Propertymark Invites Members to Join Agent Advisory Board
Propertymark, together with REACH UK, is launching an Agent Advisory Board for member agents, with its inaugural session on 13 May 2026 in Westminster. The board serves as a working forum where agents gain early access to the 2026 REACH UK cohort and evaluate new technology solutions against real‑world agency pressures such as compliance and efficiency. Participants will test tools, challenge founders, and influence which innovations move to pilot and rollout. The initiative targets agents already integrating technology, offering a structured pathway to shape proptech adoption.
Tight Supply and Rising Costs Shape Start of 2026 Property Market
January 2026 showed a mixed property market. New buyer registrations steadied at 74 per branch, while 29 % of adults reported difficulty covering rent or mortgage payments. In lettings, each available home attracted an average of seven applicants, even as fully managed...
Lettings Market Shows Resilience Amid Post-Budget Tax and Legislative Changes
The UK lettings market has shown unexpected stability after the Autumn Budget, defying forecasts of a mass landlord exit. LRG’s Winter 2025/26 Lettings Report finds 51% of landlords intend to maintain or grow their portfolios, with tenant affordability driving 46%...
Mydeposits and Reposit Join Forces
mydeposits has partnered with Reposit to let letting agents manage both traditional tenancy deposits and Reposit’s fee‑based alternative on a single platform. The integration combines mydeposits’ government‑authorised protection scheme with Reposit’s model where tenants pay a one‑week‑rent fee and landlords...
Who Is Buying Homes Being Sold by Buy-to-Let Investors?
The UK private rented sector (PRS) fell 5.1% in value last year, marking a third consecutive year of decline and a £79 bn loss since 2022. While overall UK housing rose 3.8%, landlord exits are accelerating, prompting questions about who purchases...
Hundreds of Homes to Be Sold After Shadow Bank’s Collapse
Market Financial Solutions, a £2 bn shadow bridging lender, entered administration after allegations of double‑pledged assets, leaving an estimated £1.3 bn shortfall for creditors. Administrators FRP Advisory and Begbies Traynor have been tasked with selling more than 250 property companies linked to...
Comings & Goings
Yorkshire’s largest independent estate agency Dacre, Son & Hartley appointed Cleo Howell as head of finance, overseeing accounting for its 17 offices and recent acquisitions. Knight Frank promoted Arya Salari, Eddie Thomas and James Thistle to Proprietary Partner, highlighting leadership in lettings, capital...
Well-Established Franchise Acquires Independent Agency
Your Move franchisee Chris Stonock has acquired Newcastle‑based Rhapsody Property Consultants, adding a 20‑year‑old lettings business to its network. The purchase expands the franchise to 14 offices covering the NE1‑NE3 postcodes and brings a sizable student and professional lettings portfolio....
Most and Least Affordable Areas to Move up the Property Ladder Revealed
Rightmove’s March data shows the price gap between a typical first‑time‑buyer home and a mid‑market three‑to‑four‑bedroom property has hit a record 52%, widening to £118,902. Nationally the average first‑time price is £226,955, while a second‑step home costs £345,857, demanding a...
Kate Faulkner’s Propertychecklists Platform Acquired by LIS Media
LIS Media, the owner of the National Landlord Investment Show and several property‑focused media brands, has acquired Propertychecklists.co.uk from Designs on Property Ltd. As part of the deal, Kate Faulkner joins LIS Media as a property market analyst, contributing to...
Sub-4% Fixed Rate Mortgages Disappear From the Market
Sub‑4% fixed‑rate mortgages have vanished from the UK market as major banks withdrew the last remaining two‑ and five‑year products in early March. The pull‑back follows a wave of lender repricing driven by rising swap rates and heightened margin concerns....
Leasehold Reform Risks Missing the Real Problems
Angela Rayner urged stricter control of lease‑hold management, highlighting ongoing disputes over ground rents, service charges, and cladding repairs. Leaseholders face costly repairs and resale challenges, while landlords resist reforms that could affect future ground‑rent income. Existing Section 20 rules already...
London Estate Agents Report Uptick in Enquiries From Gulf Region
London’s prime estate agents are seeing a sharp rise in enquiries from Gulf‑region buyers and renters as the regional conflict fuels safety concerns. Beauchamp Estates reported a 15% increase in Gulf‑origin enquiries over the past two weeks, with Gulf nationals...
Agents Urged to Help Shape the Future of the Property Market
The Smart Property Data Trust Framework sandbox, funded with a £742,700 government award, has launched to build a more efficient, transparent housing market. Delivered by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and the Open Property Data Association, the 12‑month pilot uses...
Mansion Tax: The Impact so Far on the Property Market
Chancellor Rachel Reeves' mansion tax, a £2 million high‑value council tax surcharge slated for April 2028, is already shaping England's premium property market. In London and the South East, sellers are trimming prices just below the threshold while buyers are discounting offers to...
Comings & Goings
BNP Paribas Real Estate and Strutt & Parker announced 95 UK promotions effective March 1, 2026, spanning senior director to associate levels and highlighting the firms’ integration progress. The promotions cover commercial, residential and rural specialties across major cities, reinforcing a talent‑first strategy....
BTL Landlords Urged to Review Ownership Structures Ahead of Tax Changes
Portfolio landlords face higher income tax rates as the UK government plans to raise the basic rate to 22%, the higher rate to 42%, and the additional rate to 47% from April 2027. Finance cost relief will also increase to...
Upfront Information – Is Inspector Morse or Ronan Keating Correct?
The article revisits the “upfront information” debate that resurfaced after the 2010 repeal of Home Information Packs, arguing that while providing material data early can speed transactions, it also risks prompting buyers to walk away, pressuring sellers to lower prices....
Redress Scheme Flooded with Enquiries Ahead of Renters’ Rights Act
Tenant complaints to The Property Ombudsman surged 58% between November 2025 and February 2026 as the Renters’ Rights Act approaches implementation in May 2026. The Act will abolish Section 21 evictions, end fixed‑term assured shorthold tenancies, and tighten rent rules, reshaping...
Estate Agents Expect AI to Transform How Buyers Find Homes
Estate agents recognize AI’s potential but see limited current impact, with only 7% reporting improved listing visibility. A GetAgent survey reveals 84% expect AI‑powered search to become the primary way buyers find homes, while 88% warn that firms ignoring AI...
Renters’ Rights Act Set to Drive Increase in ‘Expensive’ Rental Disputes
Tenancy disputes in England and Wales rose 6% over the past year, with 35% of landlords reporting at least one conflict. The Renters’ Rights Act, slated for 1 May 2026, is expected to further increase dispute frequency as tenants gain stronger protections....
UK Housing Demand Rebounds with London Leading the Charge
Buyer demand for UK homes rebounded in February, with new applicant registrations up 1.5% year‑on‑year, marking the strongest start since 2022. London led the surge, posting an 8% increase and a 35% rise versus February 2019, especially in Outer London where...
Strong Tenant-Landlord Relationships Linked to Longer Tenancies
The LRG Winter 2025/26 Lettings Report finds that 68% of tenants cite a strong relationship with their landlord or agent as the top factor for staying long‑term, outpacing rent, location and property quality. The report also notes that 24% of renters...
Estate Agents to Earn Commission From Out-of-Area Leads Under New Agreement
Homeflow has partnered with the Relocation Agent Network (RAN) to launch Homeflow Referrals, a one‑click add‑on to its Lead Manager that lets estate agents refer out‑of‑area enquiries to nearby RAN members and earn a share of the commission if the...
EYE NEWS UPDATE: Connells Group Agrees Major Deal with OnTheMarket
Connells Group, the UK’s largest estate‑agency network, has signed a partnership with property portal OnTheMarket, adding roughly 100,000 listings from its 1,263 branches. The deal follows CoStar Group’s recent investment in OnTheMarket and comes just two months after Connells renewed...
Comings & Goings
JLL announced Andrew Frost will become chairman of its UK business on March 31, 2026, moving from his role as head of UK capital markets; Julian Sandbach will succeed him as head of UK Capital Markets while John Woodger leads...
A Legal Guide to Landlords Regaining Possession of Their Property
Landlords and letting agents currently rely on Section 21 notices to regain possession of assured shorthread tenancies, but the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, effective 1 May 2026, will abolish ASTs and eliminate no‑fault notices. After that date, possession can only be obtained on at...
UK Property Sector Gender Pay Gap Continues to Widen
The UK property sector’s gender pay gap has widened to 14.2%, making it the fourth‑worst industry in Britain. Over the past decade the gap grew by 1.6 percentage points, and it jumped 5.5 points in the last year – the...
Landlords Facing £26bn ‘Green Tax’ to Meet Government’s Energy Targets
Landlords in England and Wales must bring 3.38 million rental properties up to a minimum EPC Band C by October 2030 under the government’s Warm Homes Plan. The average retrofit cost is £7,633, rising to over £12,000 in rural and northern areas, creating...
Average UK House Price Passes £300,000 for the First Time
The Halifax House Price Index shows the average UK home price has risen above £300,000 for the first time, reaching £300,077. Prices climbed 0.7% in January after a 0.5% dip in December, lifting annual growth to 1%. Regional gaps have...
Mortgage Advisers Feel More Positive About Their Businesses
The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association’s Q4 2025 Mortgage Market Tracker shows a modest dip in overall industry confidence, yet advisers remain highly optimistic about their own firms, with 57 % very confident and 43 % fairly confident. Average case volume slipped to 89...
Ex-Housing Secretary Angela Rayner Urges Government to Go Further on Agent Regulation
Former housing secretary Angela Rayner urged the government to strengthen regulation of managing agents as part of its leasehold reform programme. She praised the draft bill’s ground‑rent cap and ban on new leasehold flats but warned that the lack of...
Gilt Yields Rise as Hopes for Bank of England Rate Cut Fade
UK inflation fell to a ten‑month low in January, reviving hopes of a Bank of England rate cut in March. However, gilt yields surged, with five‑year yields up 19 basis points, ten‑year up 14 basis points and two‑year up 12...
BTL Landlords Continue to ‘Invest Strategically’ as Rents Rise
Buy‑to‑let landlords stayed active in the UK rental market as average rents rose to £1,602 PCM, a 4.9% increase year‑on‑year. The South Coast led growth with a 10.5% jump, while London rents grew modestly but remain 49% above the national...
Ambitious Agents Look Beyond Portals for Marketing Edge
UK estate agents who grew in 2025 allocate significantly more budget to marketing beyond property portals than the market average, according to the Voice of the Agent survey of 495 firms. Average agents spend 6.8% of income on such marketing,...
Gap Between LHA Rates and Average Market Rents Widens
SimplyPhi’s 2025 Regional Housing Market Report shows average private rents in all nine English regions surpass Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, creating monthly shortfalls of £377 to £1,194. While rental supply peaked at 77,458 units in Q2 2025, only about 1,154...
EYE NEWSFLASH: Dexters Reports Double-Digit Rise in Revenue and Profit
London‑based estate agency Dexters posted an 11% revenue increase to £247 million and a 10% profit rise to £52 million for the year to 30 September 2025. Growth was split between 9% organic expansion and acquisition‑driven gains, notably the Keatons purchase. Lettings revenue grew...
Former Housing Secretaries to Give Evidence on Leasehold Reform
Former housing secretaries Angela Rayner and Lord Michael Gove will appear before the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on 3 March to give evidence on the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. The session will also hear leasehold campaigners, the Residential Freehold Association...
Spicerhaart’s Expanding Partnership Model Wins Backing From Agents
Spicerhaart’s haart Partnership Scheme is expanding nationally, backed by agents who cite increased autonomy, profitability and work‑life balance. Testimonials from Jack Pollock, Roger Jackson and Janette Churchill illustrate how the model blends self‑employment flexibility with corporate resources such as tech,...
Conveyancing Costs Surge – What’s Driving the Jump?
The Property Solvers study reveals conveyancing fees in the UK climbing well above inflation, with freehold sale costs hitting £1,317 in 2026—a 10.6% rise year‑on‑year. Leasehold and remortgage fees also posted double‑digit increases, outpacing the 3% CPI. Regulatory, AML, and...
Homeowners Gain Equity, Entry-Level Buyers Still Struggle
UK homeowners have amassed roughly £677 bn of equity since the 2008 crisis, driving the average loan‑to‑value ratio down to 59%, well below the 70% peak in 2012. By 2024, only 42% of private homes retain a mortgage, indicating a shift...
EYE NEWSFLASH: Zoopla Acquires Rival Property Portal
Zoopla has completed the acquisition of newhomesforsale.co.uk, a specialist portal that works with more than 200 property developers and markets around 2,500 new‑build projects, connecting over one million prospective buyers each year. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed,...
Letting Agents and Landlords Seek Insurance Ahead of Renters’ Rights Act
Goodlord's analysis shows a 41% surge in rental‑insurance demand between September and December 2025 after the Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent. A survey of 234 letting agents and landlords found 76% are now more likely to purchase protection insurance...
Crackdown on Rogue Landlords as Licensing Expanded
Newcastle City Council has extended its selective licensing scheme in Byker Old Town and the Greater High Cross area until September 2031, requiring private landlords to pay a £1,000 licence and meet strict property‑condition and tenant‑management standards. The programme, now in...
Knight Frank Takeover by Rival Firm Approved
Sherry FitzGerald has received Competition and Consumer Protection Commission approval to acquire Knight Frank’s Irish operations, including HT Meagher O’Reilly Ltd and its new‑homes arm. The regulator concluded the deal will not substantially lessen competition in Ireland’s property market. Sherry FitzGerald, which runs...
Rising Stamp Duty Receipts Show Levy Needs ‘Urgent Refresh’
Stamp Duty Land Tax receipts jumped 6% in January to £899 million, and annual collections rose 18% to £15.4 billion, driven by the 2024 reduction of the nil‑rate band to £125,000. The lower threshold now captures many transactions that were previously exempt,...
