NEWS UPDATE: Have your say on government’s house buying shake-up
The Home Buying and Selling Reform and Material Information consultations are now live
Marc da Silva
Property industry responds to government’s home buying reform plans
The government has pledged to address the current homebuying system that it believes is too often costly, time-consuming, and prone to collapse
Big change for property listings as government extends material information rules
Government outlines reform plans for home sales, including mandatory upfront property details
Tories to announce £5,000 National Insurance rebate for young homebuyers
Conservatives propose ‘First Job Bonus’ to help young people onto property ladder
Emoov owner fined more than £21,000 for unlicensed HMO
Southend Council prosecutes online estate agent over nine offences
Greens vote to abolish landlords at their party conference
Under the proposals, the Green party would end buy-to-let mortgages and give councils the Right to Buy when landlords sell properties
New independent estate agency opens
Female directors say they're "doing it for the girls" with estate agency
Remortgage rush masks decline in first-time buyer activity
Demand for long-term fixed-rate mortgage deals - once popular for stability - is waning rapidly
Tickets on sale for Women in Estate Agency 2026
This industry ‘conference’ refuses to be called one - here’s why
EYE NEWSFLASH: Estate agents face changes as part of government’s major home buying shake-up
Estate agents face mandatory qualifications as government pledges faster, cheaper property buying and selling process
London mayor to slash affordable homes target to boost housebuilding
The Greater London Authority plans to lower affordable housing requirements for developers to accelerate new home construction
Comings & Goings
Snippets of industry news: Campions Group appoint new head of property services; sales & acquisitions director joins Amara Property; PEXA's new head of conveyancer relationships
Purplebricks ditches legacy CRM for AI-powered no-code system
A key feature of the new system is its AI capability, which processes and categorises large volumes of daily enquiries
Tenants prefer renting directly from landlords over letting agents
The findings underscore the need for letting agents to improve their service offering to remain competitive and meet tenant expectations
Estate agency tackles new ground with major rugby sponsorship deal
Estate agency enters strategic sponsorship agreement
HAILO: How the AI tool for estate agents works – and what the free trial offers
Over 4,000 estate agency branches have adopted the AI listings tool in recent weeks - with many appearing to be on free trials rather than paid plans
Close to 860,000 sign up for HM Land Registry fraud alerts
Rising sophistication of property fraudsters highlights need for vigilance
Confidence holds strong among buyers, sellers and renters despite uncertainty
Only 12% want current stamp duty system to remain; 25% support spreading payments over several years; 21% favour a new property tax - OnTheMarket report
Agency earnings at risk as Renters’ Rights Bill looms, report warns
Periodic tenancies could slash agency revenue by 27% - new figures
Comings & Goings
Snippets of industry news: Senior figure joins Strutt & Parker from UK Sotheby’s International Realty; Independent estate agent leaves Moveli to partner with Nested; New director at Bellway