BREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 20/01/2021

January 20, 2021
Estate Agent Networking Breaking News

SDLT DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT – GOVERNMENT PUTS THE BRAKES ON

It would appear that there will NOT be a debate in parliament regarding extension to the Stamp Duty Debate, as no debates triggered by a petition of over 100,000 signatures are being debated in the house.

So, time for those who want to see action to contact their MP’s directly, or hope that Rishi the Chancellor will on the 3rd of March take pity on the 125,000 plus who are going to miss the deadline – and in some way tweak the system, expect more twists, and turns.

EXTENSION ON BAN OF REPOSSESSIONS UNTIL 1st APRIL

As reported on before, it has now been confirmed that due to Covid, repossessions will be halted until the 1st of April, unless the defaulting mortgagee accepts that the repossession should move ahead.

CONNELLS SUPPORTS ‘MIND’ THE MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY

In a sign of the times the rank and file of Connells has voted to donate to, and support Mind the mental health charity.

David Plumtree GCE, commented that the charity choice, ‘was the overwhelming consensus, as it is a cause that has really resonated with our workforce, especially at this time where current events have forced us to recognise any issues with the mental health of ourselves and those close to us’

ANOTHER UMBRELLA AGENCY MODEL ROLLS OUT

A new enterprise launches, The Agency (UK) the work of an experienced team, Stephanie Walker, Mark Bruce, and Andy Vass, based on the concept of having local agents working their patch, with proptech assisting their growth.

WILL 2022 SEE A SWATHE OF REPOSSESSIONS?

With the only certainty at present, being there is no certainty a study published last month shows a modelling where in 2022 repossessions could be TEN times the current annual level. https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/20201208-Mortgage-Market-Forecasts-2021-2022.pdf

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

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 →
Breaking News

UK house price growth picks up in March

UK annual house price growth picked up to 2.2% in March, from 1.0% in February Northern Ireland best performing area in Q1 2026, with prices up 9.5% year-on-year Outer South East weakest performing region, with prices down 0.7% compared with Q1 2025 Headlines Mar-26 Feb-26 Monthly Index* 552.6 547.7 Monthly Change* 0.9% 0.3% Annual Change…
Read More →