3… 2… 1… Go! It’s back to work for Estate / Letting Agents:

for sale sign london

With over 300,000 property transactions in the pipeline and delayed since the COVID-19 lockdown, it is now all systems go in the English estate agency / letting agency world. The easing of restrictions for many businesses starts today and that will include the property market.

“From today anyone in England can move home if they follow new guidance published by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. ” Source: Gov.uk

It is feared that the damage to the property market could see a fall in asking and sold prices, but the re-starting of the market in what many would see as a relatively quick time considering the ‘R’ factor still remains well above the desired 1 position (1 – 5 with 5 being the most serious) could save the day and in fact see a boost to prices.

Estate Agents across England will be opening up shop and calling back to work some members of staff. House viewings will go from ‘virtual’ back to ‘face to face’ and though already many people remain confused as to what the guidelines are and also frustrated as many are still being told to respect the lockdown, time will inevitably tell as to whether it is all too soon to be getting things underway… For many though, including myself, if social distancing is respected and common sense applied, then there is no reason not to get the housing market back in to action and getting what many see as our most important industry turning over once again.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Homebuyers face longer buying timelines

The latest research from Lyons Bowe suggests the homebuying process could become even slower in 2026: as the number of conveyancers operating across the UK is thought to have fallen by almost -13% while transaction volumes rise, placing further pressure on completion timelines. Lyons Bowe has analysed data on the number of active conveyancers in…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 1/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Winning the AI Era: A Playbook for UK Estate Agencies The AI-Driven Rewiring of UK Estate Agency Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR Real estate has historically been conservative, fragmented, and inefficient. A surge of startups, is introducing automation, data-driven decision-making, and better customer experiences. This…
Read More
Breaking News

What renters and landlords need to know ahead of major rental law changes

With just one month to go until the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, the leading professional body, Propertymark, is urging renters and landlords across England to understand how the changes could affect them. From 1 May 2026, the legislation will introduce some of the biggest changes to the private rented…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Tackling Empty Properties

A UK Perspective on Best Practice and Recommendations for Reform Propertymark, the UK’s leading professional body for property agents, has today published a comprehensive new position paper highlighting the urgent need for coordinated, practical and properly resourced action to bring long-term empty properties back into use. With over 359,000 homes sitting empty for more than…
Read More
Breaking News

Pet-friendly rentals plunge 39%

New research from Inventory Base reveals that the number of pet-friendly rental homes in England has fallen by -39% since the start of 2026, as landlords appear to be reducing the number of homes openly marketed as allowing pets ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act taking effect from 1st May. The Renters’ Rights Act (RRA)…
Read More
Breaking News

Latest Nationwide house price data showing a 2.2% increase

Industry reaction to Nationwide house price data showing UK annual house price growth picked up to 2.2% in March, from 1.0% in February. Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, comments: “An uplift in house prices will be welcomed by the market and suggests that buyer demand remains resilient despite ongoing economic headwinds. Improved sentiment, coupled with…
Read More