Savills is the latest agency to warn about the possible threat of Coronavirus to its business activities and success this year. In its preliminary final results for 2019, issued this morning – and showing a strong performance for the international property group – the company says: “It is difficult accurately… Read More »Savills the latest agency to warn of Coronavirus threat to transactions
Countrywide’s share price fell by as much as 17 per cent at one point yesterday afternoon as investors assessed the latest pratfall by the company – the collapse of its bid to sell its commercial arm. As we reported yesterday there was an announcement from Countrywide a few minutes before… Read More »Latest Countrywide “shambles” sends share price tumbling
Nested is the latest online agency to base a marketing campaign around criticism of established estate agents. In three 30-second TV ads it accuses established agencies of failing to give a complete service to their customers. Instead it claims to be “unique” in supporting vendors both through the sale of… Read More »Online agency reduced to shock tactics criticising High St firms
The Guild of Property Professionals is calling on the new chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to use his Budget speech, which will take place tomorrow, to support investment in the private rented sector, as research shows that buy-to-let landlords are exiting the market in droves. Tax and regulation changes continue to have… Read More »Budget 2020: ‘There must be no further taxation on landlords’
Rightmove’s growth rate is at an all-time low, despite what some consider to be an unbeatable lead amongst portals in the UK. That’s the view of Mike DelPrete, former head of strategy at a New Zealand portal and a long-standing analyst of estate agencies in the UK and the US. In a… Read More »Rightmove growth at all-time low, despite its market dominance
Prominent agency industry analyst Anthony Codling is asking agents whether the board of OnTheMarket did the right thing by firing Ian Springett. Codling – a prominent analyst formerly at investment bank Jefferies – has issued a 10 question survey asking agents questions including whether they believe OTM was correct in… Read More »What should OnTheMarket do now? An analyst wants to know…
An agency has repaid a £6,000 reservation fee to someone who thought they had purchased a property for £83,000 but was later told they must pay £100,000. The Sunday Times reports a case where a reader made what they believed to be a successful bid of £83,000 for a property in Newport,… Read More »Agent repays ‘non-returnable’ reservation fee after property row
Almost eight in 10 sellers have instructed High Street agents in the past year – a significantly higher figure than 12 months ago. The study involved 6,000 people and was conducted for Zoopla; specifically it shows 79 per cent instructed High Street agents in 2019, whereas in 2018 the figure… Read More »Sellers desert online agents for High Street rivals, says Zoopla
Estate Agent Today understands that three senior figures have departed from a key central London branch of Knight Frank. Each of them was a partner in the company and they formed the senior management at the agency’s Kensington office: it is not known why they left. They are believed to be… Read More »Mystery surrounds top agents quitting firm’s landmark branch
Increasing numbers of reports suggest that the government will use next week’s Budget to confirm a three per cent stamp duty surcharge on the purchase of homes by non-UK tax residents. The new surcharge – strongly hinted at by the government for many months – would be on top of… Read More »Stamp Duty change set to take centre stage in Budget next week
