BREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 09/02/2021

February 9, 2021
Estate Agent Networking Breaking News

RIGHTMOVE DEFENDS PRICE INCREASES BY STATING IT IS GIVING ENHANCED SERVICES

With even more agents saying they are being faced with a 10% increase in their fees to Rightmove, the portal is now pushing the agenda that they are offering enhanced services to agents.

Having now been contacted by over 300 agents, I think that there is likely to be a re-run of the Say No to Rightmove demonstrations that happened during Lockdown 1.0, with other portals about to launch including Boomin, it is dangerous times for Rightmove to continue with a bully boy attitude, look what happened to On the Market, the moment you alienate agents, they do not come back.

COUNTRYWIDE PLC – SHAREHOLDERS VOTE ON CONNELLS DEAL IN WEEK

The shareholders will vote on the acceptance or rejection of the Connells deal that sirs on the table, if voted through it will create the largest agency in the UK, with a potential market share of 8%. All indicators are that the deal will be waived through, though in these times all that is certain is uncertainty.

BUILD TO RENT SECTOR ESPECIALLY IN LONDON WAS 20% OF NEW HOME BUILD IN 2020

According to research by the British Property Federation, last year 20% of the housing stock erected in London was for tenants, the BPF commented that, the build to rent sector, ‘has shown its resilience throughout 2020, with investors continuing to drive the sector’s growth across every region of the UK.’

NEW HOMES QUALITY BOARD LAUNCHES

The NHQB has come into being, headed up by MP Natalie Elphicke – who will look to uphold the interests of new home buyers, and interesting idea, especially with the cladding scandal in full flow.

NEW INSTRUCTIONS AT A LOW LEVEL

Lockdown 3.0, the SDLT holiday and general uncertainty is closing down activity in the housing market, agents are now furloughing staff, not because the buyer sentiment has reduced, but because there is a lack of inventory to sell. The sooner the chancellor moved definitively one way or the other, so the agents can get on with their trade in peace knowing the direction of travel.

Andrew Stanton

CEO & Founder Proptech-PR. Proptech Real Estate Influencer, Executive Editor of Estate Agent Networking. Leading PR consultancy in Proptech & Real Estate.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Persistent decline to give way to recovery in 2027

Glenigan’s Autumn 2026 Construction Forecast maintains that sector growth will revive in 2027, despite a challenging year of market stagnation Following a sluggish end to 2026, construction is set to rebound from 2027 onwards as public sector building increases Significant value gains expected for health, education, civils, offices and data centre projects Private and social…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

The Plumbing and Electrical Problems That Quietly Kill Sales and Lettings

We’ve all had one of these. The offer’s agreed. Everyone’s happy. The memorandum of sale has gone out, and you’re already mentally banking the fee. Then the buyer’s survey comes back. “Electrics appear dated. Recommend inspection by a qualified electrician.” And just like that, the mood changes. The buyer starts asking about a reduction. The…
Read More →
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – October 2026

Rental prices rise across most regions as affordability pressures persist Average monthly rents increased in eight of the 11 regions between September and October, with Wales recording the largest rise at 31.1%, followed by the North East at 29.8% and the South West at 7.5%. Scotland, London and the North West were the only regions…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

Portfolio landlords have outgrown traditional property management

By Adam Hills, Client Services Director, LRG Living Markets The residential lettings industry still manages many large portfolios as though they’re simply collections of individual tenancies. While that works on small portfolios, but it doesn’t work when landlords own 50, 100 or 200 properties. At that point, the challenge is no longer property management alone…
Read More →
Breaking News

Real-life value of the most famous Christmas film homes

The real-life value of the most famous Christmas film homes, from budget classics to multimillion-pound mansions New research has gathered and analysed the estimated valuations of real homes featured in popular Christmas films, ranking them by cost. The priciest homes are featured in The Holiday, Trading Places, and Home Alone, with Amanda’s home from The…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

77% of buyers refuse to buy a flood risk property

Despite 4.7 million English homes facing flood risk New research from Lyons Bowe has revealed that 77% of homebuyers would not consider purchasing a property in a flood risk area, despite more than 4.7 million homes across England currently being deemed at risk of flooding. The findings come as the Government launches a new flood taskforce amid…
Read More →