Acquisitions
Connells increases stake in Countrywide
Connells has acquired Schroder Investment Management’s stake in Countrywide after agreeing terms for a takeover of the company last week.
News
Compliance
Updated Covid-19 advice for estate and letting agents
Companies should inform customers and their own staff about their Covid-19 procedures, so that they are safe throughout the sales and lettings process.
Agency
Is estate agency heading into the roaring twenties?
Paul Smith offers up his thoughts for the year ahead.
Tech
New locally focused property portal to launch next month
The soon-to-launch platform will initially concentrate on Coventry and Warwickshire before it is rolled out nationwide.
Law
Government’s leasehold reform proposals do not go far enough
The Leasehold Group has described the government’s proposed reforms to the leasehold system as “window dressing”.
People
Comings and Goings
Rendall & Rittner appoints Sarah Williams; Angus Michie joins SevenCapital as MD; Tim Garratt leaves Innes England.
Lettings
Government urged to extend eviction ban beyond March
The Scottish government yesterday announced an extension to the eviction ban until the end of March, but will England follow suit as Covid-19 cases spike?
Lettings
Urgent action needed to tackle rent debt crisis
A joint statement, backed by various organisations, calls for a package of measures to help renters pay off arrears built since March last year when the initial lockdown started.
Law
The end for the leasehold scandal as government vows to scrap rip-off costs
Almost 4.5 million leaseholders in England will be tens of thousands of pounds better off as a result of new laws.
Law
Leasehold property sales could be abolished in favour of commonhold
The government has announced that it is establishing a Commonhold Council.
Law
NLC welcomes today’s announcement on leasehold reform
Systematic mis-selling of new build properties with exorbitant ground rents has led to a large increase in leaseholders facing big bills.
Acquisitions
Alchemy issues statement regarding offer for Countrywide
Countrywide and Connells reached an agreement last week.
Politics
HMRC urged to delay self-assessment deadline
The self-assessment tax return deadline is less than four weeks away.
Lettings
Rental market outlook for 2021
Rental growth has been spurred on by the bounce back in demand after the first lockdown.
People
Comings and Goings
Fisher German announces senior promotions; David Paxton joins Royds Withy King; SDL Property Auctions takes on apprentices.
Acquisitions
Property Services Haslemere and LP Lettings merge
The Surrey-based firms have joined forces with a view to increasing market share in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex.
Agency
Brown&Co opens new regional hub in Lincoln
The new multi-divisional office is based on Doddington Road in the city.
Finance
Lockdown leads to fresh calls for stamp duty extension
Tax expert says that the holiday needs to be phased out as opposed to “cliff-edged” to avoid housing market collapse.
Agency
Knight Frank: ‘We are being extra vigilant and cutting back mixing of our agents’
No more than two people can be located in any of Knight Frank's high street offices at any one time.