Law
E-signatures are fine on agency agreement, county court rules
Letting agent wins case over arrears where guarantor gave electronic signature
News
Agency
Estate agency industry suffers ‘worst staff shortages’ in a generation – despite branch closures
Number of estate agency vacancies doubles in a year as employers struggle to find staff
People
Respected industry leader John Hards to ‘retire’ after 45 years
Countrywide veteran to step down from role as lettings director
Agency
Consumer awareness of Zoopla at an all-time high – with Rightmove lagging in second place
Gap widens between Zoopla and Rightmove in terms of consumer awareness, claims new research
Law
Land Registry records just under 70,000 sales transactions in February
But who was the busiest conveyancer?
Lettings
Renters in far worse financial health than home owners
Research finds renters currently send roughly half their salary to their landlord each month
Other News
Home sales slide by 5.7% annually, says HMRC
But how does it compare with a 'normal' year?
Other News
Transactions down by a fifth in England but UK house prices continue to grow
ONS house price index shows values increased 6.2% across the UK to £218,255, up 0.8% on a monthly basis
Lettings
How clean is clean? How to avoid a filthy problem at the end of a tenancy
Cleaning is the cause of most disputes over deposits at the end of tenancies
Law
CMA says it cannot review letting agent fees because of ‘insufficient time before ban’
Citizens Advice calls for ban to be enacted as soon as possible – and to completely outlaw all fees
Compliance
New service launches for agents which combines conveyancing and Consumer Protection Regulations compliance
Entrepreneurs behind IAM Sold launch into conveyancing and compliance market
Acquisitions
Purplebricks growing faster in Australia than it did after UK launch
Expansion of Purplebricks in Australia is 'ahead of expectations', says CEO – meanwhile CIELA files complaint about TV adverts in UK
Agency
Estate agent finds himself social media sensation after valuation visit to flat crashes mums’ website
Dan's the man! Internet frenzy as over 25,000 women search for modest estate agent online (and yes, fans, he's single)
Finance
Transactions across England and Wales fall 14% compared with a year ago
Buy-to-let landlords show signs of wanting to purchase – but figures down by well over half
Other News
RICS expresses concerns for rural markets post-Brexit
Farmland prices dropped in the second half of 2016, down 7% year-on-year
Other News
House prices across England and Wales in fall as last year went on, says Land Registry
Transactions in central London hit all-time low in 29% plunge
Other News
Picture of the Week: How to cook your baked beans without having to stir
When is small simply too small? Or does this studio flat pass muster?
Charity
Tell us what you will be doing for Red Nose Day!
Funny, happy and entertaining – and it's all in the best possible cause! Don't keep it to yourself
Agency
NEWS FLASH: Estate agent employees offered up to £100,000 to whistleblow on cartels
Regulator launches first advertising campaign to crack down on illegal cartels
Lettings
Ban on letting fees to cost single-office business £85,000 a year, claim
Agents forecast big drop in income – and redundancies