London Luxury Property Market Shows ‘Renewed Confidence’ After Years of Slowdown
Carter Jonas’ Spring 2026 luxury market update shows London’s high‑end residential sector rebounding after a sharp 2025 slowdown. Transaction volumes fell about 65% year‑over‑year, with total investment dropping from £7.8 billion (≈$10 billion) to roughly £2.2 billion (≈$2.8 billion). The upcoming High‑Value Council Tax surcharge, costing an estimated £2,500–£7,500 annually (≈$3,200–$9,600), is already being priced into buyer calculations. Nonetheless, easing mortgage rates, stronger wages and softer prices are restoring confidence among domestic and international buyers.
Ambitious Firm Expands After Acquiring Long-Established Letting Agency
Orlando Reid has acquired the long‑established lettings agency Bergins in South Manchester, adding more than 250 properties to its portfolio. The Bergins team will stay on board to maintain continuity for landlords and tenants. This marks Orlando Reid’s first acquisition...
Comings & Goings
Property services firms announced three senior leadership changes. Savills appointed Luke Kearns, formerly of Knight Frank and Marsh & Parsons, as head of lettings in Edinburgh, aiming to grow portfolios amid a stabilising Scottish rental market. Cushman & Wakefield’s international partner Yvonne Court will retire...
Franchise Owners Acquire Well-Established Estate Agency
Martin & Co’s Exeter branch, run by franchise owners Nik and Rosie Davey, has completed its first acquisition by buying Cooksleys Estate Agents. The deal adds both lettings management and sales operations, effectively doubling the Exeter office’s size across both...
London Lettings Market Shows Early Signs of Spring Recovery
Foxtons reports that London’s lettings market is showing early signs of a spring‑time rebound after a winter lull. While renter registrations remain below last year’s levels, they have risen from winter lows and budgets are broadly unchanged, indicating stable affordability...
Agency Continues Growth Strategy with Acquisition
Quicklet has broadened its Edinburgh footprint by acquiring the rental portfolios of LinnMac and Investment Lettings, which will be overseen by its Albany Lettings arm. The deal adds a significant number of units to Quicklet’s Scottish inventory and brings senior...
Leaseholders Are Being ‘Held Hostage by a Paralysis of Policy’
Leaseholders are being held hostage by a "paralysis of policy," warned Linz Darlington, managing director of Homehold, after the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee reviewed the stalled Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. The 2024 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act...
Global Shocks ‘Continue to Test’ UK Housing Market, OPDA Calls for Long-Term Strategy
The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) warned that global shocks, such as the Iran conflict, are exposing the UK housing market’s fragility. With mortgage rates now above 5% and lenders pulling products, buyer activity has slowed. OPDA calls for a...
First-Time Buyers Lean on ‘Mum and Dad’ Expertise – and TikTok – for Homebuying Tips
Lloyds Bank’s survey of 2,000 prospective buyers shows parents remain the top source of guidance for first‑time homebuyers, with 34% turning to mum and dad before mortgage brokers or agents. Among 18‑24‑year‑olds, nearly half rely on parental advice, while 31%...
Ambitious Agency Completes Fourth Acquisition in Just One Year
Edward Rose Property Group, a Your Move franchise partner, has acquired Flats in Southsea, adding 109 managed units to its Southsea portfolio. The deal marks the fourth acquisition by the group within the past year, expanding its landlord base and...
New Data Brings ‘Significant Operational Burden for Conveyancers and Estate Agents’
New Thirdfort data shows 57.7% of UK property transactions trigger AML red flags. Analysis of more than 415,000 Source of Funds checks revealed an average of two red flags per report, creating a heavy compliance load. Conveyancers and estate agents...
Zoopla Updates Boost Housebuilder Leads
Zoopla reported a 21% year‑on‑year increase in new‑home searches, driving a 53% jump in leads delivered to housebuilders in 2025. The platform introduced map‑view listings and enhanced contact capture on virtual tours, making new‑build developments more discoverable. Search activity for...
First UK Region to Pilot New Model for Delivering Homes at Scale
Liverpool has been chosen as the first pilot site for the £85 million Industrialising and Digitalising Construction Challenge, a national programme aimed at boosting construction productivity. The initiative will test standardised components, digital coordination and manufacturing‑led processes on two social‑housing projects,...
The Debt Burden Facing Estate Agency’s Biggest Groups
Recent filings for the UK’s largest estate‑agency groups reveal a surge in leverage as interest rates climb. Chianti Holdings, Leaders Romans, Strike and Yopa all posted higher revenues but deepening losses, with total debt ranging from £5.7 m to over £370 m...
Prince William’s Controversial 2,500-Home Development Granted Planning Approval
Planning permission has been granted for the Duchy of Cornwall’s South East Faversham scheme, a 2,500‑home development on 137.7 hectares of Kent farmland owned by Prince William. The plan includes 400 social‑rent homes, 475 affordable units, a primary school, nursery,...
Major Property Firm’s Accountants Face FRC Investigation After £165m Accounting Error
The Financial Reporting Council has opened an investigation into two former Vistry Group accountants over a £165 million accounting error tied to the housebuilder's South Division projects. The error, initially projected to shave £115 million from pre‑tax profit, was later revised upward...
Comings & Goings
LRG promoted Group HR Director Hannah Cooper to Chief People Officer, highlighting her role in achieving record staff retention rates. The promotion signals LRG’s intent to embed people strategy at the executive level across its sales, lettings, property management and...
Buyer Confidence Edges Back, but Mortgage Rate Volatility Risks Recovery
The Bank of England reports UK residential mortgage stock reached a record £1.734 trn in Q4 2025, up 0.8% from the previous quarter and 3% year‑on‑year. New mortgage advances slipped 1.3% to £79.4 bn and commitments fell 11.9%, indicating a slowdown in...
Renters Benefit as Competition for Homes Eases
UK renters are experiencing the weakest competition for homes in six years, as Zoopla’s Rental Market Report shows demand down 14% and supply up 11% over the past year. The average number of enquiries per listing fell to 4.8, and...
UK Property Management Sector Nears £38bn
The UK property‑management industry is set to approach £38 bn in revenue by 2026, according to Rushbrook & Rathbone research. After a 1.7 % dip in 2024, the sector rebounded with a 4.1 % gain in 2025, marking a decade‑long growth of roughly...
UK Cities Where Letting Agents Are Most Active
Propoly’s analysis of rental listings across 21 UK cities reveals an average of 13.5 listings per letting‑agency branch. Nottingham tops the chart with 35 properties per branch, while Leeds (30.5) and Newcastle (21.1) also exceed the national norm. The lowest...
Why Your Estate Agency Needs an Exit Plan
Chris Webb argues that every new estate agency should define an exit strategy from day one, not as a distant goal but as a guiding intent. Without a clear plan, owners build overly dependent businesses that become heavy as they...
New Property Discovery App Officially Launches with TV Campaign
The HOMING IN® property discovery app has launched a national TV advertising campaign on Sky channels starting mid‑March, targeting tech‑savvy home‑seekers. The platform promises estate agents a low‑cost or free marketing channel that funnels enquiries directly to their own websites...
Fears New Public Register Will Create ‘Extra Red Tape and Unintended Consequences’
The UK government plans to launch a public register of land transactions to boost market transparency. Industry leaders, including Bidwells and KMDC, warn the scheme could impose extra red tape, especially harming small‑scale developers. Critics argue that reinstating Help to...
Long-Established Agency Acquires Local Rival
British lettings firm Fishers has purchased Harborne‑based Whittle Estates & Property Services for a six‑figure sum. The deal expands Fishers’ managed portfolio from roughly 600 to about 750 properties and increases its landlord base to over 350. Whittle’s owners will...
Zoopla Reports Sharp Rise in Property Valuation Leads to Agents
Zoopla announced a 42% year‑on‑year rise in valuation leads for February, extending the growth seen in January. The surge aligns with an additional 500,000 homeowners using Zoopla’s valuation tools, pushing total users above 5.6 million. Leads increased across Great Britain, with...
Ambitious Agency Completes Second Strategic Acquisition of the Year
Dwelly announced its second 2026 acquisition, buying Goodwin Property Services and adding roughly 330 rental units and a residential sales division. The deal brings Dwelly’s managed portfolio above 10,000 homes, placing it among the UK’s top 15 letting agents. Goodwin’s...
EYE NEWSFLASH: Rightmove Post ‘Strong’ Full Year Results as Agency Membership Grows
Rightmove reported audited FY 2025 results, delivering 9% revenue growth to £425.1 m and a 12% rise in operating profit. Agency membership increased 2% and retention reached its second‑highest level in a decade, while AI‑enabled Agent Valuation recorded its fastest adoption. The...
Estate Agents See DIY Disruptors as a Threat
Research from Alto shows 34% of UK estate agents consider DIY property platforms a threat, with smaller agencies feeling the pressure most acutely. Among sole traders, 37% view services like OpenRent and FSBO as a major risk, while larger firms...
New Property Portal Launches
London‑based nHabit has entered the property‑portal arena with an AI‑driven rental matchmaking platform. It offers a free tier of up to three active listings and a pay‑as‑you‑go price starting at £10 per listing, with volume discounts and no lock‑in contracts....
Industry Anticipates Significant Digital Shift in Conveyancing This Year
The Conveyancing Association’s 25th‑anniversary conference highlighted a rapid digital transformation in conveyancing, with industry leaders predicting acceleration through 2026. Speakers noted that digital tools now exist to improve transparency and transaction speed, but their impact hinges on coordinated action across...
Rightmove Reports Surge in Property Valuation Leads to Agents
Rightmove announced a 50% jump in valuation leads in January 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. The increase stems from the launch of its Online Agent Valuation product and AI upgrades to existing tools. The expanded suite—including Rightmove Discover,...
Buy-to-Let Sees Renewed Interest From Wealthy Investors
Wealthy UK investors are increasingly allocating capital to buy‑to‑let property despite higher stamp duty, with 35 % of those holding over £2.5 million owning rental assets. After exhausting ISA and pension allowances, they turn to tax‑advantaged vehicles like VCTs and EIS, which...
Growing Proportion of Rental Homes Sold Remaining in Private Rented Sector
Research from SafeDeposits Scotland shows the share of Scottish rental homes that remain in the private rented sector after being sold nearly doubled, rising to 17% in 2025 from 9% in 2024. At the same time, 57% of sold rentals...
