Archive

Estate agents working with international individuals can face a significant risk of encountering money laundering activities. The complex nature of cross-border...

Propertymark has issued a reminder to agents about anti-money laundering (AML) compliance as HMRC declared fines of more than £1.6m for...

The new Labour government has pledged to prioritise a ‘brownfield first’ approach to urban planning, as part of its promise to...

Councils are warning agents to abide by the rules following complaints from residents and businesses about the positions of For Sale...

Estate agents are being asked to do too much when it comes to material information rules but there appears to be...

SINCE the new Labour government was elected in early July, one phrase has been circulating more than any – grey belt....

Moverly’s upfront information services have been integrated with technology platform Reapit.  Agents using Reapit can now access Moverly's comprehensive material information solution,...

A lack of new investment rather than landlords selling-up is causing rental market supply issues, research suggests. The latest Hamptons Lettings Index...

Demand for energy efficient new homes is on the rise, according to recent data from Knight Frank. A recent buyer sentiment survey...

On balance, a stable new government with a large majority is good news for the sales market. Labour’s costed spending plans,...

Letting agents are more confident in technology than ever before and a large majority believe that investing in automation is more...

Despite a consultation starting back in 2020, the proposed legislation hadn’t progressed through Parliament and no doubt many landlords who faced...

New research reveals nearly half a million homes could be built across London on land that currently lies derelict amid a...

To put it simply – letting agents are our business. When they overwhelmingly voice a concern about something, we take that...

Amid the frenetic news agenda of recent weeks, a story broke that may have easily passed you by. It revealed how tenant...

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill was the final piece of legislation to pass before Parliament closed ahead of the General...

Estate agents were fined a total of more than £3m in the nine months to September 2023 for failing to register...

High interest rates, slow price growth and more stringent tax rules have eroded Buy-to-Let’s (BTL) charm for a number of landlords,...

Street.co.uk has added new fields directly into its property records to help agents stay compliant following the new material information guidance. It...

Managing tenant deposits is a crucial part of any letting agent’s responsibilities. Ensuring compliance with regulations and safeguarding both landlord and...

For most of us, estate agents are key when it comes to the biggest sales and purchases of our lives. With the...

There’s been a significant rise in the number of so-called Suspicious Activity Reports concerning money laundering and the agency industry. Suspicious Activity...

Trade and representative bodies representing the legal, surveying, estate agency and property management sectors, including the Conveyancing Association, have launched the...

The Able Agent - the online property training service which recently launched in Scotland - has now expanded to Wales as...

A veteran PropTech figure with extensive experience of working at leading estate and sales agencies has told the government to act...

It’s tempting to think that Michael Gove’s proposed clampdown on Airbnb-style short lets is a uniquely British form of small-mindedness, part...

You don’t have to simply accept things as they are when it comes to managing your client accounts. If your bank...

An anti-money laundering (AML) expert has queried why there is a reluctance among estate agents to accept and follow AML responsibilities. It...

The term ‘time bomb’ is sometimes overly used in the housing market, and while it has been linked to many things...

In his third and final article in this 3-part series, David Beaumont looks at the legal statues of Material Information Guidance. ...

Proptech firm Moverly has partnered with Zoopla-backed Alto to intergrate its material information tools into the CRM. Upfront information platform Moverly said...

Further estate agency regulation won’t be too expensive for the industry, Lord Best has said. Lord Best, who led the Regulation of...

Everyone seems to be talking about artificial intelligence (AI) right now. It is an issue which has been bubbling under since Covid -...

In the first of a short series of articles, David Beaumont, managing director of Compliance Matters, casts a professional eye over...

The architect of the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) reforms has expressed frustration that the recommendations have failed to materialise as...

The increased focus on upfront material information could push up estate agency professional indemnity (PI) requirements, an industry trainer has warned. Michael...

As you begin the process of property transactions in the UK, it's important to understand potential pitfalls that may result in...

Propertymark updates Property Information QuestionnairePropertymark has updated its Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) in light of the latest part B and C...

Digital compliance specialist SmartSearch can help estate agents comply quickly and efficiently Around one in five estate agents are not registered for...

Industry training platform The Able Agent has launched in Scotland. First to launch is the ABBE Ofqual regulated Level 3 Certificate in...

Estate agency regulations and minimum standards may finally see the light of day after Labour put forward amendments to the Government’s...

Propertymark is hosting two important webinars this week to keep agents informed of important industry regulations. The agency trade body is hosting...

Happy New Year and welcome to what’s looking like a busy - perhaps even hectic - 2024! I thought it worth running...

Agents should be more picky about their listings during 2024 and focus on sellers that will help speed up sales by...

As the world marches relentlessly forward to 2024, the government’s flagship legislation for the private rented sector (PRS) remains in limbo. This...

The Able Agent has launched a Consumer Protection Regulations (CPR) guidance short course to support agents amid new Trading Standards material...

I think we can all agree that the National Trading Standards Material Information reforms are a good thing for the property...

Long-awaited guidance on material information in property listings was revealed yesterday but policing of the rules won’t be any different, it...

The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) has published the long-awaited Parts B and C of material information...

SmartSearch looks at the importance of incorporating Source of Funds checks into KYC processes It is no secret that the UK property...

The United Kingdom stands on the precipice of a historic overhaul in property ownership. With the King's speech unveiling the anticipated...

Rightmove has launched a course for estate and letting agents to help them understand and remain compliant with the Consumer Protection...

Propertymark has expressed its opposition to Scottish Government plans to increase council tax premiums on second homes. Speaking to the Scottish Parliament’s...

Nationwide has called for an independent review of the first-time buyer market as it urges the Chancellor to boost support for...

The role of a residential landlord has changed considerably over the years. What was once a relatively straightforward means of generating...

Propertymark has written to the Housing Secretary Michael Gove to reiterate its longstanding call for regulation of property agents. The agency trade...

On Halloween eve, Safestyle decided to give everyone a real fright and announced the company had gone into administration. This has...

A client account is essential to your lettings business, but the rules and regulations you need to follow to keep this...

As electric vehicles increasingly populate our roads and the necessity for accessible charging grows, enquiries about electric vehicle chargepoints when buying...

Leading digital compliance firm SmartSearch has launched an innovative new solution to help professionals working within the UK property sector to...

As an Estate Agent it’s important to be able to interpret and understand the information that a Title Deed document presents...

Compliancy expert Legal Eye has launched a new product to help agents ensure they are properly following all rules and regulations. Its...

I'll start with a confession. I am not an estate agent - I'm a marketer. But since I joined the industry...

As money laundering compliance marks its twentieth year, more and more estate agents are being fined for breaches of HMRC’s ID...

It is no secret that our climate is getting warmer. 2022 was one of the six warmest years on record globally,...

New laws are set to give more estate agents the chance to sell charity land – as long as you are...

Fortune favours the brave, as the saying goes. So, when you consider how upfront material information can and does make the...

Rightmove has revealed details of a series of webinars throughout July for agents that are focused on legislation and compliance. A number...

Anti-money laundering (AML) specialist FCS Compliance has unveiled the latest in its series of collaborative webinars with Rightmove. The next session on...

Russell Quirk may have already irked plenty of estate agents in his time as boss of collapsed online brand Emoov and...

Following publication of the Renter’s Reform Bill and the media coverage surrounding it, many agents and their landlords will understandably have...

Upfront material information is now firmly on the property industry’s radar, with Trading Standards CPR regulations expected to move towards disclosing...

The Conveyancing Association has launched a guidance document for firms that addresses the Building Safety Act and Building Safety (Leaseholder Protection)...

Landlords are exiting the market in droves. According to an accountancy firm who analysed HMRC data, 70,000 buy-to-let landlords left the sector...

A senior peer has vowed to do more to ensure that leaseholders excluded from new building safety regulations get the support...

Mandatory regulations and qualifications could lead to higher fees for UK agents, a former industry executive claims. Former Fine & Country global...

Recent research estimated that up to £100 billion is being stolen in the UK each year, with much of it due...

Landlords are now quite accustomed to the challenges of operating in a market where they are often perceived as the antagonist...

The majority of estate agents are in the dark about the Government’s Economic Crime Levy (ECL), when it was implemented or...

As the unending attack on landlords continues, many are succumbing to the pressures of increased taxes, interest rates rising, regulations becoming...

This article is partially based on “Plugging in to the Future”, NHBC Foundation, NF90, used by kind permission. As part of the...

Agents and consumers have given their backing to minimum industry standards but there are differences when it comes to the level...

The long-awaited Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) rules will still be introduced but most probably in a different form, it has...

Lawyers are warning of a growing number of incidents of septic tank conveyancing negligence, which could prove costly for homebuyers. House buyers...

Trade and representative bodies representing the legal, surveying, estate agency and property management sectors have launched the fourth iteration of the...

As an estate agent, you know that securing the sale is just step one of a successful journey. But with issues...

According to the recent industry research report ‘Back to the Future’ from tmgroup, mio and CDS 40% of property transaction delays...

In November, research conducted by The Housing Forum's Futures Network unearthed concern with the potential to meet the requirements set out...

With no ease up on the cost of living crisis, understandably many agents’ primary concern is whether or not their tenants...

You don’t need me to tell you that buy to let has had a torrid time of it lately. For agents trying...

Listings are down, mortgage rates are high, regulations are becoming even more complex and already stretched tenants are feeling the effects...

From the 23 January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into effect for multi-occupied residential buildings. This is what...

We’re only in February and it’s already clear that this year will set the future direction of the private rented sector...

Two of the biggest challenges facing the property industry right now are fraud and money laundering. The scale of these activities is...

AML experts SmartSearch warn estate agents that, with so many firms still hiding behind ‘opaque corporate structures,’ proper due diligence has...

Industry analyst and and chair of The Home Buying and Selling Group Kate Faulkner, has called for the Government to stop agents being...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to leasehold reform and fixing cladding issues before the next election. It comes as the Government...

Half of Estate Agent Today readers agree that industry regulations and minimum qualifications will improve standards in the sector but a...

Agents and property professionals are spreading plenty of charitable love ahead of Valentine's Day. See some of the inspirational examples below. Whatever the...

Reducing gas and electricity bills is trumping environmental and regulatory concerns for buyers seeking more energy efficient homes, research suggests. Knight Frank’s...