Other News
Spat between ‘property gurus’ hits the Sunday Times’ headlines
Millionaire property educator taken to task over advocating use of bounceback loans for wealth creation
News
Agency
Agent made redundant at the start of lockdown opens online business
Shock redundancy leads to opening of new agency business
Agency
Covid-crisis may be catalyst for change that will benefit OnThe Market, says investor website
Investor website says OnTheMarket will succeed if it converts agents to full price contracts
Acquisitions
Andrew Grant, estate agents and auctioneers, changes hands
Firm makes redundancies as it rationalises the business
Compliance
Confusion reigns over Electrical Regulations Guidance implementation dates
New guidance on electrical safety testing contradicts earlier statements on introduction dates
Law
Court case outcome gives clarity on Repossession Notices
Case centred on the relationship between Section 21 notices and gas safety certificates.
Politics
Scottish Government gives go-ahead for property market to reopen on June 29
Home moves included in latest easing of Scotland's lockdown restrictions
People
Well known estate agent dies just weeks after terminal diagnosis – and marriage
Head of Heywoods Estate Agents married partner of 32 years during terminal illness
Finance
Tax barrister reports 285% uplift in stamp duty refund claims
SDLT rules are so complex that many conveyancers and advisers fail to understand them properly
Other News
30th birthday for management company with 70,000 unit portfolio
Management business has 480 employees at head office and over 1,500 on site
Finance
Remortgage market concerns rise in line with cancellations
22.5% rise in cancellation volumes between the first and the second weeks of June
Other News
Rents reach highest recorded figure – Office for National Statistics
Median rent tops £700 with huge variations between regions
Agency
Agents offered new tool to screen vendors and viewers for coronavirus infection risk
Chatbot will ask potential clients about coronavirus symptoms before any face-to-face contact
Other News
Northern Ireland property market begins recovery
Confidence that N.I. prices will be less volatile than in other regions of the U.K.
Finance
Nationwide reduces maximum LTV to 85%
Concerns about potential for negative equity leads lender to reassess loan criteria
Lettings
77% of landlords say their tenants can afford to continue paying rent during lockdown
16% of landlords voluntarily offered their tenants a discount during Covid crisis
Agency
Enquiries to agents in England up 32% on average – Rightmove
'Second stepper' homes achieving sales nearest to asking prices
Agency
Yopa claims second highest share of new listings during lockdown
Yopa gave its agents financial support during lockdown - but won't say how much
Acquisitions
Axel Springer and Purplebricks make further investments in Homeday
Homeday offers real estate sellers a full brokerage service with experienced local agents, with no commission charged.
Lettings
Strong fortnight for lettings market as activity surpasses 2019 levels – Goodlord
Demand for rental properties has steadily gained paced since reopening of the market