Agency
New partnership aims to help agents ‘remain Covid-secure’
Guidance documents now available to help agents maintain legal compliance and uphold best practice in their duty of care as employers
News
Law
RIBA welcomes minimum space standards for all permitted development homes
New homes delivered through permitted development rights typically go through a lighter-touch ‘prior approval’ process, but that is about to change.
Agency
Strutt & Parker’s Knightsbridge and Chelsea teams merge at 66 Sloane Street
The move has been described as a ‘logical and natural move’ for the London-based firm.
Lettings
New online letting tool for agents
Sprift is offering all agents who sign up for a Lettings Intelligence demo a free trial until the end of the year.
Other News
Housing fuels service sector recovery
The housing industry has often led the UK economy out of recessions, and it looks like it could do so again
Agency
Referral fees are a ‘step forward’ for agents
It is now up to MHCLG to decide whether to introduce new legislation.
Agency
Opinion: Is it really necessary to tell customers about third party referral fees when buying or selling a home?
Government urged not to ‘over-regulate the legitimate earning power of estate agents’
Finance
Boris Johnston pledges to ‘fix the problem of unaffordable deposits’
Prime Minister fears that many people who do not yet own property will not be able to do so without more low-deposit mortgages
Compliance
Does your firm qualify for the coronavirus job retention scheme?
Job Retention Bonus to support millions of employers, including estate agency owners, who have kept on furloughed workers
Compliance
Cladding remediation: Progress on improving building safety needs to move faster
An estimated 2,000 high-risk residential buildings still have combustible cladding on them post-Grenfell
People
Founder of Blackpool estate agents and auctioneers has died
Respected businessman and former councillor John Metcalf set up Metcalf’s Estate Agents & Auctioneers in 1963
Lettings
Average UK rents up 2.1% in 12 months to September
10 of 12 regions show increase in rental values year-on-year
Acquisitions
Dowen Estate Agents acquired in MBO
Eight branch operation purchased by pair of long term employees
Agency
Virtual property auctions ‘are here to stay’
Bidder numbers have been strong and some keenly priced lots have seen fierce competition.
Agency
Major agency group returns to Zoopla as portal continues to grow
Another regional agency group has returned to Zoopla
Law
Banned! Rogue landlord faces prison if he tries to rent out properties
An unscrupulous landlord who unlawfully rented out cramped and overcrowded bedsits has been warned he will go to jail if he tries to rent out other properties.
Agency
Revealed: How much do agents charge in your area?
“It’s fair to say that many agents more than earn the fee they charge"
Compliance
Estate agent handed seven-year ban
Insufficient records made it impossible to verify transactions worth millions