Other News
England’s new Covid-19 lockdown may last beyond 2 December
The government could extend national lockdown if data shows the infection rate has not fallen enough.
News
People
New Property Ombudsman, Rebecca Marsh, talks exclusively to Property Industry Eye
Marsh reflects on the challenges in the sector, “both those now and those coming down the line”.
Finance
HMRC: Stamp duty receipts up 1%
Residential transactions decreased by 1% from 1,036,000 to 1,023,000 between 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020.
Lettings
Fewer agents saw rents increase in September
The number of rental properties available per letting agent branch fell in September.
Law
Rogue letting agents ordered to pay close to £100,000 in compensation
The dodgy agents were each sentenced to 28 months behind bars for their parts in the fraud.
Finance
Tax expert says ‘it is critical that the government reviews this stamp duty holiday’
The loss of 325,000 sales would cost the UK economy in the region of £4bn.
Finance
Mortgage approvals hit 13-year high as UK housing market booms
Mortgage approvals have shot up to their highest rate since September 2007.
Law
Homebuyers will miss stamp duty deadline due to ‘significant delays’ – warning
Research shows that it is currently taking up to 42-days to return local searches on properties.
Finance
Dear chancellor… the letter requesting a stamp duty extension of six months
Industry figureheads pen joint letter calling on Rishi Sunak to extend the stamp duty holiday beyond 31 March.
People
Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman, is looking forward to ‘well-earned retirement’
Rebecca Marsh will take up the role of Ombudsman at TPO on Monday.
Politics
Buyers urged to act fast due to stamp duty holiday
To benefit from stamp duty homeowners are encouraged to start their search this weekend.
Agency
Foxtons sees a decline in third-quarter revenue but says housing market is improving
The London-based agency also said that its sales commission pipeline hit its highest level in three years.
Compliance
The Residential Property Surveyors Association launches new survey standards
The RPSA says that the new guidance is clearer for consumers and sets a benchmark for independent surveyors.
Agency
Agent opts to ‘strike’ back against Spicerhaart CEO’s ‘factual inaccuracies’
Strike’s Sam Mitchell slams Paul Smith for claiming hybrid agents face an uncertain future.
Finance
Industry leaders call on the chancellor to extend stamp duty holiday
A joint letter will be sent to Rishi Sunak later today requesting that the stamp duty holiday is extended by six months.
People
Comings and Goings
KFH’s new head of lettings management; Linley & Simpson hires Lucy Collinge; Kerfuffle expands management team
Compliance
Advice for estate agents on avoiding data breach
With the amount of sensitive data estate agents hold, a data breach could be catastrophic.
Politics
Petition launched calling for six-month stamp duty extension
The petition aims to encourage the government to extend the stamp duty holiday until 31 September 2021.
Finance
One in 10 BTL landlords plan to add to portfolios
Buy-to-let continues to consolidate itself as the investment of choice for many investors.