Archive

The Property Ombudsman has joined calls for greater disclosure of referral fees by agents.  The issue has become a hot topic in...

Property sales take a seriously long time to complete. There are a number of reasons for this, although often delays are...

Countrywide shares soared yesterday, rising 47 per cent on the previous close at one point as investors relished the prospect of...

The mandatory qualifications expected of agents have not been forgotten and will come into effect in two or three years. That’s the...

It’s been an unexpected year for the property market, shaped by the effects of the pandemic. We didn’t quite anticipate the...

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

Across the UK and Europe, lockdown measures are changing and the markets are kicking back into life as we grow accustomed...

It’s fair to say that UK estate agents don’t have the best of reputations, often featuring in the lists of the...

An agency that has now closed down has been expelled by The Property Ombudsman for failing to pay an award of...

Hello and welcome to Agents Do Charity, a weekly round-up of news as the industry continues fund-raising even in these challenging...

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

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

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

In the second of a series of articles, Emma Vigus, Managing Director of mio, the Estate Agents Sales Progression platform, explores...

Mortgage enquiries in June surged to double the rate of the previous month according to the latest halifax house price index. Although...

A new estate agency Code of Practice is to be written by a group set up by the Royal Institution of Chartered...

Some weeks later than usual for understandable reasons, the ESTAS Awards 2020 are almost here - and for the first time...

The new Property Ombudsman taking over from October is Rebecca Marsh. She is currently Chief Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman and was...

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

Rightmove has taken the unusual step this weekend of issuing its usual monthly asking price index on a Saturday instead of...

There’s been a substantial 20 per cent rise in formal complaints about agents taken up by The Property Ombudsman.  The figures refer...

Agencies, many of which campaigned vigorously to be included in the business rates holiday announced in March by the government, have...

The Property Ombudsman has announced the expulsion of eight agencies, all for contravening TPO codes of practice. Most of the expulsions were...

A study by Rightmove suggests that 94 per cent of buyers and sellers currently in the market are determined to go...

The Property Ombudsman is advising agents to use virtual viewings only as a filtering process with offers being agreed only ‘subject...

The Property Ombudsman’s office is still receiving 40 to 50 calls a day from the public, even though most transactions with...

If there are agents still uncertain as to whether their company or themselves as individuals are claiming the maximum business support,...

Hello, this is the final Conquering Corona for the week as we continue to help agents with advice and guidance through...

A high-profile regional agency is “cracking on” with support for a hospice for children and young people that cannot raise funds during...

Good morning and welcome to today’s edition, helping agents find a way through the Coronavirus crisis by sharing information with the...

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

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

An international comparison of how major portals have discounted their charges to agents show Rightmove and Zoopla making “deeper and longer...

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

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

The Property Ombudsman has announced that it will postpone its annual conference, which was to have been on June 18, until...

We live in uncertain times. That I do not need to say to anybody. I am writing this piece aboard my...

Agents are consistently being told that they need to get on board with change. And one could quite easily make the...

Agents and senior industry figures fear Coronavirus may derail the strong start to the  2020 housing market. One of the country’s leading...

Agents now have only seven days to complete a referral fees survey, announced late on Friday by Trading Standards and The...

The National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team and The Property Ombudsman have launched an urgent survey to assess awareness...

It’s been reported that two founders of an estate agency at Leigh in Greater Manchester have been banned until 2025 after...

There’s been an average asking price rise of 2.3 per cent in the past four weeks - the biggest ever increase...

The Property Ombudsman role is being advertised. The current Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, is giving up the role in November after five years in...

Humberts is the latest estate agency to announce that it’s going to offer customers the controversial Modern Method of Auction option. The...

Rightmove is this morning reporting a huge fall in the number of new sellers coming to the market - a drop...

The Property Ombudsman scheme is increasing its fees in January for the first time in six years - and it’s implementing...

Hello there and welcome along to the latest PJT, your weekly catch-up on who’s moving where in agency, amongst suppliers and...

Three key industry organisations have endorsed a best practice guide for the controversial Modern Method of Auction. The iamsold guide is aimed at...

A company operating the controversial Modern Method of Auction says it is trying to improve the sector’s image after a series...

iamproperty, parent company of IAMsold, says it now works with 2,500 estate agency branches nationwide and has sold over 16,500 properties...

Estate and letting agents are being urged to check that they are signed up with an approved redress scheme that covers...

Transactions in the troubled prime London market have actually increased year on year according to Knight Frank’s latest market snapshot. The agency...

Improved communication and increased transparency throughout the buying process can manage vendors’ expectations, improve satisfaction scores and create long-term clients. That’s the...

A trade association of agents selling properties overseas has launched a new feature which it claims will give buyers greater security...

Some of the most radical reforms ever proposed for estate and letting agents are expected to be signed off today by...

The price of property coming to market fell by 0.2 per cent or an average of £656 in the past month...

The Property Ombudsman will in future refer more estate agents to the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agent Team if...

A new industry regulator is likely to be in place within two years according to the chair of the government’s Regulation...

  Who are you and what does it say on your business card?             Becky Howes, mio Account Manager What...

An online auction service which only came into existence in September last year claims to have 150 partner estate agents already,...

New research by comparison website GoCompare suggests almost a million house sales have been lost because of Brexit.  The study claims that...

One of my biggest concerns in all of my writing, speaking and influencing around PropTech is that for the people we...

The Property Ombudsman says its members must in future disclose referral fees in a bid to make previously-hidden costs open and...

The trade body representing so-called quick sale companies is marking five years in business with two feathers in its cap. Firstly the...

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has released its annual report for 2018, showing a 16% rise in the number of complaints made...

Another bank has slashed its forecast for Purplebricks, citing concerns over its the long-term viability of its international activities in particular. As...

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

The founder of the Hunters franchise agency group, Kevin Hollinrake - now a Conservative MP - is the latest parliamentarian to...

A survey by the Centre for Ageing Better recently showed that 72% of people want to see every new home built...

The Property Ombudsman has issued new guidance over what it calls “a growing issue” - that is, disputes over dual fees. TPO...

The Property Ombudsman’s annual conference is to hear from the chair of the government’s ‘Property Agents Working Group’ - just days...

The Property Ombudsman is to give agents new guidance on dual fees, following a surge in complaints from the public. In 2017, TPO received...

  The National Association of Estate Agents and the Association of Residential Lettings Agents have thrown their weight behind the government’s latest...

It’s been revealed that the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is to deliver new guidelines to agents for referral fees...

The man who is leading the government’s efforts to reform the house buying process will be one of the speaker at...

The Property Ombudsman scheme has taken action against another six rogue agents in recent days, bringing the total number expelled this...

Hard not to mention two major breaking news stories of recent days; one directly affecting the property market and one which...

Peter Knight, co-founder and public face of Agents Giving, is stepping down as the charity’s chairman. He is to be succeeded by...

It’s that time of the week again when we focus on the great work done by the industry, usually without much...

An estate agency trading under two different names has been expelled by The Property Ombudsman after refusing to refund a £2,000...

The Property Ombudsman has urged the government to bring the new homes build sector under consumer redress. New builds are not currently...

The Property Ombudsman scheme (TPO) has announced a series of changes to both its board and internal processes. The organisation has also...

In our previous blog, we looked at the definitions outlined by the CPRs. In our next blog we’ll look at the...

The brief but troubled history of individuals and companies attempting to raffle homes as prizes has received another blow as a...

The UK division of US-based estate agency Keller Williams says agents need access to internal training if service levels across the...

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

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

The redress scheme which formally quit the housing sector admits some estate agencies may have missed its deadline - and are thus...

The government has revised its guidance to agents over redress schemes - amending it to take account of the fact that...

The couple at the centre of a court case about agents’ fees say the issue could have been resolved earlier had...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has this morning issued a warning to agents that they must be signed up to...

One of three schemes with government backing to offer redress for complaints about estate and letting agents has reignited the debate...

Before I get into the nitty gritty of the government (well, one of its startup accelerator schemes) giving away £20,000, let...

National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team and two of the three industry redress organisations have launched a survey to measure the...

The Property Ombudsman has issued its annual report for 2017 and there’s good news for the estate agency side of the...

The battle to become the single ombudsman service after the government rationalises the redress system across housing has taken an unexpected...

The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, is to hold a briefing on the government’s redress reform on Wednesday - five days before...

The Property Ombudsman has launched an online training module which it describes as the first of its kind.  The interactive module -...

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

The Daily Mail and other papers are reporting that a buyer is suing an estate agent who allegedly failed to tell...

The National Association of Estate Agents is telling members to delete a spam email purporting to have been sent by the...

Winkworth, one of the largest estate agencies in London, has expanded with two new offices - although they are 235 and...

The Property Ombudsman has taken the unusual step of warning all estate and letting agents to act with caution over fraudulent...

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

When a tenant failed to pay any rent after the first month his tenancy last year, the landlord did not expect...

The Property Ombudsman has expelled a London lettings and estate agency for a year and is warning that the firm may...

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

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

The Property Ombudsman has told Estate Agent Today that it is happy with the controversial deferred payment scheme operated on behalf of...

Three agencies have been expelled from membership of The Property Ombudsman for two or more years, after failing to pay awards...

The Property Ombudsman has issued a year-long formal warning to consumers about an estate agency which failed to provide information concerning...

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

The first agent to open a franchised Winkworth branch has returned to the business as a consultant. Michael Stoop began his career...

The Property Ombudsman’s annual report reveals a significant increase in the number of formal complaints resolved by the scheme and a...

The industry’s three government-approved redress schemes have this week issued an updated version of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU is...

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

On the day when hundreds of agents descend on the capital to celebrate the great and good of the industry at...

It seems prop-tech is exploding at a scary rate, and the latest brands are all trying to grab our attention by...

There were only 14 complaints to The Property Ombudsman about so-called 'quick sale' firms - the professional buying companies that purchase...

The Property Ombudsman has reiterated its new guidance in relation to agents accepting pre-contract deposits in certain circumstances. Estate Agent Today reported...

The Property Ombudsman’s office has defended a change to its code of practice which, according to a national newspaper, means agents...

First details of the long-awaited Housing White Paper have emerged in stories in newspapers frequently used by government to float ideas. The...

Annoying isn’t it. You take on a stunning property, agree a compelling asking price and your Vendor is desperate to get the...

The story of the week has been the first steps of a trade body to represent independent estate agents - as...

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

The extension of Inheritance Tax from April is likely to hinder the recovery of the battered prime central London market according...

New software has been devised which can allow users to identify individual properties that have been ‘portal juggled’ - de-listed and...

Zoopla and OnTheMarket have given their first reactions to Rightmove's portal juggling extension of its property re-listing deadline from two weeks to...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is the latest body within the industry to warn its members against portal juggling. Following statements...

When a tenant paid his initial one month’s rent in addition to a tenancy deposit in exchange for the keys to...

Online reviews play an increasingly vital role in shaping the decisions of customers. Practically everyone using the internet to compare estate...

eMoov founder and chief executive Russell Quirk has launched another online petition, this time calling for mandatory licensing of estate agents. The...

The Property Ombudsman scheme’s annual report, just released, reveals that there has been a dramatic 32 per cent surge in the...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has followed up the recent announcement by The Property Ombudsman to counteract portal juggling by...

The Property Ombudsman scheme (TPO) has announced that it will be issuing updated versions of all its Codes of Practice on...

The key lies in improving your customer experience through technology For Agents, the tremendous growth in online estate agents highlights a strong...

What is Properstar? Properstar helps UK estate agents cross the chasm from local to global in respect of advertising their properties. Using...

Paying too much every month for your website? Move your website to us and we guarantee to halve your monthly bill I want...

With ever increasing obligations, estate agents know that compliance matters now more than ever.  However, being able to obtain access to the...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is warning agents not to engage in portal juggling - an activity it describes...

CRM software provider Reapit, has teamed up with Agency Mentors to provide training programmes for agents.  Reapit says its agent customers who...

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

In a surprise move, The Property Ombudsman is to allow all 420 registered firms in the British Association of Removers to...

Let Mid West Displays get your window in shape! Never underestimate the power of high street presence. Image is everything, and what...

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

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the agency industry during your time at TPO?  For me, the biggest change has...

It was an end of an era in the property world this week. Christopher Hamer stepped down as the Property Ombudsman...

A former employee of consumer body Which? has been appointed to the council of The Property Ombudsman, one of the industry’s three...

Two more agents have been expelled by TPO because they failed to pay awards when ordered to pay compensation, and because...

Gerry Fitzjohn, currently vice chairman of the board of The Property Ombudsman, has been appointed as chairman.  He takes over from Bill...

The Property Ombudsman, the largest and longest-established of three official redress schemes for agents, has recorded a significant rise in membership...

If it’s Friday it must be Agents Do Charity. Our industry does great work all year round, of course, but as...

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...

The consumer is King and to protect sellers and buyers' best interests estate and letting agents have to operate in the...

The largest of the three government-approved redress schemes, The Property Ombudsman, has updated its codes of practice to include new legislation...

Rightmove says the price of property coming to market this month has hit a new national record, up 0.9 per cent...

Jonathan Hopper, the managing director of Garrington Property Finders - the search agency originally founded by Phil Spencer - has joined...

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has announced that its first ever conference will take place in October.  ‘Raise Your Standards’ is being...

The Brian Cox estate agency, at the centre of a weekend newspaper allegation about £2,000 deposits from buyers, has strongly defended...

An estate agency says it is returning money to buyers after a newspaper revealed it was demanding would-be purchasers paid the...

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

There was a whopping 42 per cent rise in referrals to The Property Ombudsman last year according to the annual report...