Author: Benjamin

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Street Group has launched a new feature designed to give agents greater control over their online bookings, whilst identifying further opportunities for revenue. The new customisable pre-viewing qualification tool allows agents to set their own questions and rules for applicants booking viewings online, helping them vet enquiries automatically, cut down on admin, and focus time on proceedable applicants. Integrated directly into Street’s online booking system, the feature makes it easy for agents to ask questions upfront and decide who can book a viewing straight away, and who should be reviewed…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Thinking about expanding your estate agency career by taken over an existing franchisee? You are not alone – many estate agents see franchising as a logical next step to running their own business – although it is not for everyone. Those of you potentially interested in joining an established estate agency franchise may be interested to learn that Winkworth is looking for a new owner to take over an existing territory in the south-east of England. A Winkworth spokesperson says: “The current franchisee is looking to retire from a Winkworth…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Nationwide has reduced mortgage rates by up to 0.12% across selected two-, three- and five-year fixed rate products with the new offers effective from today. Nationwide’s new lowest lending rate now stands at 3.9%, with reductions also made for those remortgaging to the Society. Rates for existing customers switching, which are not changing, already start from 3.84%. Those buying a property with at least a 40 per cent deposit will now be able to secure a two-year fixed rate at 3.9 per cent with a £1,499 fee. For those purchasing…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Amy Shields (Smart Compliance), Chris Buckler (TAUK), and Wendy Peterman (Petermans Estate Agents) join me and and this week’s co-host, Harry Truman (President of ARLA Propertymark and Group Lettings Director at Andrews).  In a freewheeling, high-energy discussion that veers from hen-dos to hang gliders, with some property insights thrown in for good measure, this raucous game show-style episode features banter, bold opinions, and some brilliant one-liners. From faux dissertations on feminism in Bond films to dating disasters on ski slopes, this episode is as wildly entertaining as it is unexpectedly revealing.    …

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a bank had a duty to investigate whether a woman was under the undue influence of her partner when she took out a mortgage that would be used in part to pay her partner’s debts. The case was brought by homeowner Catherine Waller-Edwards who, according to the ruling, started a relationship in 2011 with Nicholas Bishop, a property developer and builder. According to the ruling, she was emotionally vulnerable at the time. She was, however, also financially secure and owned her own home mortgage…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: The Renters’ Rights Bill is now in report stage in the House of Lords, but almost half – 48% – of UK landlords have made no preparations, new research shows. Typically, small landlords are more likely to be unaware of the Renters’ Rights Bill and less likely to have made any preparations than professional landlords, according to flatshare site SpareRoom, which carried out the study. SpareRoom survey of 821 UK landlords in May 2025: Landlords Plan to leave the rental market Plan to reduce portfolio Plan to invest in holiday…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Ross D’Aniello With summer fast approaching, there is a renewed energy rippling through the country house market across the Midlands and the Cotswolds, according to Chartwell Noble. The estate agency reports that spring was uncharacteristically subdued this year, but market conditions are now improving. “The rain seemed endless, which not only dampened spirits but delayed launches, photography and crucial early viewings,” said Ross D’Aniello, co-founder & CEO at Chartwell Noblereports. “For lifestyle-led properties, especially those where gardens, terraces or views do the talking, that weather was a real setback. At…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: It is more than a year since the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 received Royal Assent as part of the pre-election wash-up, and yet many of the proposed new rules rain largely unenforced — a situation that continues to frustrate hundreds of thousands of leaseholders across England and Wales, according to Linz Darlington, founder of leasehold extension specialists Homehold. Yesterday’s House of Commons debate offered little comfort. Speaking in the chamber, Government Minister Alex Norris confirmed that the public consultation required to implement key parts of the Act, which includes…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: The Renters’ Rights Bill has completed its Committee Stage in the House of Lords and will move on to the Report Stage imminently, but as the bill nears the statute book, property professionals continue to voice concern about how these reforms will actually work in practice. Allison Thompson, national lettings managing director of LRG, is the latest agent to express ‘disappointment’ at the proposed new legislation set to be introduced. Thompson is rather surprised that so few of the 280-plus amendments have been taken on board. “Many of these proposals were…

[openai_chatbot] rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is: Guy Gittins Foxtons will today introduce new medium-term financial targets, including an aim to deliver £50m of adjusted operating profit – more than double the amount achieved in 2024. Foxtons Group plc is today hosting a Capital Markets Event to outline the next phase of its growth strategy, with updated targets reflecting the significant progress made to date, the scale of the opportunity ahead and the continued momentum towards the group’s original target of delivering £28m to £33m of adjusted operating profit, as announced in March 2023. The Capital Markets…