CRM supplier Reapit, backed by private equity funding, has entered into an international deal to acquire a leading Australian PropTech provider...
Archive

Being a letting agent today means keeping up to date with the long list of rules and regulations governing how a...
20 February 2021
From: Features

The government may be stopping MPs debating an extension to the stamp duty holiday - despite a pledge they would do...
20 January 2021
From: Breaking News

Boomin has announced another 15 independents as members of the site, which is expected to launch in the near future. “The latest...
11 January 2021
From: Breaking News

With the Government announcement this week of another national lockdown across England amid the surging coronavirus infections, it once again puts...
08 January 2021
From: Sponsored Content

The Property Ombudsman says there have been more complaints lodged about agents so far in 2020 than in 2019. This is despite...
15 December 2020
From: Breaking News

Recent debate about urgent need for reform and better collaboration within the property industry, has once again come under the spotlight...
04 December 2020
From: Sponsored Content

The industry regulator who comes into force when the Regulation of Property Agents’ recommendations are adopted may take over versions of...
04 December 2020
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has joined calls for greater disclosure of referral fees by agents. The issue has become a hot topic in...
30 November 2020
From: Breaking News

Property sales take a seriously long time to complete. There are a number of reasons for this, although often delays are...
28 November 2020
From: Features

Countrywide shares soared yesterday, rising 47 per cent on the previous close at one point as investors relished the prospect of...
10 November 2020
From: Breaking News

The mandatory qualifications expected of agents have not been forgotten and will come into effect in two or three years. That’s the...
29 October 2020
From: Breaking News

It’s been an unexpected year for the property market, shaped by the effects of the pandemic. We didn’t quite anticipate the...
27 October 2020
From: Sponsored Content

Hello and welcome to the latest ADC, your regular Friday round-up of great work being done by agents, suppliers and others...
25 September 2020
From: Breaking News

Across the UK and Europe, lockdown measures are changing and the markets are kicking back into life as we grow accustomed...
16 September 2020
From: Features

It’s fair to say that UK estate agents don’t have the best of reputations, often featuring in the lists of the...
29 August 2020
From: Features

An agency that has now closed down has been expelled by The Property Ombudsman for failing to pay an award of...
26 August 2020
From: Breaking News

Hello and welcome to Agents Do Charity, a weekly round-up of news as the industry continues fund-raising even in these challenging...
14 August 2020
From: Breaking News

Earlier this month, it was revealed that property industry bodies have joined a new Code of Practice Steering Group to enact...
25 July 2020
From: Features

Conferences, events and awards dinners are a hugely important part of the property calendar, bringing the great and the good of...
18 July 2020
From: Features

Purplebricks’ sale of its Canadian operation for some £35m begs the question - where can it now recoup some of its losses...
16 July 2020
From: Breaking News

In the second of a series of articles, Emma Vigus, Managing Director of mio, the Estate Agents Sales Progression platform, explores...
11 July 2020
From: Features

Mortgage enquiries in June surged to double the rate of the previous month according to the latest halifax house price index. Although...
08 July 2020
From: Breaking News

A new estate agency Code of Practice is to be written by a group set up by the Royal Institution of Chartered...
01 July 2020
From: Breaking News

Some weeks later than usual for understandable reasons, the ESTAS Awards 2020 are almost here - and for the first time...
25 June 2020
From: Breaking News

The new Property Ombudsman taking over from October is Rebecca Marsh. She is currently Chief Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman and was...
05 June 2020
From: Breaking News

The biggest awards for the agency sector - The ESTAS - will now be a virtual event on Friday July 3,...
18 May 2020
From: Breaking News

Rightmove has taken the unusual step this weekend of issuing its usual monthly asking price index on a Saturday instead of...
16 May 2020
From: Features

There’s been a substantial 20 per cent rise in formal complaints about agents taken up by The Property Ombudsman. The figures refer...
11 May 2020
From: Breaking News

Agencies, many of which campaigned vigorously to be included in the business rates holiday announced in March by the government, have...
07 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has announced the expulsion of eight agencies, all for contravening TPO codes of practice. Most of the expulsions were...
04 May 2020
From: Breaking News

A study by Rightmove suggests that 94 per cent of buyers and sellers currently in the market are determined to go...
04 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman is advising agents to use virtual viewings only as a filtering process with offers being agreed only ‘subject...
01 May 2020
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman’s office is still receiving 40 to 50 calls a day from the public, even though most transactions with...
23 April 2020
From: Breaking News

If there are agents still uncertain as to whether their company or themselves as individuals are claiming the maximum business support,...
23 April 2020
From: Breaking News

Hello, this is the final Conquering Corona for the week as we continue to help agents with advice and guidance through...
17 April 2020
From: Breaking News

A high-profile regional agency is “cracking on” with support for a hospice for children and young people that cannot raise funds during...
13 April 2020
From: Breaking News

Good morning and welcome to today’s edition, helping agents find a way through the Coronavirus crisis by sharing information with the...
07 April 2020
From: Breaking News

Former housing minister Alok Sharma has revealed new measures to allow agencies and other businesses to avoid insolvency during the virus...
30 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Where else to start? Since my last Natter two weeks ago, all our lives have changed more than we could ever...
28 March 2020
From: Features

An international comparison of how major portals have discounted their charges to agents show Rightmove and Zoopla making “deeper and longer...
26 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Advice to removal companies from their main trade body has put a stop to most transactions not already at a very...
25 March 2020
From: Breaking News

The annual FUTURE PropTech conference scheduled for London next month is the latest casualty of the havoc being caused by the...
23 March 2020
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has announced that it will postpone its annual conference, which was to have been on June 18, until...
20 March 2020
From: Breaking News

We live in uncertain times. That I do not need to say to anybody. I am writing this piece aboard my...
11 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Agents are consistently being told that they need to get on board with change. And one could quite easily make the...
02 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Agents and senior industry figures fear Coronavirus may derail the strong start to the 2020 housing market. One of the country’s leading...
02 March 2020
From: Breaking News

Agents now have only seven days to complete a referral fees survey, announced late on Friday by Trading Standards and The...
10 February 2020
From: Breaking News

The National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team and The Property Ombudsman have launched an urgent survey to assess awareness...
07 February 2020
From: Breaking News

It’s been reported that two founders of an estate agency at Leigh in Greater Manchester have been banned until 2025 after...
28 January 2020
From: Breaking News

There’s been an average asking price rise of 2.3 per cent in the past four weeks - the biggest ever increase...
20 January 2020
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman role is being advertised. The current Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, is giving up the role in November after five years in...
13 January 2020
From: Breaking News

Humberts is the latest estate agency to announce that it’s going to offer customers the controversial Modern Method of Auction option. The...
22 November 2019
From: Breaking News

Rightmove is this morning reporting a huge fall in the number of new sellers coming to the market - a drop...
18 November 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman scheme is increasing its fees in January for the first time in six years - and it’s implementing...
11 November 2019
From: Breaking News

Hello there and welcome along to the latest PJT, your weekly catch-up on who’s moving where in agency, amongst suppliers and...
04 November 2019
From: Breaking News

Three key industry organisations have endorsed a best practice guide for the controversial Modern Method of Auction. The iamsold guide is aimed at...
03 October 2019
From: Breaking News

A company operating the controversial Modern Method of Auction says it is trying to improve the sector’s image after a series...
30 August 2019
From: Breaking News

iamproperty, parent company of IAMsold, says it now works with 2,500 estate agency branches nationwide and has sold over 16,500 properties...
14 August 2019
From: Breaking News

Estate and letting agents are being urged to check that they are signed up with an approved redress scheme that covers...
25 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Transactions in the troubled prime London market have actually increased year on year according to Knight Frank’s latest market snapshot. The agency...
25 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Improved communication and increased transparency throughout the buying process can manage vendors’ expectations, improve satisfaction scores and create long-term clients. That’s the...
18 July 2019
From: Breaking News

A trade association of agents selling properties overseas has launched a new feature which it claims will give buyers greater security...
18 July 2019
From: Breaking News

Some of the most radical reforms ever proposed for estate and letting agents are expected to be signed off today by...
15 July 2019
From: Breaking News

The price of property coming to market fell by 0.2 per cent or an average of £656 in the past month...
15 July 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman will in future refer more estate agents to the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agent Team if...
11 July 2019
From: Breaking News

A new industry regulator is likely to be in place within two years according to the chair of the government’s Regulation...
11 July 2019
From: Breaking News
05 July 2019
From: 60 Second Interview

An online auction service which only came into existence in September last year claims to have 150 partner estate agents already,...
21 June 2019
From: Breaking News

New research by comparison website GoCompare suggests almost a million house sales have been lost because of Brexit. The study claims that...
13 June 2019
From: Breaking News

One of my biggest concerns in all of my writing, speaking and influencing around PropTech is that for the people we...
29 May 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman says its members must in future disclose referral fees in a bid to make previously-hidden costs open and...
24 May 2019
From: Breaking News

The trade body representing so-called quick sale companies is marking five years in business with two feathers in its cap. Firstly the...
16 May 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has released its annual report for 2018, showing a 16% rise in the number of complaints made...
08 May 2019
From: Breaking News

Another bank has slashed its forecast for Purplebricks, citing concerns over its the long-term viability of its international activities in particular. As...
03 May 2019
From: Breaking News

When they first came onto the scene, online-only estate and lettings agents were predicted to swiftly spell the end for traditional...
30 March 2019
From: Features

The founder of the Hunters franchise agency group, Kevin Hollinrake - now a Conservative MP - is the latest parliamentarian to...
22 March 2019
From: Breaking News

A survey by the Centre for Ageing Better recently showed that 72% of people want to see every new home built...
16 March 2019
From: Features

The Property Ombudsman has issued new guidance over what it calls “a growing issue” - that is, disputes over dual fees. TPO...
11 March 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman’s annual conference is to hear from the chair of the government’s ‘Property Agents Working Group’ - just days...
07 February 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman is to give agents new guidance on dual fees, following a surge in complaints from the public. In 2017, TPO received...
29 January 2019
From: Breaking News

The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Lettings Agents have thrown their weight behind the government’s latest...
25 January 2019
From: Breaking News

It’s been revealed that the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is to deliver new guidelines to agents for referral fees...
23 January 2019
From: Breaking News

The man who is leading the government’s efforts to reform the house buying process will be one of the speaker at...
08 January 2019
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman scheme has taken action against another six rogue agents in recent days, bringing the total number expelled this...
17 December 2018
From: Breaking News

Hard not to mention two major breaking news stories of recent days; one directly affecting the property market and one which...
15 December 2018
From: Features

Peter Knight, co-founder and public face of Agents Giving, is stepping down as the charity’s chairman. He is to be succeeded by...
10 December 2018
From: Breaking News

It’s that time of the week again when we focus on the great work done by the industry, usually without much...
07 December 2018
From: Breaking News

An estate agency trading under two different names has been expelled by The Property Ombudsman after refusing to refund a £2,000...
21 September 2018
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has urged the government to bring the new homes build sector under consumer redress. New builds are not currently...
10 September 2018
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman scheme (TPO) has announced a series of changes to both its board and internal processes. The organisation has also...
06 September 2018
From: Breaking News

In our previous blog, we looked at the definitions outlined by the CPRs. In our next blog we’ll look at the...
21 August 2018
From: Sponsored Content

The brief but troubled history of individuals and companies attempting to raffle homes as prizes has received another blow as a...
21 August 2018
From: Breaking News

The UK division of US-based estate agency Keller Williams says agents need access to internal training if service levels across the...
16 August 2018
From: Breaking News

The Property Redress Scheme says it’s recruited another 1,750 members following the shake-out last week when one of its rival redress...
13 August 2018
From: Breaking News

Next week ludlowthompson celebrates its 25th anniversary. Here, I catch up with Stephen Ludlow, co-founder and now executive director of the...
11 August 2018
From: Features

The redress scheme which formally quit the housing sector admits some estate agencies may have missed its deadline - and are thus...
07 August 2018
From: Breaking News

The government has revised its guidance to agents over redress schemes - amending it to take account of the fact that...
06 August 2018
From: Breaking News

The couple at the centre of a court case about agents’ fees say the issue could have been resolved earlier had...
27 July 2018
From: Breaking News

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has this morning issued a warning to agents that they must be signed up to...
19 July 2018
From: Breaking News

One of three schemes with government backing to offer redress for complaints about estate and letting agents has reignited the debate...
18 July 2018
From: Breaking News

Before I get into the nitty gritty of the government (well, one of its startup accelerator schemes) giving away £20,000, let...
18 July 2018
From: Breaking News

National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team and two of the three industry redress organisations have launched a survey to measure the...
19 June 2018
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has issued its annual report for 2017 and there’s good news for the estate agency side of the...
17 May 2018
From: Breaking News

The battle to become the single ombudsman service after the government rationalises the redress system across housing has taken an unexpected...
24 April 2018
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, is to hold a briefing on the government’s redress reform on Wednesday - five days before...
09 April 2018
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has launched an online training module which it describes as the first of its kind. The interactive module -...
29 March 2018
From: Breaking News

Have you noticed a new turf war going on on the fringes of the agency world? It’s not a high-profile battle like...
17 March 2018
From: Features

The Daily Mail and other papers are reporting that a buyer is suing an estate agent who allegedly failed to tell...
28 December 2017
From: Breaking News

The National Association of Estate Agents is telling members to delete a spam email purporting to have been sent by the...
11 October 2017
From: Breaking News

Winkworth, one of the largest estate agencies in London, has expanded with two new offices - although they are 235 and...
22 September 2017
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has taken the unusual step of warning all estate and letting agents to act with caution over fraudulent...
15 September 2017
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman Scheme (TPO) has partnered with Yomdel to provide a 24/7 live chat service. Consumers can now seek 'independent dispute...
04 September 2017
From: Breaking News

When a tenant failed to pay any rent after the first month his tenancy last year, the landlord did not expect...
26 August 2017
From: Features

The Property Ombudsman has expelled a London lettings and estate agency for a year and is warning that the firm may...
23 August 2017
From: Breaking News

The police are investigating a quick sale company after a claim by an individual that he received less than half of...
11 August 2017
From: Breaking News

Property has been changing hands for centuries, but when did estate agents as we know them today – with their branches,...
04 August 2017
From: Features

The Property Ombudsman has told Estate Agent Today that it is happy with the controversial deferred payment scheme operated on behalf of...
03 August 2017
From: Breaking News

Three agencies have been expelled from membership of The Property Ombudsman for two or more years, after failing to pay awards...
28 July 2017
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has issued a year-long formal warning to consumers about an estate agency which failed to provide information concerning...
24 July 2017
From: Breaking News

That the private rental sector has become the government’s whipping boy for housing problems - landlords in particular, letting agents almost...
14 July 2017
From: Features

The first agent to open a franchised Winkworth branch has returned to the business as a consultant. Michael Stoop began his career...
05 July 2017
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman’s annual report reveals a significant increase in the number of formal complaints resolved by the scheme and a...
22 June 2017
From: Breaking News

The industry’s three government-approved redress schemes have this week issued an updated version of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU is...
07 June 2017
From: Breaking News

Baroness Diana Warwick (below right) has been appointed chair of The Property Ombudsman scheme’s independent council. A life peer for the past 18...
23 May 2017
From: Breaking News

On the day when hundreds of agents descend on the capital to celebrate the great and good of the industry at...
12 May 2017
From: Breaking News
It seems prop-tech is exploding at a scary rate, and the latest brands are all trying to grab our attention by...
17 March 2017
From: Sponsored Content

There were only 14 complaints to The Property Ombudsman about so-called 'quick sale' firms - the professional buying companies that purchase...
10 March 2017
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman has reiterated its new guidance in relation to agents accepting pre-contract deposits in certain circumstances. Estate Agent Today reported...
14 February 2017
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman’s office has defended a change to its code of practice which, according to a national newspaper, means agents...
06 February 2017
From: Breaking News

First details of the long-awaited Housing White Paper have emerged in stories in newspapers frequently used by government to float ideas. The...
03 February 2017
From: Breaking News

Annoying isn’t it. You take on a stunning property, agree a compelling asking price and your Vendor is desperate to get the...
02 February 2017
From: Sponsored Content

The story of the week has been the first steps of a trade body to represent independent estate agents - as...
21 January 2017
From: Features

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

The extension of Inheritance Tax from April is likely to hinder the recovery of the battered prime central London market according...
13 January 2017
From: Breaking News

New software has been devised which can allow users to identify individual properties that have been ‘portal juggled’ - de-listed and...
19 December 2016
From: Breaking News

Zoopla and OnTheMarket have given their first reactions to Rightmove's portal juggling extension of its property re-listing deadline from two weeks to...
14 December 2016
From: Breaking News

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is the latest body within the industry to warn its members against portal juggling. Following statements...
15 November 2016
From: Breaking News

When a tenant paid his initial one month’s rent in addition to a tenancy deposit in exchange for the keys to...
05 November 2016
From: Features

Online reviews play an increasingly vital role in shaping the decisions of customers. Practically everyone using the internet to compare estate...
22 October 2016
From: Features

eMoov founder and chief executive Russell Quirk has launched another online petition, this time calling for mandatory licensing of estate agents. The...
10 October 2016
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman scheme’s annual report, just released, reveals that there has been a dramatic 32 per cent surge in the...
04 October 2016
From: Breaking News

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has followed up the recent announcement by The Property Ombudsman to counteract portal juggling by...
29 September 2016
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman scheme (TPO) has announced that it will be issuing updated versions of all its Codes of Practice on...
27 September 2016
From: Breaking News
The key lies in improving your customer experience through technology For Agents, the tremendous growth in online estate agents highlights a strong...
13 September 2016
From: Sponsored Content

What is Properstar? Properstar helps UK estate agents cross the chasm from local to global in respect of advertising their properties. Using...
16 August 2016
From: Sponsored Content
Paying too much every month for your website? Move your website to us and we guarantee to halve your monthly bill I want...
16 August 2016
From: Sponsored Content

With ever increasing obligations, estate agents know that compliance matters now more than ever. However, being able to obtain access to the...
12 August 2016
From: Features

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is warning agents not to engage in portal juggling - an activity it describes...
12 August 2016
From: Breaking News

CRM software provider Reapit, has teamed up with Agency Mentors to provide training programmes for agents. Reapit says its agent customers who...
01 July 2016
From: Breaking News

The sense of gathering momentum for the Leave campaign ahead of the upcoming EU referendum is causing high levels of uncertainty...
17 June 2016
From: Features

In a surprise move, The Property Ombudsman is to allow all 420 registered firms in the British Association of Removers to...
03 February 2016
From: Breaking News

Let Mid West Displays get your window in shape! Never underestimate the power of high street presence. Image is everything, and what...
14 January 2016
From: Sponsored Content

Right, so it’s one more week till Christmas and two more weeks until we head face first into 2016. Both these...
18 December 2015
From: Features

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the agency industry during your time at TPO? For me, the biggest change has...
18 December 2015
From: 60 Second Interview

It was an end of an era in the property world this week. Christopher Hamer stepped down as the Property Ombudsman...
04 December 2015
From: Features

A former employee of consumer body Which? has been appointed to the council of The Property Ombudsman, one of the industry’s three...
01 December 2015
From: Breaking News

Two more agents have been expelled by TPO because they failed to pay awards when ordered to pay compensation, and because...
11 November 2015
From: Breaking News

Gerry Fitzjohn, currently vice chairman of the board of The Property Ombudsman, has been appointed as chairman. He takes over from Bill...
10 November 2015
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman, the largest and longest-established of three official redress schemes for agents, has recorded a significant rise in membership...
21 October 2015
From: Breaking News

If it’s Friday it must be Agents Do Charity. Our industry does great work all year round, of course, but as...
16 October 2015
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman and the Competition and Markets Authority have prepared a supplementary guidance note to help agents ensure compliance with the Competition Act. The...
14 October 2015
From: Breaking News

The consumer is King and to protect sellers and buyers' best interests estate and letting agents have to operate in the...
09 October 2015
From: Features

The largest of the three government-approved redress schemes, The Property Ombudsman, has updated its codes of practice to include new legislation...
02 October 2015
From: Breaking News

Rightmove says the price of property coming to market this month has hit a new national record, up 0.9 per cent...
21 September 2015
From: Breaking News

Jonathan Hopper, the managing director of Garrington Property Finders - the search agency originally founded by Phil Spencer - has joined...
30 June 2015
From: Breaking News

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has announced that its first ever conference will take place in October. ‘Raise Your Standards’ is being...
05 June 2015
From: Breaking News

The Brian Cox estate agency, at the centre of a weekend newspaper allegation about £2,000 deposits from buyers, has strongly defended...
12 May 2015
From: Breaking News

An estate agency says it is returning money to buyers after a newspaper revealed it was demanding would-be purchasers paid the...
11 May 2015
From: Breaking News

Two rival redress schemes applying to sales and lettings agents are claiming increased business. A press release from the Property Redress Scheme...