Author: Benjamin

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: The latest research from GetAgent.co.uk has concluded that the UK property market is currently performing at its strongest since 2022, with both mortgage approvals and transactions at their highest average monthly levels in three years. GetAgent analysed HMRC and Bank of England data on residential property transactions and mortgage approvals, looking at the year-to-date figures for 2025 and comparing the current average monthly numbers to historic figures for the same time period (January to June) to gauge how the market is currently performing. The research shows that a total of…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: New research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has found that many homebuyers in Northern Ireland pay a premium to live in a multicultural neighbourhood. The research, called ‘Housing Divides – Cultural Diversity, Property Values, and the Uneven Geography of Opportunity in Northern Ireland’, was conducted by Rachel Cho, Hisham Farag, Christoph Görtz, Danny McGowan, Huyen Nguyen and Max Schröder. Their paper says: “This finding is significant, not just because it reveals something about peoples’ preferences for their living environments, but because house prices can profoundly…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has launched a new YouTube channel to help make sense of the critical changes shaping the future of homebuying. The channel is now live and features a growing library of videos designed to explain everything from the basics of smart data and trust frameworks to detailed technical knowhow of OPDA’s schema and membership accreditation process. The organisation was founded in 2023. Its executive committee of 15 includes mortgage lenders, property and Proptech firms, conveyancers and estate agents. The chair of OPDA, Maria Harris, explains:…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Iain Mansfield, chief financial officer at Principality Building Society Principality Building Society has published its Wales House Price Index for Q2 2025 (April – June) and reported a “modest increase” from the same period last year. The average price of a home sold in Wales in the second quarter of 2025 was £238,098, compared to £236,369 in the same period in 2024, equating to 0.7%. The data covers the rise and fall in house prices in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales. Torfaen leads the way, with by…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: You’ve been there. You’ve smashed the valuation. Great rapport. The seller’s nodding along. You leave thinking, “That one’s in the bag.” Then you get the call. “We really liked you… but another agent said they’d do it for less. Sorry.” It’s one of the most frustrating parts of being an estate agent. You know you’ll get them a better result. You know the other agent is cutting corners. But unless you handle it right, the seller doesn’t see any of that. All they see is a cheaper quote. So how…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: New market analysis from HMO management platform COHO has revealed that over a quarter of shared living tenants are having to secure rooms months in advance and that in some cities, as few as one in nine live listings are available for immediate occupancy in some cities. The figures are based over 13,000 shared living listings across 15 cities*. They show that only 58.6% of rooms being advertised are listed as being available for immediate move-in. and that over a quarter (27%) still won’t be available for at least one…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: The average rent in England broke records during July, hitting the highest levels ever recorded according to the Goodlord Rental Index, which has been tracking the contracted rents of new tenancies across England for over six years. The proptech company’s analysis shows that in July, the average monthly price of a rental property in England was £1,496. This breaks the previous rental record, set in July 2024, of £1,470. The latest figures also include record-breaking rental spikes across several regions. Monthly averages hit six-year high July’s average cost of £1,496…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: TSB commissioned a survey of over 1,000 first-time buyers (FTBs) who had bought a property in the past year and found that 80% of them had moved back in with their parents in order to save money for their deposit. Between 25th-29th July 2025, Censuswide questioned 1,006 first-time buyers who had bought a property in the past year. Some of their key findings are: 96% of first-time buyers received financial help for their deposit, with 68% receiving help from family and 57% from friends Three-quarters (75%) scaled back on their…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Robert Sturges founds Sturges London Robert Sturges Robert Sturges has founded his own Fulham-based company, Sturges London, which offers residential sales, lettings and property management services in the Central and South West London. His previous role was heading up Prime Central and Central London Residential Sales for Chestertons but his real estate career began with Foxtons in Fulham in the early 1990s. He worked his way up from senior negotiator to director and was involved with the sale of the business to Humberts Ltd and in its subsequent merger with…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Jitty, the UK’s first AI-powered home-buying agent, has announced a USD$3.8 million seed funding round led by global digital property experts REA Group. This marks a significant step forward for the London-based startup as it expands across the UK. In addition to REA Group, whose portfolio includes property platforms such as realestate.com.au, Housing.com and Realtor.com, other investors in the round include Goodwater Ventures and angels Joe Cross and Lenny Picardo, with participation from existing backers Gradient Ventures (Google’s AI-focused venture fund), and True Global. The app has already helped facilitate…