Archive

Average house prices and mortgage approvals hit new highs during the summer months, in a positive sign for the property market. Nationwide...

Shortly after the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act was granted Royal Assent in May, we surveyed members of the Association of...

In today's rapidly evolving property market, the focus on reducing transaction times for individual properties is at an all-time high. Various...

Propertymark’s regional conferences are returning in November, promising to help members keep up with the latest legislative changes. As part of the...

With Labour’s election victory, a new EPC target has been announced. In mid-July, the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and...

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

HSBC UK has joined forces with the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) to help improve the homebuying process through the sharing...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has appointed Victor Olowe as the chair of its new Valuation Assurance Committee (VAC).  Olowe...

Homeowners need greater protection from poor quality housing amid the Government’s plans for 1.5m new homes, an industry body claims. That’s the...

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

Most households in England today are ‘under-occupying’ their homes, according to the think tank the Resolution Foundation. And it says there doesn’t...

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

Knight Frank has launched a strategic partnership with a legal technology firm that aims to transform the way properties are sold. The...

At last! Well, they say small is beautiful and, if you’re in the property sector right now, you’d better believe it! The...

Industry bodies are seeking agent views on material information rules. Propertymark, together with TDS, The Guild of Property Professionals, Property Redress Scheme,...

Higher mortgage rates will push more people than expected into poverty, research warns. Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) highlights...

A vote of no-confidence in the Law Society over material information rules has failed. The Property Lawyers Action Group (PLAG), had arranged...

According to Landmark Information Group’s recent Insights Report, both sales and purchases have seen substantial increases in the time taken from...

It’s so good to see housing at the top of the government’s agenda for change. Finally! The housing crisis has been met...

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

Propertymark and RICS are among industry bodies that have backed an open letter to the new Housing Secretary calling for the...

The Single-Family Rental (SFR) sector is experiencing rapid growth in the UK, presenting a unique opportunity for local lettings and estate...

A date has been set for a vote of no confidence in the Law Society amid furore over its stance on...

Homeowners in ESPC’s core territories (Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders) are not aware of the full extent of the...

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

Commercial property has historically been viewed as the more profitable asset class but more recently, residential property values have taken over....

Sprift is to continue as one of the principal sponsors for the 2024 ESTAS Awards. The data firm will present the prestigious...

Two property consultancies say outdoor space should have a separate value to the rest of the home when it goes on...

A survey of over 11,000 buyers suggests overwhelming support for more upfront information to be supplied by agents to buyers. Disclosing upfront...

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

Google can be a very costly source for marketing but there are ways to keep a tight lid on your budget...

The Law Society has postponed plans to make use of its new TA6 form compulsory amid backlash from conveyancers. The new TA6...

Enforcement of material information rules is being done through redress schemes rather than putting a strict deadline on compliance, James Munro,...

Agents working for themselves, supported by a ‘broker’ organisation are on the increase in the UK after becoming almost the norm...

A political party is pledging that if elected it will make every home in the UK have an EPC rating of...

Members of the Relocation Agent Network (RAN) are to get access to Crux Careers' specialised recruitment and training programmes as part...

A legal action group is seeking support from solicitors to call a vote of no confidence in the Law Society The Property...

HAVING spent decades closely following the UK and American property markets, I’ve seen and read many reports comparing the two.  But...

The Labour Party has committed to building 1.5m new homes across the country over the next parliament. Shadow Housing Secretary Angela Rayner...

Housing minister Jacob Young recently scotched rumours that the property portal proposed in the Renters (Reform) Bill would remove the need...

The task of obtaining material information is more difficult than it appears for estate agents, Rightmove has warned. The portal revealed in...

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

Estate agents and lettings agents have a legal obligation to protect themselves from money laundering and as such you must recognise...

We were delighted to hold our first ESTAS Postcode Awards last Friday as part of our commitment to recognising service standards...

Help to Buy has been ranked as having the most positive influence on the property market in recent times. Agency comparison website...

Agents should be regulated to achieve the training and education they need to improve the property market as a whole, says...

An influential consumer body is demanding a complete overhaul of Energy Performance Certificates. Which? says that with millions of households across the...

Sky News is reporting that up to 30 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against the government’s approach to ground rents...

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

The fast-growing high profile Hat and Home agency has joined the Guild of Property Professionals. Founded in December 2020, Hat and Home...

A new agency has launched, describing itself as being “dedicated to creating extraordinary marketing for extraordinary homes across Hampshire, Surrey and...

A property consultancy is calling for improved accreditation for Energy Performance Certificate assessors. Re:solve Real Estate - which specialises in commercial property...

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

In this latest article from the team at Iceberg Digital, they discuss how the digital realm is transforming Estate Agency.   The...

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

ESPC has relaunched its SPC Property Practice certification, a unique accreditation course for solicitor estate agents. Developed with The Law Society of...

Winkworth has revealed that it has not renewed franchises on offices “where our standards were not being met and results were...

The Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG) has arranged a new pilot scheme for a group of lawyers and conveyancers to...

Fraud poses a significant challenge for residential conveyancers, with criminals often attempting to exploit the transaction process for money laundering purposes. The...

Material information requirements should be seen by agents as a positive change, a Trading Standards investigator has claimed. Speaking to The Guild...

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...

The Law Society is facing backlash from conveyancers after issuing new property information reforms that take account of Trading Standards’ material...

House prices dipped on a monthly basis during March but annual growth improved, Nationwide data shows. The latest Nationwide House Price Index...

Property blockchain network Coadjute has secured a £10m investment from Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, Natwest, and Rightmove.  This is the first time...

In this, the second of a three-part series, David Beaumont continues his critique of the new Material Information Guidance. There are 21...

MPs have launched an inquiry on improving the home buying and selling process in England. The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC)...

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...

Vendors could end up spending hundreds of pounds more when selling their home due to Trading Standards material information rules guidance,...

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

The Law Society is exploring concerns that Propertymark's Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) puts agents at risk of legal issues, Estate Agent...

The property market is awash with data. A quick Google search and any prospective buyer can find property prices, listing history,...

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has become the latest member of the Open Property Data Association (OPDA), committing to help speed up...

It’s time to abolish what is colloquially called Landlord Licensing. If you’re a casual reader and perhaps not in our industry, a...

Complete ASAP has launched a new package to help agents provide material information on listings. Agents already using the Complete or Instruct...

The Keller Williams UK (KWUK) brand is facing yet another restructure with its leadership in the country effectively removed. KWUK spent much...

Self-employed agency brand eXp UK has launched its first ever two-day conference, set to take place in July 2024. It replaces the...

Agents would be happy to pay for regulation but the sector should be wary of costs, a Propertymark executive has told...

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has set out the key questions it could ask agency representatives as its...

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

Property professionals have called for the Government to allocate its promised £3m towards improving the home buying and selling process to...

The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by...

Representatives from Propertymark, Trading Standards and The Property Ombudsman (TPO) are set to discuss estate agency regulation in the House of...

Attempts to get the long-awaited Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) rules introduced into the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill have failed. The...

Propertymark has launched a new working relationship with the Belvoir Group to help further improve standards and enhance financial protection for...

Conveyancers shouldn’t give buyers and sellers assurances about building safety remediations unless they are confident doing so, the Law Society has...

Most agents agree that providing upfront information at the very start of the homebuying process would improve the buying and selling...

Following the release of Material Information Parts B & C, iamproperty’s Product Manager, Tania Bonesi, shares insights on how Estate Agents...

The ESTAS Group has scheduled a Big Postcode Reveal event in April to detail winners of its latest award category. The Best...

HOP (the Home Owner’s Passport) has released its upgraded material information report to support agents with Trading Standards compliance. The list of...

Mortgage rates may be falling but tougher lending criteria is stifling many borrowers, including high earners. Research by Investec has found the...

Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...

Sprift has unveiled its solution to help agents cope with material information requirements and collate the property-specific details required prior to...

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

Some agents still appear unaware about their material information responsibilities, conveyancers claim. The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT)...

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...

Mortgage lenders are expecting a quieter year for home loans in 2024. Forecasts from banking trade body UK Finance suggest lending for...