2015: The Year That Will Change The Industry.
December 23, 2014
In this short article Rajeev Nayyar of Fixflo looks at three of the key changes that are coming and will affect your business.
Buyers
From April pension holders over the age of 55 will be trusted to use their pension funds as they see fit.
With the FTSE 100 having fallen by more than 40% twice in the past twenty years (ie within the working lifetimes of those affected) the buy-to-let market looks set to be buoyed by an influx of new capital.
With comparisons between property investment and annuities increasingly likely to be made, agencies that can demonstrate that they can make property a passive investment are likely to prosper.
Our Tip:
Build case studies of retired landlords within your portfolio to show how well you protect their investment and how you help them to manage their property from the beach.
Vendors & Landlords
It can’t have escaped your attention but there’s about to be a new portal in town. With an increased range of responses from agencies on your high street, it is likely that vendors and landlords will probe you and your team on your marketing plan more deeply than before.
Make sure that everyone in your team knows not only which portals you advertise on but also the rationale for your choice.
As vendors/landlords speak with competitors who may have a different marketing mix it’s critical that every member of your team can put forward a strong statement about the choice your agency has made.
Our Tip:
Prepare a fact sheet for staff members to ensure you give a consistent positive message about your range and use of different marketing channels.
Renters
The first stab at banning retaliatory eviction may have fallen in the House of Commons in December but it’s back on the political agenda for 2015.
If you missed the debate the first time, the proposal (in outline) is to prevent landlords from using a s21 notice to end a tenancy if:
- their tenant has submitted a written repair request; and
- the local authority has taken or is deciding whether to take enforcement action.
As with all legislation the devil is in the detail but with “in principle” support from the Government and the tenant vote holding the balance of power in the General Election it’s likely change to s21 will come in some form.
Our Tip:
Ensure that you have robust and transparent repairs processes in place. With so much political capital riding on the tenant vote changes may be swiftly enacted.
You May Also Enjoy
Rightmove asks government to carefully consider property tax changes
The UK’s largest property platform Rightmove is asking the government to carefully consider the impact of any changes to property taxation to avoid unintended consequences which would risk stalling parts of the market. Key data National property tax Just under a third (30%) of homes for sale in England are priced at over £500,000, and…
Read More 
Get Fast and Reliable Basement Flood Cleaning Services
Having water in your basement is awful. It could be because of a storm, busted pipe, or bad sump pump. Whatever the reason, water damage in your basement has disastrous effects if not dealt with. Basement Flood Cleaning Services are what you need. They will dry it out, disinfect the floor, and have your basement…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 21/08/25
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Providing comprehensive, predictive operational intelligence across all aspects of building operations JLL (NYSE: JLL) this week introduced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that are now available as an add-on to Prism, its award-winning building operations platform. As part of JLL’s property management technology ecosystem powered by…
Read More 
UK House Price Index summary: June 2025
The average monthly rate of house price growth in June was 1.4%. The average annual rate of house price growth in June was 3.7%, up from 2.7% in May. As a result, the average UK house price remains at £269,000. CEO of Yopa, Verona Frankish, commented: “June’s figures reflect a market that is steadily…
Read More 
Private rent and house prices, UK: August 2025
Average UK monthly private rents increased by 5.9%, to £1,343, in the 12 months to July 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 6.7% in the 12 months to June 2025. Average rents increased to £1,398 (6.0%) in England, £807 (7.9%) in Wales, and £999 (3.6%) in Scotland, in the 12 months…
Read More 
Industry response to latest inflation figures
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, comments: “Unfortunately, any increase seen within the rate of inflation does brings very justified concerns to consumers, many of whom are still struggling with the cost of living, which has been steadily rising over the past few years. “Although there is more work to be done to help ensure inflation…
Read More