Archive

Will he stay or will he go? You don’t need me to say who ‘he’ is - it’s the only story...

Former Housing Secretary James Brokenshire has died at the age of 53. The Conservative ex-Cabinet minister, who was diagnosed with lung cancer...

A scathing document produced by MPs slams the government for its “deplorable” housing policies which are "invented, abandoned and reinvented" -...

High end agents usually keep their powder dry when it comes to party politics, to avoid upsetting customers. However Knight Frank has...

For a very long time, it was one of the best ways – if not the best way – of generating...

A law firm has spoken out about two possible problems in the government’s much-publicised idea of considering Reservation Agreements as a...

Yes, believe it or not, we’ve nearly reached the end of a whole decade. And what an eventful decade it’s been. We’ve...

With Brexit still unresolved, the domestic agenda has been pushed from the headlines by the seemingly overwhelming public and political discord...

It never rains but it pours. And that’s certainly been the case for the online estate agency sector in the last...

Briefings from the Conservative Party to The Sun newspaper suggest that the party will this week announce further relaxation in planning...

There’s a clear change of mood music in the country now regarding environmental issues. You don’t need to be old to remember...

I think I speak for most people when I say that we are not currently where we thought we would be...

If anyone thought a Boris Johnson government would be more decisive than Theresa May's when it came to housing policies, the last...

Countrywide has thrown its weight behind the proposals for a new single industry-wide regulator taking on the roles of Trading Standards...

If you’d asked me at the start of the year how I thought the political landscape might look now, I wouldn’t...

Esther McVey is to be the new housing minister - one of the most seasoned politicians to take the job in...

This may be the final full day in office for Kit Malthouse, the latest politician to occupy the short-term position of housing...

One of the country’s leading estate agents says shifting the burden of stamp duty away from the buyer - which is...

It’s now more than three years since the EU referendum result in June 2016, and we’re still no clearer on when...

Theresa May arrived in Downing Street some three years ago - but her premiership has not been a smooth ride. As she...

Britain lives in fundamentalist black-and-white times - all the more surprising when the country's most divisive point of contention sits on...

Four years ago, as we approached the general election, Andrews Property Group held a roundtable debateon the impact the election might have...

Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ policy that was implemented in 2012 was designed to make staying and residing in the UK as...

Sharp-witted marketing advisers for Marsh & Parsons have done it again with a clever poster and social media campaign to mark...

In the first Q&A Natter for a while, I catch up with Angelica Donati - CEO of Donati Immobiliare Group, PropTech...

In a surprising announcement overnight, housing minister Kit Malthouse says he is standing to become the Conservative party leader and next...

While media attention has been on Theresa May, Brexit and the Tories, chatter in the agency industry has been about what...

It appears almost certain that there will be another new housing minister named when a new Conservative leader - and thus...

No, this isn’t about Brexit. But as the saga of leaving the EU is likely to bring about the downfall of...

A slew of bad news stories about online estate agencies may have taken the lustre off the sector in recent weeks,...

Labour’s housing spokesman, John Healey, has spoken out against the split in the party which has so far seen eight MPs...

Kit Malthouse has been making headlines this week, but – in keeping with his tenure as Housing Minister so far -...

The seemingly-endless debate surrounding Brexit may be punishing for estate agents in London in particular but one, at least, is making...

A maverick estate agent pictured wearing a yellow vest has threatened to mount what he calls a “civil protest” if Brexit...

It’s the word on everyone’s lips: after two and a half years of debate, and months before that leading up to...

Another year is nearly done – and what an eventful year it’s been. We’ve had more than our fair share of breaking...

With a new year nearly upon us, it’s always a good idea to be aware of the major events that are...

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

A no-deal Brexit The biggest impact of a no-deal Brexit in relation to housing is a potential fall in house prices -...

The chief executive of Haart, Paul Smith, is warning that a No Deal exit from the EU could leave Britain with...

Housing minister Kit Malthouse appears to be backing Theresa May as Brexit chaos consumes the government. A request from Estate Agent Today...

A leading London estate agency is reporting a surge in overseas buyers sealing deals ahead of the government’s new stamp duty...

It’s time to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to overseas buyers of property. If you listen to Theresa...

Knight Frank appears to have shrugged off the problems hitting the high end of the housing market, reporting a 14 per...

“Do we really need another tax?” - that’s the question from a new buying agency, querying why the government wants to...

The head of a leading Chinese property portal has taken the unusual step of commenting on a British tax policy -...

One of London’s highest profile and most outspoken estate agent chiefs has scolded ‘Maybot’ Theresa May on the day she is to...

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

With the shelf life of recent housing ministers being on a par with football managers, it's perhaps little surprise that we're...

A Labour MP has used Parliamentary privilege to name a quick buy company and to make accusations about its practices. During Prime...

It may not be a good idea for a journalist to be personal about a politician, so I write about our...

The battered prime central London market is now suffering from the UK’s wider political volatility, the lack of stability of the...

A leading agency chief says the frequent churn of housing ministers means there is only one answer if our industry wants...

It may seem innocuous enough but a speech at a party by pro-Brexit housing minister Dominic Raab is being interpreted by...

Theresa May has appointed a controversial former Shelter executive as her new housing policy adviser working in Whitehall. Toby Lloyd was until...

An estate agent and former chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says the government’s latest drive to build new...

Housing minister Dominic Raab took to Twitter to make a Trump-style criticism of trade magazine The Negotiator and its editor, the...

It’s probably unwise to write too much about politics these days. The most fanciful predictions turn out to be less wild...

In recent years January has become the month of detoxes, fad diets, health kicks such as Dry January and Veganuary, and...

The Department of Communities and Local Government has been rebadged as the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government in what...

Mystery surrounds a claim made by Prime Minister Theresa May that the stamp duty changes for first time buyers made in...

What a year it’s been! Back in 2016 we had Brexit, a new prime minister, Donald Trump’s election, and so when...

As we hurtle towards the end of 2017, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s just been.   Even better, this property-based...

The housing industry has set out a list of demands in advance of the government’s hotly anticipated Autumn Budget on Wednesday.  Despite...

It’s something of an understatement to say it’s been a busy fortnight for the industry in terms of announcements, consultations and...

A man dubbed as Theresa May’s ‘brain’ when he worked in Downing Street has been invited to speak at the annual...

It has been revealed that the beleaguered government of Theresa May is to hold a summit at 10 Downing Street tomorrow...

They say presentation is key (something that Theresa May now knows all too well after her calamitous conference speech). But equally...

And so concludes another party conference season.  We’ve followed the great and the good (both terms are debatable) around Torbay, Bournemouth,...

The Conservative party, in a press statement released to clarify comments made by Theresa May, says the government’s proposed extra £2...

In this week’s Natter I’m going to get all political. Don’t worry, I won’t be giving my opinions on Brexit, Trump...

It’s not just the evenings drawing in that marks the approach of autumn - it’s also the return to work of...

Stamp duty has become the latest weapon in the ongoing war of words between different wings of the Conservative party, as...

  You’ll see a lot of 10th anniversary stories in the property industry and consumer media in the coming days: early August...

With several agent partner programmes available across the country, estate agents can often increase business by offering sales by auction, with...

Housing minister Alok Sharma has blocked some of his Twitter followers, accusing them of “abusive language”.   Sharma has a relatively modest 9,169 followers...

First time buyers have finances stretched beyond their means, buy to let is attracting fewer investors because of taxes, and affordability...

When it comes to provoking anger in property professionals, taxation takes some beating. Press releases are still arriving berating the December...

The Queen’s speech to the British parliament this week was a scaled-back affair, which was unsurprising given the Grenfell Tower fire,...

Harry Hill - former chief executive of Countrywide and founder of Rightmove - has sharply criticised the appointment of Theresa May’s...

“Housing policy should be in independent hands.” That was the conclusion of a panel debate that Andrews held, not recently, but two...

The property industry has broadly welcomed the appointment of a new housing minister, which was made yesterday evening. Reading West MP Alok...

Former housing minister Gavin Barwell has been appointed as Theresa May's chief of staff. Barwell lost his Croydon Central seat – and...

The housing industry has responded with shock, joy, and jitters, after Theresa May’s snap general election went catastrophically wrong, leaving her...

As the nation waits with bated breath to see if Theresa May can form either a minority or coalition government after...

British homeowners have the most confidence in the Conservative Party to run the nation's housing market. A survey of almost 4,500 homeowners,...

If a political party wants to run a country, it’s probably a good idea that it shows it can at least...

Theresa May’s call for a snap general election on June 8 took many by surprise. But estate agents have been broadly...

In years to come, students of political history might come to look at the 2017 General Election campaign with some interest....

Vigilant followers of the Liberal Democrats may have spotted a blog in the name of Mark Pack early yesterday morning, commenting...

Theresa May's decision to call a snap election in June has so far had 'little effect' on the property market, according...

Speculation has grown that the Conservatives may make a manifesto pledge to remove some family homes’ long-established exemption from Capital Gains...

Not only did Theresa May stun everyone with her decision to call a ‘snap election’ but with the campaign now underway...

Anyone hoping that the General Election could herald an immediate change of heart by the Conservatives on high levels of stamp...

Yesterday’s decision by MPs to agree to Theresa May’s snap General Election on June 8 means that the current government -...

Estate agents have been broadly supportive of the decision by Prime Minister Theresa May to push for a snap General Election...

The industry has broadly welcomed the shock announcement of a June 8 General Election as a chance to end long term...

My apologies if this causes you to break your Easter egg with a little too much aggression, but I reckon the...

Wales is the latest part of the UK to formally scrap the policy which was once the flagship of Margaret Thatcher’s...

Grant Shapps, housing minister between 2010 and 2012, has said the measures in the current government’s White Paper are not bold...

2016 was quite a year – eventful, dramatic, shocking and impossible to predict. In no particular order, we saw Leicester winning...

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

A Conservative MP has backed a petition calling for the alleged killers of an estate agent to be handed over to...

The managing director of the UK’s oldest estate agent recruitment consultancy has slammed a report which claims a cap on skilled...

Following a strong start to 2016, particularly in the lower to middle range of the UK housing market, that lasted up...

Forecasts are so last year: who anticipated Bowie, Brexit or Balls for example? Quotes, on the other hand, really ARE last year...

It may still be too early to start compiling a Christmas wish list, but it is the right time to provide...

Forecasts are a tricky business. And as I wrote in a recent Industry Views opinion piece, any prediction in the current...

We are now only days away from one of the most-anticipated events in UK politics; one which has a considerable impact...

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

We are now less than a month away from Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement to the nation, depending of course on...

The almost non-stop series of tax changes affecting all aspects of the housing market in recent years looks set to continue...

It’s curious how gloom, gloom pre-Brexit Britain’s property market has gained a much brighter outlook now that the result of the...

With the number of new homes being built across the UK still significantly below the level needed to meet demand, housebuilders...

If you want an indicator that the United Kingdom isn’t so united any more, have a look at Right To Buy. The...

The Residential Property Surveyors Association is the latest of many trade bodies to come out against government proposals to privatise the...

Older readers may recall a terrific movie called Network where a character, disillusioned by life, shouts from a window: “I’m as...

Plans for the Northern Powerhouse scheme, designed to rival London and the South East as the main driver of economic growth...

London house prices rose by 251 and 209 per cent respectively during Thatcher’s and Blair’s time at Number 10 - but...

Housing appears to have a disappointingly low priority in the new Theresa May-led Cabinet - at least judging from the time...

I’m indebted to one of the most enthusiastic estate agents I’ve had the pleasure of meeting for suggesting the subject of...

What a month it has been. By the time you read this, we'll have a new Prime Minister, a new Cabinet,...

We’re used to remarkable changes in just a short time - a week ago, who would have thought Theresa May would...

Details have come out of what Theresa May thinks about the current housing market, as she approaches taking over as Prime...

The news that Theresa May will be installed as Prime Minister tomorrow has immediately stabilished the share prices of estate agents...

Brandon Lewis, the housing minister, is backing Theresa May as a crowded field of candidates begin seeking support to become leader...

Countrywide’s chief executive, Alison Platt, has been named as one of the 50 most powerful people in Britain’s property industry by...