Archive

The new Labour government has committed to building 370,000 homes per year, but is it realistic? The housing crisis in the UK...

New figures from Connells suggest the company remains Britain’s biggest estate agent, handling one in 10 transactions. And in its latest report...

Welcome to this week’s Agents Do Charity, our chance to salute those who do so much to help others. If your agency...

The new Government’s plan to ‘Get Britain Building’ is ambitious, to say the least.    And it is central to their mission, not...

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

Under the strain of a housing crisis, the UK faces a severe shortage of affordable homes. This is further emphasised by...

Institutional investors and "for-profit" registered providers are set to play an increasingly vital role in tackling the UK's affordable housing crisis,...

Building and development plans Recently, Carter Jonas has marketed development sites which have attracted multiple bids, higher offers than had been anticipated...

There’s been a broadly warm response from much of the property industry to Labour’s manifesto, but a call for more detail...

You may not have realised, but yesterday, the new government’s housing policy was agreed. No, I’m not talking about the new ‘Freedom...

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

You don’t have to be a mind-reader to believe there will be a large majority Labour government by the end of...

Thousands of people will be invited to take part in new research to help provide information on why one particularly badly...

The average price of a home in Wales fell to £229,263 in the first quarter of 2024, making this the fifth...

A property industry group has called for a reduction in the discounts available for council tenants buying their own home, after...

There’s been broad support from within the agency and wider property sectors for Labour’s proposal to build on selected parts of...

Connells Group has boosted its affordable housing offering after appoint Roy Hind as a director. Hind has been named affordable housing director...

If you want to hear of a tale for our industry’s times - featuring housing shortages, planning disputes, rampant  inflation and...

Much of the focus may have been on the Spring Budget this week but a variety of charities have received support from...

As the Budget approaches and the housing crisis intensifies, it is important to consider what the Chancellor could – and should...

In the current challenging market, housebuilders are increasingly looking for novel and engaging means of marketing to achieve the necessary supply/demand...

The news in September that Birmingham City Council (‘Europe’s largest local authority’) had been forced to issue a Section 114 notice...

The debate over the Green Belt, and the newly branded ‘grey belt’, has made the headlines a lot recently and will...

Landowners seeking to sell their land for development will have to adjust their expectations as the market, the planning system and...

The private rental landscape has been undergoing a profound transformation, with technology playing a pivotal role in shaping the way tenancies...

Landlords considering selling up are being urged to lease their homes to a trust catering for homeless people instead. With fears that...

A recent poll of 11,000 private renters by SpareRooom reveals that 81% spend more than 30% of their take-home pay on...

MPs have cast doubt on the Government’s ability to achieve its target of 300,000 new homes per year by the mid-2020s...

Two all-party groups of MPs and Peers have called on the government to act to turn empty buildings into good quality,...

The UK is heading for a further drop in housebuilding, according to the latest Purchasing Managers Index data by S&P and...

A new survey suggests the overwhelming majority of the public are critical of the government’s apparent housing failures. A study of 1,323...

As a property market expert, I have been closely monitoring the challenges faced by the housing market, particularly the issue of...

An award-winning charity will cut the cost of homeownership in Wigan by up to £10,000, by offering buyers the chance to...

It has been a busy start to the year for job moves. If you want your jobs or appointments news to feature...

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is the direct result of European Legislation. They were introduced because of the Energy Performance of...

Should commercial properties be converted into homes? I think so. I don’t mean the upscale barns becoming large houses, or the fashionable...

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel had around three years in Government to sort out housing but...

Agents should use their market position to advise town halls about local housing needs, a senior MP has suggested. Labour and Co-op...

The Government has been urged to revise its plans for affordable housing as MPs warn it is set to fall short...

A portal that has historically focused on affordable housing and accessible rental listings is trailing a move into sales. MovingSoon, which provides...

Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...

Connells Midlands has launched a new Shared Ownership Hub to help deliver affordable housing in the region. It will provide an end-to-end...

MPs have criticised the lack of detail in the government’s flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill when it comes to housebuilding...

Zoopla has teamed up with homelessness charity Crisis to help campaign for reform of housing benefits and to tackle the affordable...

Property professionals and MPs were left wanting more after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s much-anticipated housing announcements yesterday. Johnson yesterday promised a review...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that he is considering extending Margaret Thatcher’s Right-to-Buy scheme, that gives council tenants the chance to...

The Queen’s Speech has unveiled proposed overhauls on planning, consumer and economic crime laws that could all have an effect on...

Propertymark is urging restraint on the part of the Welsh Government as it moves to tackle what it sees as the...

The industry has reacted to the Spring Statement by breathing a sigh of relief that nothing was likely to cause damage...

A rural body in Wales has hit out at the Welsh Government’s proposals for draconian new taxes on second homes.  Earlier this...

The Welsh Government has announced an increase to the maximum level of council tax premiums for second homes, as well as...

A campaigning MP is to meet with a government minister to discuss controls and disincentives for second homes. Former Liberal Democrat MP...

At first glance, Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech earlier this week didn’t offer much from a property perspective. But digging down a little...

A property quango wants industry experts to join its board - and will pay £25,000 a year for what it calls...

The MP who chairs one of the most important committees in the House of Commons has urged the government to increase...

The Planning Bill, which will introduce changes to the planning system in England, was announced last week in the Queen’s Speech....

Labour says Chancellor Rishi Sunak “will give away half a billion pounds to second homeowners and landlords through the stamp duty...

Hello and welcome to the first Property Jobs Today of 2021 - we’re less than a fortnight into the New Year...

First off, hello and welcome to this new series – appearing in Estate Agent Today’s Breaking News section each month –...

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

The new two per cent stamp duty surcharge applying to non-resident buyers may cause a wide range of properties to be...

Labour’s shadow housing minister has revealed that it will be two years at least before the party sets out its long-term...

A Labour council in London has come out against the government’s plan to offer 30 per cent discounts to first time...

Another west country tourist hotspot looks set to ban any future new-build home being sold as a holiday or additional property. Bigbury...

Not for the first time, a government policy on housing ends up begging more questions than it provides answers - but...

After a year dogged by Brexit deadlock, political turmoil, and slow growth, estate agents’ confidence in the property market hit a...

Labour is pledging a “housing revolution” with the biggest council house building programme for decades Its manifesto being launched today will include new...

Last week, it was announced that Plentific, the London-based tenant experience, has raised $32 million in Series B funding. Plentific’s model sees...

One of London’s leading estate and lettings agents has criticised the government over what he calls its “pitiful” record on affordable...

One of the largest surveys of housing concerns amongst consumers suggests that agents fees - once a major issue - is...

Our own industry’s upheaval over recent years has been no less dramatic than the turmoil at Westminster. The political earthquake has seen...

The Nationwide building society is to go into house building. It has received planning permission to build 239 new homes for sale...

With this summer marking forty years since Margaret Thatcher came to power, her legacy continues to invoke both celebration and consternation...

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

The topic of introducing rent controls in London crops up time and time again in our industry. But it’s been hitting...

Strutt & Parker says the housing crisis - in the shape of too few homes and their stubbornly high prices -...

Communities have missed out on more than 10,000 affordable homes in the past three years as a result of government rules...

It’s not just the Cabinet and the government where jobs are in flux - there are plenty of moves to announce...

The agency industry has reacted in a broadly downbeat way at the relatively few housing-related proposals that were announced in yesterday’s...

House prices grew two per cent year on year for September according to new figures - and a senior agency chief...

Agents have continued to express their shock and opposition to the announcement by the government that it wants a stamp duty...

Another day, another housing minister – at least that’s what it feels like! The resignation of the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson...

Amid the headline-grabbing political manoeuvring over Brexit, a policy proposal which could have serious ramifications for private landlords, and those who...

One day, I’ll sit down to write for Estate Agent Today and I won’t express my dismay at the lack of...

It’s no surprise that figures don’t always show the results or consequences we expect - even if they are entirely accurate. Look...

With an average house price of £252,896 and trains to London taking as little as 24 minutes, Luton has been named...

Earlier this week, Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the Autumn Budget with a strong focus on housing.  The decision to cut stamp duty...

New Zealand’s new Labour prime minister elect has banned non-resident foreigners from buying existing homes anywhere in the country in a...

Another week, yet more consultations - the agency industry can’t complain about not being asked for its views recently. The latest were on...

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

Online petitions appear to be the flavour of the week - the latest is calling for the government’s Help to Buy...

Government schemes like Help To Buy, supposedly assisting more people get on the ladder, have little impact on improving social mobility...

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

A chronic shortage of affordable housing is forcing councils to spend more than £2m a day on temporary accommodation for homeless...

The rental market has had to face a raft of changes over the past year, including the introduction of the 3% stamp...

Now I’m not one to lose sleep over politicians, but it strikes me that Communities Secretary Sajid Javid and Housing Minister...

Just a couple of weeks ago, we waited with anticipation to see what the new Chancellor, Philip Hammond, would say in...

In case you missed it yesterday, here’s a summary of everything relating to property that was in Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Autumn...

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

In the capital, people will pay a premium to live near great transport links, and as we’ve seen from Crossrail and...