TOP NEWS STORIES
Hollywood star lends his voice to estate agency’s latest advert
The advert will run for four weeks across major stations
Updated How to Rent Guide set to be published today following delay
The new version of the guide was initially expected to be released a week ago
Estate agents can expect busy spring, according to AML data
Winter is no longer the peak period for real estate AML compliance activity, research has found
New group to support LGBTQ+ estate agency community launches
The LGBTQ+ estate agency support group will provide camaraderie, support and advice for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning community that work in property
Scottish housing market ‘resilient’ and set to outperform the wider UK market
Scotland is now seeing a healthy level of supply and demand and a well-functioning housing market, according to residential research analyst
Landlords warned over potential fines
Imminent changes to regulations for commercial properties have been flagged
Funding group suggests legislation to solve homeownership crisis
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt missed a trick in the recent budget to help first-time buyers, according to the HFA
Estate agents urged to make this Easter egg-stra special to those in need
Estate agents are being asked to use their office as collection point to collect chocolate eggs of all shapes and sizes, with a view to donating them to a local food bank
New report outlines path to 2025 standard for zero carbon ready homes
The techniques and technologies that are required to radically lower carbon emissions in houses already exist, new report suggests
Construction industry hopes for migration housebuilding boost
Industry optimism that it will become easier to recruit from abroad to ease chronic shortages

Interest rates raised to 4.25% by Bank of England – property industry reaction
The impact on buyers’ budgets will weigh on house prices especially in the lower rungs of the housing ladder, where debt is the predominant source of funding, says one agent
Letting manager jailed for defrauding estate agency
The agent has been sentenced after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud by abuse of position
Property marketing platform announces it will cease operations on 31st March
The company, which partners with over 500 estate agents, says it has faced ‘significant challenges’ as a result of the slowdown in the housing market
Draconian buy-to-let tax changes contribute to significant loss in Treasury revenue
Analysis shows that restrictions in mortgage interest relief have contributed to there being 1.2 million fewer properties in the PRS in the UK than there otherwise could have been
Property industry reacts to latest house price data
The direction of travel is now unmistakable when it comes to house prices
Bank of England poised to raise interest rates today amid inflation surprise jump
Financial markets believe an interest rate rise from the Bank of England is near-certain due to the latest inflation data
Rents rise at record pace fuelled by widening supply-demand imbalance
This record-breaking annual rental price rise speaks to the strong competition for new lets, as well as the shortage of supply
Estate agents worried about implications of ‘propertyless budget’
Property market should have been more of a focus in the recent spring statement, survey finds
Surge in rents reflects ‘how intense the imbalance is between supply and demand’
The number of properties coming to the market in February was down 5% compared to January, while demand continues to soar
Lack of budget incentives prompting landlords to exit buy-to-let market
The failure of the government to reintroduce mortgage tax relief has led to widespread disappointment
New report to help estate agents assess climate change risks on any property
The report aims to help property professionals and investors understand the current and potential future climate-based risks
My Auction founder launches new service ‘estate agents can offer their clients’
Stuart Collar-Brown, who has worked in the property industry for more than 20 years both as an estate agent and property auctioneer, is hoping to help speed up property transactions
Remortgage completions drop by almost a third
Homeowners who remortgaged last month saw their average monthly payment increase by £257

Property industry reacts to sharp fall in house sales
Residential property sales dropped by almost a fifth in February
Estate agent sees red after discovering rate relief exemption
High street property businesses are being hit with eye-watering rises from local authorities due to government guidance
Comings & Goings
Snippets of industry news: Purplebricks’ head of letting joins Spicerhaart; Ex-Savills associate director launches new agency; iamproperty appoints CTO
Average fixed mortgage rates hit a six-month low
The overall two-year fixed mortgage rate stands at 0.32% higher than the five-year equivalent
Boss of Douglas & Gordon on the move
Administrators this week published a report on insolvency of Douglas & Gordon