Archive

Savills has withdrawn its planned dividend to shareholders but says it could declare an "enhanced" payout at an unspecified later date. Only...

Yet another one of the giants of our industry, Hunters, says it’s taking “appropriate measures” to safeguard the firm in the...

Rightmove has this morning told its shareholders it is “taking appropriate measures” to shore up the company. It gives no indication of...

A senior figure in the industry has spoken out against the shock sackings and branch closures announced by Spicerhaart. Jon Cooke, chief...

The two major portals have unveiled their discounts and deals for agents facing a dramatic loss of business because of the...

OnTheMarket this morning announced what it calls “a payment support initiative” for those agents paying full-price membership. It’s for three months and...

It's been revealed this evening that Bruce Marsh, who was to become Countrywide's chief operating officer, is now not going to...

In a very brief announcement to the City and to its shareholders this morning, LSL Property Services made clear that it...

Countrywide has revealed a major hold-up in its supposedly "vital" sale of its commercial arm - and it is now seeking...

LSL Property Services says the Coronavirus crisis has led to a softening of "lead sales indicators" - and it warns of...

More than 18 months on from the acquisition of ZPG for £2.2 billion by Silver Lake Partners, a US private equity...

Rightmove has released another stonking set of results - but there are signs that some agents are defecting from the ever-more-expensive...

Foxtons is warning that 2020 will be yet another difficult year for the agency despite the so-called Boris Bounce helping the...

Rupert Sebag-Montefiore has this morning been named as a non-executive director of OnTheMarket. He will also serve as chairman of the portal’s...

Both Countrywide and LSL Property Services have submitted early online paperwork to The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, an independent body...

Countrywide and LSL Property Services have this morning confirmed that talks are underway about a possible mega-merger. This confirms the speculation yesterday that...

Countrywide is remaining silent over the stalled sale of its commercial arm. The troubled agency group’s share price dropped over 3.5 per...

Countrywide is declining to explain why due diligence on the sale of its commercial arm did not catch a problem which...

Countrywide has revealed a mysterious delay in the sale of its commercial arm, Lambert Smith Hampton - a sale considered crucial for the...

OnTheMarket claims its visitor total last month exceeded 30m, a new monthly record and an increase of some 28 per cent...

The Hunters franchise group says it’s now the third largest agency in the UK, and it promises to reveal a major...

Foxtons's trading statement this morning reveals another huge slump in sales - but no new announcement about future branch closures after a spate...

LSL Property Services, which embarked on a significant branch closure programme last year, has reported a 16 per cent slump in...

Winkworth says it’s achieved a big jump in London sales market share despite “an uncertain and difficult year that was dominated...

The Property Franchise Group - which operates five High Street agency brands and the EweMove hybrid - has set up a...

Savills says the decisive General Election result appears to have suddenly turned the market around and gave “a strong close to...

Purplebricks is not revealing details of the different pricing strategies it is testing “in the field” early this year. Last month the...

Rightmove has announced the start of a two-month share repurchase programme - a way of buying its own stock back from...

Countrywide’s share price yesterday went from little over 7p to 360p in one fell swoop. Is it the end of uncertainty about...

A new year dawns - but will 2020 bring new change for the agency industry now that the market appears to...

Countrywide's senior management has won overwhelming backing from shareholders for its strategy of selling its commercial arm and consoliating its shares. Today's...

Countrywide's senior management has won overwhelming backing from shareholders for its strategy of selling its commercial arm and consoliating its shares.         Earlier...

OnTheMarket has this morning announced it has raised £3.4m through a placing of shares. It has placed 4,857,143 new ordinary shares at a...

A statement made by Purplebricks in its trading statement yesterday appears to fly in the face of statements it has made...

OnTheMarket’s TV advert, promoting its ‘New & exclusive’ feature, will be back on screens from Boxing Day ahead of what it calls a...

OnTheMarket has this morning announced that as of December 2, over 3,000 more offices had been signed under new paying contracts...

We recently asked readers for their questions to the portals - the questions they couldn’t really ask their local reps, but...

A new portal claims it will do what OnTheMarket failed to do, and offer an agent-led operation charging every agency branch...

Countrywide has this morning revealed that its special general meeting of shareholders to agree the sale of its commercial arm will...

Rightmove has this morning named Andrew Fisher as its non-executive chairman, stepping into the role on January 1.  He succeed Scott Forbes,...

The Property Franchise Group has issued a trading statement that is upbeat on lettings but warns that the sales market has...

Purplebricks is to give its next trading update on General Election day, December 12, when it will tell shareholders the details...

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...

Rightmove has announced that Robyn Perris is to step down as finance director next year after 12 years at the company. During...

Purplebricks has this morning released a brief and relatively downbeat trading statement to the City and its shareholders. The statement applies to the...

Countrywide has declined to comment on circumstances surrounding today’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors disciplinary meeting about diverted funds. One of RICS’...

The chief executive of Purplebricks UK says the struggling hybrid agency is definitely not for sale, despite recent sales of stakes...

News broke last weekend of a further online estate agency casualty as letting agent Upad announced on its website that it...

Purplebricks' senior management avoided a shareholder revolt yesterday during the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM). Last weekend, it emerged via the Sunday...

Purplebricks is reported to be facing a shareholder revolt this coming week at its annual general meeting because of bonuses paid...

London agency Foxtons has announced some management changes - the first since a shareholder revolt at the firm’s annual general meeting...

All eyes will be on Purplebricks today to see if there is further development in what some believe is a long-term...

Troubled star fund manager Neil Woodford has sold another slice of his share in Purplebricks, prompting further speculation about the future...

Winkworth’s trading statement for the first half of 2019 show the company’s revenue and pre-tax profit both dipping slightly - but...

It’s been quite a week for news so you might have missed this story - there is yet another boost for...

OnTheMarket TV adverts return on Monday with what the portal calls “a refreshed version” giving more prominence to its ‘new and...

Countrywide’s branch closure programme, shrouded in secrecy even to shareholders, may have involved shutting 250 offices according to an insider. The individual...

A newspaper claims that a crowdfunding site used by some estate agencies and other property industry companies has suspended trading on...

Savills, once a safe bet for year-on-year growth, has seen its underlying UK residential profits plunge 44 per cent with economic...

Countrywide has told Estate Agent Today that it will not be releasing any figures on the branch closure programme it introduced...

OnTheMarket has applied to the London Stock Exchange for the release of over a million new shares to agents who have...

A note sent out by OnTheMarket chief executive Ian Springett has suggested that the way estate agents work may directly lead...

Nicky Stevenson has had a very varied and interesting career in property. She started out as a lettings negotiator for Nicholas...

Foxtons’ sales slumped another 10 per cent and its total revenue dropped another 3.5 per cent according to figures released this...

Belvoir, the UK's largest property franchise, has changed its name - at least slightly - from Belvoir Lettings to Belvoir Group.  In...

Shareholders at today’s annual general meeting of OnTheMarket will hear the latest conversion figures showing how many agents on free or...

The next key date to measure the progress of Countrywide’s controversial Back To Basics programme is at the end of this...

Purplebricks has revealed its annual results for the year ending April 30 2019.  The hybrid agency has posted an operating loss of...

In the second part of my exploration of startups, I talk to a number of people with lived experience of creating...

OnTheMarket chief executive Ian Springett says rival portals may want to “interfere” with his aim of converting agency members from free...

Figures released from OnTheMarket this morning suggest that its conversion programme for agents shifting from free deals to paid membership is...

Emoov and Countrywide: what a pair, observers might say. They present a tale of two failures - although, in the case of...

OnTheMarket claims monthly visits to its website hit a record 25.4m in May - but the portal’s latest update gives no...

A writer for the influential financial publication Money Week says investors should “steer clear” of Foxtons - at least for now. Sarah...

Countrywide’s shares took another battering yesterday as they plummeted below the psychologically-painful 5p mark - reflecting a 95 per cent loss of...

The Annual General Meeting of Foxtons shareholders in London has seen a dramatic rebellion against bonuses for senior management. There were 14 resolutions put...

Foxtons has warned shareholders and the City that sales volumes are at a “record low” and that the agency suffered another fall...

My article last week has sparked some really great engagement, which I’m delighted about!  Thank you to everyone who commented or dropped...

It’s not often we can enjoy beautiful sunshine on bank holidays, but I suppose this one was a particularly blessed weekend,...

The chairman of franchise giant Hunters says his company’s purchasing power is such that it secures 60 per cent discounts from...

OnTheMarket has applied to the London Stock Exchange for the release of shares to agents signing long term deals with the...

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

Many estate and letting agents are receiving more leads through OnTheMarket than through Rightmove, the challenger portal claims - and it...

Savills has this morning talked up its investment in onliner Yopa, which it claims is the sixth largest estate agency in...

Countrywide's report to shareholders this morning warns that the residential market is heading for a difficult 2019 which may hit the...

Rightmove has this morning given its 2018 report to shareholders, laying bare the huge financial wealth of the company which dominates...

Purplebricks’ eye-watering share price fall yesterday was greeted with widespread satisfaction by property professionals outside the online sector. The agency’s share price...

Purplebricks has this morning warned investors its foreign activities are not going as well as predicted - although it insists it is...

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

The government has launched an official consultation about a new stamp duty surcharge - the long-awaited additional one per cent for...

The Property Franchise Group says its online/hybrid agency EweMove traded profitably throughout  last year and will show “a significant improvement” over...

A major restructuring of LSL Property Services has just been announced to shareholders, with substantial numbers of branch closures. The statement says...

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

OnTheMarket says it now has listings agreements with more than 12,500 estate and lettings agency branches. In a statement to shareholders and...

Franchise giant Hunters, which started 2019 by announcing two new branches, is to open another four next month after an upbeat...

Connells’ brand Gascoigne Halman has lost its appeal against OnTheMarket. Gascoigne Halman challenged OTM’s old ‘one other portal’ rule at the Competition...

LSL Property Services - parent company of Your Move, Reeds Rains and London agency Marsh & Parsons - has given a...

Savills’ residential business grew market share last year in the UK despite what it calls “challenging conditions.” In a trading statement to...

Kenny Bruce, one of the founders of sector-leading online agency Purplebricks, has sent his good wishes to Russell Quirk, who founded...

Purplebricks has revealed that it’s given its new global chief operating officer 700,000 shares - valued at around £165p each that...

UBS, a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company based in Zurich and Basel, now owns approaching 10 per cent...

Rightmove has launched a share buy-back programme to run until late next month, February. Companies buy back their own shares to keep up...

OnTheMarket had told its shareholders this morning that it now has over 12,000 branches listing and is offering share incentives to...

The Times reports that crowdfunding investors are considering legal action following the collapse of Emoov. The investors in question appear to be some of...

The head of the portal PropertyMutual has accused Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket of being “corporate dinosaurs” and has called on agents...

Emoov has this afternoon appointed administrators as a result of not being able to secure a buyer - the move had...

OnTheMarket chief executive Ian Springett has told an agents’ conference of the strategy for his service - including a prediction that...

However mild the weather may have been for most of us, it’s a cold autumn for the online estate agency market...

Purplebricks says it has seen year-on-year revenue growth of about 20 per cent despite what its chairman calls “a challenging UK...

Countrywide has given Estate Agent Today exclusive details of progress on its Back To Basics programme as it seeks to recover...

OnTheMarket’s trading figures for the six months to the end of July show, as predicted, losses while the company is building...

Foxtons says its use of technology allows it to increase the reach of its branches - and claims this is behind...

Countrywide has announced the appointment of a new board member with “substantial restructuring and turnaround expertise.” Mark Shuttleworth became a non-executive director...

OnTheMarket has this morning announced that it now has signed listing agreements with more than 11,000 estate agency offices - over...

Hello and welcome to this week’s Agents Do Charity - another chance to hear about the remarkable fund-raising done by our...

Emoov’s founder Russell Quirk has outlined how he would help Britain get out of its current housing crisis to a Labour...

Shareholders in the ailing Countrywide agency group appeared to remain largely indifferent to the news that their executive chairman Peter Long...

The number of new franchise applicants reported by Winkworth in the first half of the year rocketed 135 per cent -...

EweMove is the country’s fifth largest online agency group based on transactions, and continues to make a profit according to its owner,...

Following the first day of trading its new shares yesterday, Countrywide's share price finished at 12.52, down almost 4%. The new shares were...

Countrywide may have enjoyed the overwhelming support of its major institutional shareholders for its controversial rescue plan, but the wider financial...

Countrywide’s embattled management leaders have been overwhelmingly backed by shareholders in their bid for additional funding. A General Meeting of shareholders was held...

Yopa, which says it is the second largest hybrid agency when measured by listings, has received a major new £20m investment. Savills -...

Countrywide’s eagerly-awaited General Meeting for shareholders takes place today and is widely expected to back the ailing agency group’s controversial rescue...

Countrywide’s share price defied the expectations of some analysts and rose over six per cent yesterday with the company moving from...

In yet another statement to the London Stock Exchange and shareholders, Countrywide says its last-gasp £140m fund-raising is likely to be...

Countrywide appears to have backtracked on a move which could have seen its three most senior executives receive some £20m in...

Welcome to this week’s Property Jobs Today - and as ever we have a breakdown of key moves within our industry. To...

At first sight, to suggest this is a good time for an agency business to go for an IPO - that...

We may be well into August but there’s little sign of a holiday for our industry, with a string of big...

It was interesting to see the recent story on Estate Agent Today about OnTheMarket (OTM) raising its fees after signing up...

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

Countrywide's share price has dropped sharply following the announcement of the company's rescue plan - but the firm itself says this...

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

‘Up’ is the key word in Rightmove’s figures for the first half of 2018, released to the City and to shareholders...

The agonisingly painful decline of Countrywide continues, with no one sure whether it is the darkest hour before the dawn or...

Countrywide, the troubled estate agency group thought by some to be near collapse, has delayed issuing its interim figures which were...

It’s being suggested that Countrywide’s rights issue, previously expected to be announced this week, may now be delayed. The Times says the...

At least one estate agency appears to be doing better than expected in the current challenging market - Hunters says sales...

Countrywide has not made any official statement about speculation over the weekend that it was about to seek an additional £100m investment. Estate...

It’s being reported this morning that Countrywide will seek new investment of over £100m, probably in the next few days.  The Sunday...

The stock market and at least one City analyst have shrugged their shoulders at the claim by Purplebricks that it is...

  Purplebricks says it enjoyed an 81 per cent growth in revenue in the UK the year to the end of April and...

So here’s the thing. It’s summer - not much going on, school holidays about to start, industry publications filling out space...

High-end housebuilder Berkeley Homes says “macro and political uncertainty, including Brexit” is leading to some developers previously building in London to...

OnTheMarket has announced to the City and its shareholders that it’s to reveal its annual results tomorrow - the first such...

A recent holiday in the US gave me an opportunity to catch up with property news over there - and surprisingly,...

Foxtons has this morning given a gloomy trading update to the City and shareholders. In a statement issued at 7am it says:...

OnTheMarket says it has now struck listing agreements with 7,500 agency branches, adding over 2,000 branches since floating on the London stock...

LSL Property Services has issued a warning that market conditions are softer than expected so far in 2018 and that transaction...

Purplebricks has issued a statement saying that 99.98 per cent of its shareholders have backed the new investment to expand its...

Winkworth, the agency which released its 2017 results this morning, says the franchise business model it supports is more resilient than others...

As noted in Estate Agent Today’s news pages, OnTheMarket’s (OTM) recent dire share performance (at time of writing the price is...

High-end international estate agency company Savills claims Yopa, in which it has invested substantial sums, is now the UK’s 10th largest...

Savills has reported good figures for 2017 although most of its strongest performance was outside the world of residential property. In a...

OnTheMarket says estate agencies with some 1,000 offices have joined the portal in the five weeks since it floated on the...

The troubled Countrywide group has this morning revealed its recovery plan to get - in its words - ‘back to basics’...

Foxtons has reported its 2017 figures to shareholders and the City this morning and as expected they show sharp falls in...

Rightmove says its commercial property side is “continuing to gain momentum” with 650,000 leads generated for customers in 2017. Perhaps with an...

Rightmove has reported another very large leap in revenue in 2017 and a modest rise in agency and new home customers...

OnTheMarket has told the City this morning that it has already signed up 81 new listing agreements by 5pm yesterday, completing...

City broker Jefferies is warning that Countrywide’s earnings as calculated through the EBITDA measure could drop to as little as £50m -...

Countrywide has made a brief announcement to shareholders about amending its credit facility with lenders to help it turn the business...

There was confirmation this morning, as expected, that Countrywide chief executive Alison Platt has quit - but so far there is no...

Countrywide appears to be in turmoil with Sky News reports that board members are discussing trying to get rid of controversial...

It is now an industry truism to say that Alison Platt has transformed Countrywide - but recent evidence, and now doubt...

Sky News is this evening reporting that Alison Platt, the chief executive of the troubled Countrywide agency, may soon be leaving...

The Countrywide chief executive, Alison Platt, is said to have warned staff that the reaction from the markets and shareholders to...

Shares in troubled agency group Countrywide have fallen to their lowest-ever level of 106.40p in trading this morning. Yesterday shares fell a...

With the year in full swing we have some more heroic fund-raising and grant-giving stories to tell this week. Thanks so much...

Franchise giant Winkworth has told its shareholders that its revenues for 2017 are likely to be less than five per cent...

The business editor of right-wing political weekly The Spectator has made an attempt to defend the controversial £109m bonus paid to...

OnTheMarket has announced some details of its IPO and the launch of its stock market flotation - but it has given nothing...

LSL Property Services - which includes Your Move, Reeds Rains and other high street estate agencies - batted away any housing...

ZPG has revealed its 2017 annual report this morning with a stream of records - 648 million visits to portals, revenue...

ZPG is refusing to increase its rejected bid to buy comparison website GoCompare. Earlier this month GoCompare turned down an unsolicited takeover offer...

Belvoir has this morning withdrawn its merger offer to The Property Franchise Group, after some weeks of talks. As recently as Tuesday,...

Belvoir has revealed that it has won the backing of a minority shareholder in The Property Franchise Group to resume merger...

Chris Bell, a former chief executive of bookies’ organisation Ladbrokes, has been named as the non-executive chairman of Agents’ Mutual as...

The latest volley in the war of words between Belvoir and The Property Franchise Group has been hurled - this time...

Statements from The Property Franchise Group and Belvoir continue to ramp up the war of words between the two agency groups...

Belvoir has announced that it has made an approach to The Property Franchise Group regarding a possible merger. In a statement to...

Investment website The Motley Fool says comparisons between forecast and actual profits reported by Purplebricks suggest the company’s position isn’t -...

Purplebricks' latest trading statement, issued this morning, claims "good progress" and says its revenue in the UK for the first half...

An early Gold member of OnTheMarket is making a last-ditch bid to stop its parent company, Agents’ Mutual, from floating on...

LSL Property Services has announced that it has invested £20 million into hybrid agency YOPA. News of the investment broke on Friday...

The stock exchange seems to be on everyone’s lips at the moment. There’s Agents’ Mutual seeking to float on the Alternative Investment...

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

The police are investigating a quick sale company after a claim by an individual that he received less than half of...

I hate to be the guy to say ‘I told you so’…but I told you so! It seems that my predictions...

The share price of beleaguered hybrid agency Purplebricks has recovered some of the ground it lost earlier in the week after...

Agents’ Mutual (oops, that name might need to change…read on) has been touting its recent legal victory and is about to...

After a roller-coaster day on the Stock Exchange yesterday, Purplebricks has sought to defend itself against further possible share price losses...

LSL Property Services - owners of Your Move, Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons amongst estate agency brands - has enjoyed...

In its latest report to shareholders, Rightmove has revealed yet more growth in agent numbers, traffic to its website, revenue per...

Countrywide says the roll out of its online sales and lettings service is on schedule to reach 50 per cent of...

Foxtons has reported its half-year figures for the six months to the end of June and, as expected, they show how...

Foxtons - a company seen by many as a barometer of the London housing market - is likely to face a...

Agents’ Mutual says it will be seeking to recover costs and compensation for losses incurred after what is widely seen as...

Two of the most influential figures behind the PropTech sector have run a microscope over Rightmove’s business model and technology -...

Our recent roundtable on the proposed ban on tenant fees generated ten tips for growing a lettings business. We’re exploring each tip in more...

Lomond Capital has purchased a majority stake in one of the south coast of England’s major estate and letting agency groups,...

Countrywide’s Bairstow Eves brand has launched a series of video guides for customers using their £995 online agency service and for...

A London investment broker says Purplebricks’ share price - currently around 300p - could rise another 50 per cent or more...

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

Countrywide has successfully placed 21.6m shares to institutional investors at the competitive price of 175p per share - allowing it to...

It's been revealed that Countrywide has lost 200 branches in its reorganisation - that's around 20 per cent of its branch...

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

LSL Property Services - which owns high street agency brands Your Move, Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons - is the...

Martin & Co wants its shareholders to agree that the firm’s name should be changes to The Property Franchise Group.  A note...

Purplebricks has raised £50m through a share issue to fund expansion into the United States later this year. In an announcement to shareholders...

Rightmove secured over 131m visits last month, an all-time high for January. The 131m total was some three per cent above January...

The fledgling organisation seeking to represent independent estate agents has issued a lengthy statement setting out what it calls ‘rules of...

Rightmove’s web traffic between Boxing Day and the end of last week is up five per cent on the same period...

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

Foxtons has revealed that in the final quarter of last year its revenues were only £26m - down a quarter on...

Lambert Smith Hampton, the commercial arm of Countrywide, is to be put up for sale. LSH is one of Britain's oldest and...

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

It’s a tale of two estate agencies - Britain’s biggest, seemingly in trouble, and the second biggest, winning a seal of...

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

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

In recent weeks I have been carrying out question and answer sessions with some of the key figures in the property...

An equity specialist has warned that shareholders may now choose this is the time to sell their stakes in Purplebricks because...

Hunters has delivered an upbeat report to shareholders, claiming income up 42 per cent in the first six months of the...

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

The high-profit property crowdfunding site Property Partner has laid off 13 of its employees - equivalent to around 29 per cent...

The Financial Times is reporting that a shareholders’ rebellion may be on the cards at Foxtons as some with a stake...

Straightforward money laundering customer due diligence (CDD) is a worry for agents, but then also having to identify beneficial owners and...

One of the leading financial advice websites in the country has said that Rightmove’s “significant market share” and “insanely high margins”...

What Countrywide are getting at is that they want to think more like retailers to engage better with customers.  If this is...

So this is Easter - a busy time for many agents although once again the industry has shown its compassionate side...

Controversial online estate agent and industry commentator Russell Quirk has hit out at the fee structure of traditional agents, claiming it...

Birthdays aren’t just something for family and friends to celebrate.   Businesses too can justifiably use these milestones to remember their roots and...

Do you remember Martha Lane-Fox? She was the poster girl for lastminute.com and an icon of the dot.com bubble that ended...

Foxtons has started a buy-back of shares from its investors - a way of rewarding shareholders after what has been a...

Online estate agency Purplebricks is reported to be preparing a stock market listing valuing it at close to £250m. The company is...

Members of Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) who purchased discounted shares ahead of the firm’s Initial Public Offering last June will have...