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
Prime London buyer demand strengthens in Q2
aThe latest Prime London Demand Index by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that buyer demand across London’s prime property market strengthened during the second quarter of 2026, with overall demand reaching 14.5%. The capital’s family-focused prime neighbourhoods continued to lead the way, with Clapham, Wandsworth, and Chiswick among the strongest performing…
Read More 
Mortgage rates fall at fastest pace in almost two years
Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. Product choice rose and the churn of mortgage deals was stable. Fixed mortgage rates dropped for a consecutive month, citing the biggest monthly reductions since October 2024, with the average two- and five-year fixed rates…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 13/7/26
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. How Prevou created the world’s most enthusiastic salesperson for estate agents A fly on the wall analysis of how and why successful technology companies solve big problems for small estate agencies in the UK Every successful business starts with a problem. For Prevou, that…
Read More 
Landlords and tenants advised to work together to get through extreme heatwaves
With some areas set to be hotter than Portugal this week, lettings and estate agents across the UK are issuing advice to protect properties ahead of extreme weather Prolonged periods of hot weather across the UK are placing additional pressure on homes, from overheating and poor ventilation to damage caused by extreme temperatures. Today, lettings…
Read More 
Nearly half of UK home listings fail to sell
A London estate agent has warned that thousands of homeowners across the UK are pricing themselves out of the market by setting asking prices that no longer reflect what buyers are willing to pay. The warning comes after new analysis by Zoopla, covering more than two million property listings between 2023 and 2026, found that…
Read More 
Lowest number of new build developments coming to market since 2017
New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that the number of new build housing developments coming to market is at its lowest level since January 2017 The figures are despite the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament Higher mortgage rates continue to set a challenging…
Read More