Archive

The Competition and Markets Authority has raised an unusual issue concerning Barratt’s £2.5 billion deal to buy rival house builder Redrow...

We all know what defines a successful community: not just a range of homes to address a range of requirements, but...

A coalition of organisations representing consumers, financial institutions and energy suppliers has written to the Department for Energy Security and Net...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured agreements from eight freeholders to remove “problematic ground rent” terms from leases. The competition...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the UK’s largest housebuilders as it warns of “fundamental concerns”...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking feedback on two ‘working papers’ that detail its assessment on the use of...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has highlighted land banks and planning blockages as potential areas for investigation. It comes as the...

The competition watchdog is set to shine a spotlight on property, with investigations into the housebuilding market and a separate project...

The Government has officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets as it brings its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill...

Housing minister Lee Rowley is set to make one of his first official public appearances at a Conservative Party fringe event...

Thousands more leaseholders are expected to see ground rents cut and some may even receive refunds. It forms part of the Competition...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has closed its investigation into alleged mis-selling of leasehold houses by Barratt Homes. It is the...

Property data company Dye & Durham has promised to “work collaboratively” with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after the watchdog...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned that it may block the merger of two property search firms as it...

Agency trade bodies have backed the “clarity” provided by Trading Standards after it deemed “price on application” listings unlawful. It comes as...

The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) deemed yesterday that the use of POA or “price on application”...

The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) has deemed that the use of POA or “price on application”...

The government is being urged to go further with its clampdown on fake reviews. A government announcement aimed at protecting consumers last...

Fifteen businesses which had bought freeh­olds from housing developer Countryside have now given formal undertakings to remove terms that cause ground...

A probe by the Competition and Markets Authority has led housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to make changes for the benefit of leaseholders.  Taylor...

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has become the latest body to welcome the decision by Countryside Properties to scrap the requirement to pay...

One of the biggest campaign groups calling for leasehold reform has welcomed the action taken by the Competition and Markets Authority...

In what will be seen as the latest win for leaseholders across the UK, it’s been revealed that – following action...

The Competititon and Markets Authority says it’s to look into reviews on Google and Amazon, and see whether the online giants...

NAEA Propertymark says the news that two major players in the leasehold sector have reformed their activities must be just the...

The Competition and Markets Authority has struck a deal with house builders over leasehold abuses. Aviva has committed to remove certain terms...

Banking has gone through radical changes in the past few years, in step with technology and the sheer amount we can...

An estate agency has apologised after a bogus employee posted offensive comments about Prince Philip on a newly-created fake Facebook account. This...

The Competition and Markets Authority says it has pushed Facebook into taking new action to combat fake reviews - an issue...

Two of Britain’s largest house builders have reacted sharply to calls by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and the Competition and Markets...

The Competition and Markets Authority has written to two top house builders ordering them to change their leasehold terms. In September the...

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

Connells has this morning made a dramatic improvement in its bid to takeover Countrywide. It has increased its cash offer from 250p...

The private equity company which wants to take control of Countrywide has issued a statement saying it now has the support...

Letting agents and landlords have faced huge change and uncertainty this year, with Covid-19 the major driver. But even before the...

New guidance spells out how leniency can be exercised on agencies or individuals who inform on anti-competition cartels of the kind that...

The estate agency industry is still under the spotlight for possible illegal price fixing cartels according to the Competition and Markets...

The Competition and Markets Authority is today opening enforcement cases focusing on the sale of leasehold homes by four leading housebuilders. They...

The Competition and Markets Authority - which yesterday announced it had disqualified two estate agency directors for their parts in a...

Two estate agency directors have been disqualified by the Competition and Markets Authority after taking part in an illegal price fixing...

Dominic Cummings has been at worst a cause of huge anger to a nation that’s already extremely anxious. At best, he’s been...

The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into fake and misleading online reviews. The announcement from the watchdog does not...

Much like PropTech, Open Banking has been used as a buzzword in recent years. However, when it comes to the rental...

There’s been a broad welcome from agents and other industry organisations for the latest report from the Competition and Markets Authority...

A new call has been issued this morning by the Competition and Markets Authority for estate agents to confess if their...

The Competition and Markets Authority says it wants to send “a strong signal” to the estate agency industry that price-fixing will...

The Competition and Markets Authority has released a 135 page document giving explicit details of its latest agency cartel investigation. This includes...

There have been two developments on the controversial subject of online reviews. One concerns the online agency Emoov, which three months ago...

The public are being asked to inform the authorities if they know of agents operating fee-fixing cartels. The request - from the...

A London estate agency says a new scheme of apartments being launched for sale this weekend will be the first ever...

The Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally found that four agencies broke competition law by taking part in a price fixing...

The Competition and Markets Authority has formally launched an investigation into the sale of leasehold properties - including possible mis-selling. This follows...

It may well seem that the government is pre-occupied with one issue, and one issue alone. While preparations for Brexit take up a...

A firm supporting leaseholders across the UK says the ongoing Competition and Markets Authority probe should “punish” what it calls “rip off...

The National Association of Estate Agents has welcomed the commitment by the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate the mis-selling of...

Proceedings against an estate agent at the centre of a fees cartel case have been dropped following his agreement not to stand as...

The leasehold system has created many unsellable and unmortgageable homes and should change, MPs say. The all-party Housing, Communities and Local Government...

The government policies and enforcement plans for anti-money laundering measures are set to take centre stage at next month’s annual conference...

The Competition and Markets Authority is stepping up its campaign to identify and prosecute companies behind cartels - and it’s offering...

As the process of making buying and selling more transparent continues to gather pace, the body that regulates conveyancers says it...

The Federal Trade Commission - the US equivalent of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority - will today discuss how the...

Two estate agency directors have been disqualified over a cartel scandal which resulted in five agencies being fined over £370,000 for...

The Competition and Markets Authority, which is believed to be actively investigating estate agents’ alleged infringement of the Competitions Act, is...

The Competitions and Markets Authority is investigating a suspect infringement of the Competition Act 1998 by estate agents. Few details have been...

The Competition and Markets Authority has set out precisely what agents and other companies can and cannot do in the event...

The decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to fine five estate agents for engaging in a price fixing cartel has...

The Competition and Markets Authority - which yesterday released details of an infamous cartel case involving estate agencies - has now...

The Competition and Markets Authority has for the first time published details of the findings against a group of six estate...

The Competition and Markets Authority has released the full wording on its decision to give the go-ahead to ZPG’s acquisition of Expert...

The Competition and Markets Authority has released a set of recommendations on how conveyancing, and other legal services, could be made...

The political ebb and flow continues - seemingly with all the subtlety of a Boris Johnson rugby tackle on a 10-year...

Expert Agent says it is pleased the uncertainty surrounding its takeover had ended but suggests the Competition and Markets Authority’s announcement...

ZPG, owner of digital platforms including Zoopla, uSwitch, PrimeLocation, Hometrack and Property Software Group, has been cleared by the Competition and...

The Competitions and Markets Authority has released more details of its ‘calling-in’ of the acquisition of Expert Agent by Zoopla Property...

The Competitions and Markets Authority is reviewing the acquisition of Expert Agent by ZPG, parent company of Zoopla and PrimeLocation. A statement...

The Competition and Markets Authority is to review the operation of new home structural warranties issued by the National House Building...

Some big news in the agency world last week won’t have escaped the attention of many in the industry. Last Thursday news...

One of the four estate agents fined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for price-fixing has spoken about the details...

The Competition and Markets Authority has now fined agents over £1m in two landmark cases concerning price-fixing - and it says...

Conveyancers are to be told to publish the charges for their house-moving services in a bid to help consumers and to...

2016 has undoubtedly shone a spotlight on the reviews industry and drawn into question the legitimacy of online customer reviews.  Amazon, amongst...

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

It’s been a heartening few weeks for those of us who thought that protest was dead – or, more precisely, that...

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

The Advertising Standards Authority has stepped in to resolve a complaint about a small London estate agency’s online references to its...

The Competition and Markets Authority has reiterated controversial remarks about the government’s proposed privatisation of the Land Registry. Last month it surprised...

The government's consultation on the proposed privatisation of the Land Registry closes today. Interested parties have had since March 24 to give...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has challenged the government over its renewed attempt to privatise the Land Registry. Last week's Queen's...

The Competition and Markets Authority - which has been active in the estate agency industry since its inception in April 2014...

Beleaguered challenger portal OnTheMarket has recruited the 25-branch south of England agency Goadsby and says this takes its total of sales...

The Independent Network of Estate Agents has written to the Competition and Markets Authority, raising the issue of the NAEA’s managing...

By accident or design, the PR machine at OnTheMarket was beefed up last week.  Just as well. With the portal still reeling...

One of the directors of Agents’ Mutual, parent body of portal OnTheMarket, has told Estate Agent Today that his firm does...

After over a year of speculation, the Competition and Markets Authority has stepped into the row over OnTheMarket and its ‘one...

An executive director at hybrid estate agency EweMove has hit out at the government’s apparent support for innovation in the house...

The Competition and Markets Authority has ordered a company to stop writing fake reviews for small businesses and to try to...

The Competition and Markets Authority has updated its advice to all online review sites - including those for estate agencies and...

The Competition and Markets Authority says one of its priorities for 2016-17 is to pursue a project analysing the accuracy and...

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...