Archive

This time out, I’m in conversation with one of the big three established portals. Since it was founded in 2007, Zoopla...

At the back-end of last year and the start of this, the biggest news stories in town – besides debates over...

Talks continue between The Property Franchise Group and Hunters with both companies agreeing a new deadline of next Friday, January 29. Just...

There’s been a flurry of recent activity involving agencies quoted on the London Stock Exchange: Hunters, The Property Franchise Group and...

By any available metric, Belvoir had a good 2020. Already a well-known and well-established name, it was highly praised for its...

Connells has cemented its takeover of Countrywide - it now has backing from over 52 per cent of shareholders. In a statement...

Connells has revealed that it’s to keep the existing Countrywide branch structure and staff headcount when the acquisition process is completed...

In a dramatic New Year’s Eve statement on the London Stock Exchange, Countrywide has agreed the terms of a recommended offer...

The Property Franchise Group has approached Hunters about a possible takeover. Confirmation came this morning in a statement from Hunters, which you can...

Various investors in Countrywide have submitted early online paperwork to The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers - the red tape required to...

OnTheMarket has handed out more shares to agencies signing long-term agreements with the portal. It was almost three years ago that OTM, then...

For a number of years now, predictions have been made that one of the major tech giants will eventually enter the...

Purplebricks’ sale of its Canadian operation for some £35m begs the question - where can it now recoup some of its losses...

Purplebricks is selling its Canadian business. The sale comes little over a year after the troubled agency closed both its failed Australian and...

One of the highest profile and most widely respected figures in the British property industry has died suddenly. He was 72. Tony...

“Let’s Zoom later”, “are we Zooming in the morning or afternoon?” “Yeah, I zoomed the client earlier” – variations on these...

All my recent Natters have been focused on one particular topic, the coronavirus crisis, for obvious reasons. But there has been...

Foxtons - which has recently closed branches and furloughed staff - has described a shareholder rebellion over senior management bonuses and pay...

OnTheMarket says it has another 32 million shares to give away to agents signing full fee contracts with the challenger portal...

Only half of the branches signed up to Zoopla have taken advantage of one or other of the discount offers made...

New temporary rules have thrown a lifeline to troubled agencies like Countrywide and Purplebricks which may need to raise additional funds...

Individual franchisees operating under the Winkworth banner are receiving what the company calls “comprehensive help” on a range of issues, including...

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

There’s been widespread outrage amongst agents at Rightmove’s offer to allow some agents a deferred payment scheme operating for just three...

OnTheMarket is not responding to requests to reveal details of any pay-off for its chief executive Ian Springett, who was sacked...

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

The share price of challenger portal OnTheMarket has fallen to its equal lowest-ever level after a drop of over five per cent...

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

OnTheMarket’s share price slumped to an all-time low just before the end of trading last week. The price fell to 69.0p during trading on...

OnTheMarket will on Wednesday of this week issue over a million shares to agents who have signed new long-term listing agreements...

Controversy and Purplebricks have gone hand in hand since the agency was first launched in 2012, through its float on the...

OnTheMarket is delivering agents “a higher marketing yield than Rightmove” according to an investment consultancy which works with OTM. Investors appear to...

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

A banking company used by OnTheMarket has issued a note to its investor clients claiming the portal “arguably beats its peers...

A few details of a possible takeover or acquisition of Countrywide have started to emerge. The possibility was first floated in yesterday’s...

One of the agencies most active in the creation of OnTheMarket is trialling a return to listing on Zoopla after an...

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...

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

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

An analyst on shares website Motley Fool says Purplebricks is not only in surprisingly strong financial health, but is actually outperforming...

There seems no end in sight for the share turmoil going on at Purplebricks, with several new developments on Friday before...

It's been another busy 24 hours for publicly-quoted estate agencies. Swiss investment bank UBS has increased its stake in the troubled London...

Beleaguered fund manager Neil Woodford, one of the first champions of Purplebricks, has reduced his stake in the troubled agency for...

Beleaguered fund manager Neil Woodford, one of the early champions of Purplebricks, has slashed his stake in the company from 28.9...

Two of Britain’s largest and best known estate agencies have endured a day of turmoil at the hands of investors -...

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

Purplebricks’ most influential investor says there is “opportunity aplenty” for the company but says it would back the closure of the US...

In a shock announcement Purplebricks says founder Michael Bruce is to leave the business and its Australian operation will shut. “With hindsight, our rate of...

Countrywide’s share price woes continued yesterday with another new low being reached in early morning trading. A low of 6.5p at close...

OnTheMarket has applied to the London Stock Exchange for the release of over 528,000 new shares to agents who have signed...

For the second day in a row Countrywide was subject to two so-called Price Monitoring Extensions - temporary freezing of trading...

The London Stock Exchange twice froze trading in Countrywide’s shares yesterday after volatile movements - and a new record low price. The...

A PropTech analyst insists that the tumbling share price of Purplebricks on the London Stock Exchange does not indicate that the...

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

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

Online estate agent Emoov failed to tell crowdfunding investors it was losing £3m a month before its collapse, a Sunday paper claims. The...

New figures released this morning from OnTheMarket claim its listing inventory bis now over 80 per cent of the size of...

Zoopla is radically changing its strategy by exploiting the freedom it has under its new private equity ownership. That’s the conclusion of...

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...

Given that online property portals, dominated by a handful of websites, are by far the most popular home search method, it...

OnTheMarket has issued an upbeat statement about the Court of Appeal setting a date to hear Connells-owned Gascoigne Halman's challenge to a ruling...

OnTheMarket plc, the company which operates the OTM portal, gives its first formal stock market figures tomorrow morning, for the six...

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

A statement to the London Stock Exchange by eProp Services has cemented its role primarily as a PropTech firm. This is in...

Franchise giant Hunters has reported its latest results to the city, showing impressive growth despite a slow-moving property market. In the six...

Speculation is growing that Rightmove could drop out of the prestigious FTSE-100 within the next few days as the stock exchange...

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

OnTheMarket has seen another increase in listings to more than 10,500 offices, but it is repeating a warning that its free...

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...

Today sees the first of a series of important deadlines which will determine the success of otherwise of Countrywide’s controversial rescue...

The chief executive of the newly-expanded Emoov group has been giving details of the merger with Tepilo and the possibility of...

OnTheMarket has signed up 12-office regional agency Robert Oulsnam and Company.  The firm, which handles sales and lettings, has 12 offices in...

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

OnTheMarket has now signed listing agreements with UK estate and letting agents with a total of over 10,000 offices - but...

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

Foxtons share price hit a new low yesterday, dropping to only 46p early in the afternoon: it eventually closed narrowly up...

Peter Long, executive chairman of Countrywide, has resigned from another boardroom to focus on saving the troubled estate agency. Long has chosen...

Emoov’s latest crowdfunding campaign has now gone well over £1.5m, making it already 50 per cent over-funded already from its original...

Another update from OnTheMarket this morning claims the portal is now listing over 550,000 UK residential property listings, in excess of...

Emoov has launched a crowdfunding campaign giving investors, it says, “a final chance” to put their money into the hybrid agency...

Purplebricks is reported to be set to reveal increasing losses when it issues its full-year financial results to the London Stock...

One of Countrywide’s former allies in the City broker community - independent corporate advisor Numis - has downgraded the troubled agency...

OnTheMarket now has listing agreements with over 9,000 estate agency branches - that's another 500 or so since its previous release...

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

Property portal OnTheMarket has announced that it now has listing agreements with over 8,500 estate and letting agency branches.  It says that...

A study of estate agencies and portals floated on the London Stock Exchange suggests that digital companies have shown much better...

UK measures to retaliate against alleged Russian government-sponsored nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal have excluded any attempt to...

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

The UK chief executive of Purplebricks, Lee Wainwright, has been granted an option to buy 100,000 shares in the firm. The purchase would...

In an unexpected trading statement this morning, OnTheMarket says it has signed 243 new listing agreements within its first 10 days...

OnTheMarket’s share price fell just over five per cent yesterday, continuing its troubled launch on to the London stock exchange. It...

The bank Morgan Stanley says OnTheMarket’s listings have fallen 19 per cent in the past year. In a note to investors issued...

All eyes are on Agents’ Mutual’s first day of trading on the London stock exchange - just over five years after...

Most listed agencies and portals suffered share price falls yesterday, creating a challenging landscape for Agents’ Mutual which launches on the London stock exchange...

Purplebricks has this morning issued an unusual statement to the Stock Exchange blaming a City report for the sharp fall in the...

Figures presented to the London Stock Exchange by Agents’ Mutual appear to show that it has 200 fewer branches now than...

Analysts have given a frosty reception to the announcement by Agents’ Mutual that it is going to float shares priced at...

Agents’ Mutual has released more details of its float on the stock market, which begins on February 9 with a placing priced...

If Countrywide thought its fortunes would immediately improve following the departure of chief executive Alison Platt, it has to think again...

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

Purplebricks has this morning announced it’s to launch in New York. A statement to the London Stock Exchange this morning read: The...

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

Sky News is reporting that the non-executive chairman of Purplebricks, Paul Pindar, is set to invest a seven figure sum in...

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

Global investment bank RBC Capital Markets says OnTheMarket has the potential to undermine the pricing power of Rightmove and ZPG -...

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

ZPG says that the number of estate agency branches that left to join OnTheMarket but have now returned has reached over...

The much-expected pause in the roll out of Countrywide's online service to vendors, confirmed yesterday, did not appear to impress investors. Countrywide's...

Crowdfunding is nothing new. As I pointed out in a previous Natter, it dates back centuries, playing a part in the...

ZPG has announced that Connells is the latest major agency chain to sign a long-term deal with its portals Zoopla and...

Agents’ Mutual is officially making no comment on the timetable for the company flotation but speculation within the industry is mounting...

It appears that OnTheMarket member agents can, if they wish, opt out of the five year ‘lock in’ share agreement and...

Investec Asset Management has bought a 5.6 per cent share in Countrywide, having had no previous involvement in the troubled estate...

The research director of an investment firm which has advised Purplebricks says the “odd detractor” who doesn’t sell their home does...

Countrywide’s share price hit another new low yesterday of around 115.5p - a fall of just over four per cent on...

One of the world’s leading property technology experts, who at one time was head of strategy at a property portal, says investing...

Sky News says the online estate agent eMoov is drawing up plans to float on the stock market.  Sky has been well-informed...

The flotation of Agents’ Mutual on the London Stock Exchange could happen as soon as later this year following the endorsement...

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

Agents' Mutual has told the London Stock Exchange that it is going to float after winning support from 89 per cent...

The growing anger of some OnTheMarket member agents about the portal’s parent company proposal to float on the London Stock Exchange...

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

The investment consultancy chosen by Agents’ Mutual to advise on its float plans - Zeus Capital - is the same one...

Humberts, a member of Agents’ Mutual, is today launching an online-only option and claims it can list online-only properties on OnTheMarket. Such...

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

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

Agents’ Mutual has confirmed that it proposes to form a new company, OnTheMarket plc, to list on the AIM market of...

Sky News is reporting that OnTheMarket is to demutualise and list on the Stock Exchange.    The portal made much of its mutual...

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 does not report its figures for the first half of 2017 until August 1, but even so it...

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

Property portal Rightmove has appointed easyJet's chief financial officer to its board. Andrew Findlay will join Rightmove as a non-executive director...

Reports in the commercial property industry publication Property Week suggest there may be difficulties concerning the sale of Countrywide’s commercial operation,...

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

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

Swiss bank UBS has downgraded Countrywide’s status to ‘sell’ in a move which has prompted the troubled estate agency’s share price...

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

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

The remarkable bull run on the London Stock Exchange continues for hybrid estate agency Purplebricks, which floated shares at 100p just...

Purplebricks has issued its second statement to the City on successive trading days - and its share price has risen by...

The board of Purplebricks has issued a statement to the City saying it has no idea what lies behind the soaring...

The stock market appears to be continuing its love affair with Purplebricks, as the hybrid agency share price rose once again...

Countrywide’s share price closed slightly down again yesterday to finish trading at 176.0 after news emerged that the group was selling...

Each year the London Stock Exchange lists 1,000 firms in a league table entitled ‘Companies To Inspire Britain’ and for the...

Countrywide estate agency group is to drop out of the FTSE 250 from the start of trading on December 19. The news...

The share prices of Countrywide and LSL Property Services diverged yesterday in response to both agency groups being downgraded by influential...

  The chief marketing officer of Purplebricks, Joby Russell - who in the recent past has described the hybrid as “the UK’s...

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

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

Agency and other property shares that have been buffetted in the past two trading days have now stabilised - in most...

The only way Purplebricks' dominance of the online agency sector can be challenged is via a merger between competitors or another stock...

Purplebricks Group has issued a trading statement to the City - with another dramatic revenue increase and a claim that the...

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

Purplebricks has appointed Grant Thornton as its ‘growth adviser’ as the hybrid agency continues to fly high on the London stock...

Countrywide has announced to the Stock Exchange this morning that Peter Long will take over from Grenville Turner as chairman at...

The co-founder of hybrid estate agency EweMove says if the newly-floated Purplebricks fails "the online agency game could be up." Glenn Ackroyd,...

Purplebricks recorded a volatile bout of trading on London’s Stock Exchange yesterday, where it ended the day with a 5.7 per...

Star fund manager Neil Woodford - whose investment judgements have made him something of a celebrity in the world of high...

Purplebricks is very easily the most recognisable online estate agency, according to a survey of 1,300 home owners by respected polling...

Hybrid online estate agency Purplebricks is expected to start trading on the Stock Exchange on December 17. It has already raised £58.1m...

Shares in Foxtons start the week at 244 after staging a dramatic stock market recovery following a poor set of figures. The...

A former director of Foxtons has been appointed chief executive of a high-profile London estate agency chain.  James Evans takes up the...

Hunters, the franchise chain with over 150 branches and now established as the UK's sixth largest estate agent, could be valued...

Hunters is reported to be confirming its intention to float on the stock exchange today, after a series of high-profile expansions...