issued by landlords to tenants may be...

The government has launched an official consultation process on a package of measures to crack down on what it calls ‘rogue...

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

London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s aim of creating a 24-hour city is one step closer with the appointment of London’s first Night...

Liz runs her own estate agency in Gateshead. When researchers for the Suzy Lamplugh Trust got in touch earlier in the year to...

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

Buy-to-let landlords may have failed in their recent legal battle against planned government tax relief changes for buy-to-let homes set to...

Suzy Lamplugh was just 25 years old when she disappeared whilst working as an estate agent in London in 1986. She’d...

A 24-unit block of apartments designed by the company behind the Yo! Sushi chain has been given consent to be constructed...

Three decades after 25-year-old Suzy Lamplugh disappeared on a house viewing, the charity set up in her name is calling on...

The huge rush to acquire buy-to-let property in the first quarter of the year ahead of the stamp duty change deadline...

For many people buy-to-let continues to look an attractive income investment at a time of low saving rates and stock market...

Barely a week goes by without news of the latest disastrous AirBnB experience suffered by an unsuspecting landlord.   Whether it’s damage...

The Motley Fool, a widely-read City investment column, says a Leave vote could result in a fall in housing market transaction...

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

High profile stock market commentary website Motley Fool has given Zoopla a strong endorsement on the eve of the first anniversary...

Someone told me the other day that it’s now only seven Mondays till Christmas. Now there’s a scary thought. Best get...

With a raft of new legislation introduced recently now will be the ideal time to think about whether staff are up...

Headlines across the lettings industry often focus on the behaviour of ‘rogue’ landlords – those that are slow to become compliant...

You can't help but notice that it's back to school time – the shops are full of school uniforms and pencil...

No one likes to be called and told, your boiler has broken down or a burst pipe has caused damage to...