Suddenly Brexit Day is nearly here. It may have taken three and a half years from the Referendum but the UK will, within days, be outside of the EU. Whatever one’s views, and whether or not that is a cause for celebration, there is substantial work to be done by… Read More »Brexit challenges for agents and the property industry
An estate agent has set up his own buying operation because he claims the quality of service for high-end buyers has “dwindled” in recent years. Matthew Jackson, a former head of new homes and investment at London-focussed agency Chestertons, has now set up Oakmont Private Office. He is damning in… Read More »Quality of agency service for high-end buyers has “dwindled” – claim
A leading property lawyer is urging sellers not to use online agents because to do so would be “a gamble”. Gillian Wright – the legal director of Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew – writes in The Scotsman newspaper that those who resolved to start 2020 by moving house may not… Read More »Don’t use an online agent! Lawyer makes warning to sellers
The hugely-respected Phil Spencer is to write a regular column for the industry on Estate Agent Today under the auspices of his MoveIQ service. Throughout his 30 year career Phil has worked as a buying agent, housing market commentator TV property expert and as an awards ambassador; throughout this time… Read More »Phil Spencer to advise agents how to meet public expectations
Some buying agents have batted away the many signs of an improving housing market but one says the Boris Bounce is likely to create a huge boost for prime London. Fraser Slater, chief executive of buying agency Ludgrove, says: “With a vastly improved political backdrop, the threat of a hard-left… Read More »Prices up! Transactions up! Agent forecasts a boom in 2020
The proportion of 25 to 34 year olds who own their own home in England has risen for the first time in over a decade. There are now as many owner occupiers in this age range as there are private renters according to the government’s annual English Housing Survey. It… Read More »Home ownership amongst young people up after a decade of decline
The Competition and Markets Authority says it wants to send “a strong signal” to the estate agency industry that price-fixing will not be tolerated. The CMA has in recent times probed three cases of price-fixing amongst agents in different areas. These were: 2019: agencies Michael Hardy, Prospect, Richard Worth, and… Read More »Watchdog issues “strong signal” to rogue agents who price-fix
The increasing demand for information on Japanese Knotweed during the house buying process is emphasising the need for householders to pay more attention to the problem, it is claimed. Mortgage lenders now require the sellers of properties affected by knotweed to provide evidence of a professional treatment plan along with… Read More »Conveyancing call for Knotweed info shows need for treatment – claim
Data from HM Revenue & Customs shows tax receipts from stamp duty fell a further 5.2 per cent between 2018 and 2019, part of a broad decline in income since late 2016. The figures have prompted a demand by Jackson-Stops’ chairman Nick Leeming that the government wake up to the… Read More »Stamp duty receipts down again – agency demands government action
The high-end estate agent who has quit his post after being found to have posted pictures of clients’ houses on Instagram has been named. Last week The Times made reference to speculation that an agency was being sued by clients upset at seeing images of their properties on an individual… Read More »Revealed – the agent posting Instagram pictures of clients’ houses
