BREAKING NEWS – top 4 stories 21/07/2021

Estate Agent Networking Breaking News

Daily bite-sized proptech and real estate news in partnership with Proptech-X. Today, Stanton looks at Facemasks, Viewber, The Guild of Property Professionals, and more.

 

  1. How many estate agents are using facemasks?
  2. Ed Mead announces ViewBuddy app to make property professionals safer
  3. Proptech Bamboo Auctions gets £1.1m round of funding
  4. The Guild of Property Professionals talks up compliance issues

 

How many estate agents are using facemasks?

It has been two days since “Freedom Day”, the day that wearing face masks has been made a personal choice. So, with the level of infections is rising daily, what approach are estate agents adopting?

According to Andrew Turner, who runs an independent agency in the Midlands, “We have taken the view that until the public and our teams feel safe, wearing a face mask both in the office and during all activity outside the office is the best policy. We also have a number of the team still on Furlough as well, so in fairness to all, we want to be seen as a responsible employer.”

Has your workplace put anything into practice, or are you working unmasked?

 

Ed Mead announces ViewBuddy app to make property professionals safer

Real estate industry veteran Ed Mead, the CEO of Viewber, an agent accompanied viewing service, has developed ViewBuddy, a new app to help keep agents safe.

He says that safety for agents is always a grey area. “Over the decades, companies have struggled to address the issue. Mobile phones clearly helped but making a call with an alert password was not always possible and could exacerbate a situation … so to enhance Viewber safety we have developed the ViewBuddy App.”

 

Proptech Bamboo Auctions gets £1.1m round of funding

Bamboo Auctions, who have managed to broker a deal with Rightmove to get their auction properties badged as such, with the added detail of a countdown timer, have also bagged a new round of funding to further develop its service.

The company’s Founder, Robin Rathore, comments: “Auctions are evolving, and Bamboo is at the centre of this movement.”

 

The Guild of Property Professionals talks up compliance issues

The Guild, which sees itself as the model for all agencies, recently had its compliance officer Paul Offley reenforcing the point.

Offley said: “When it comes to the property sector, what we need to be mindful of is that estate agency compliance is all there for a very good reason and that is to protect consumers.

“We are all consumers in some form, and we all want to make sure that if a member of our family were buying, selling, or renting a property they would be treated fairly and with respect.”

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

Letting Agent Talk

Spring clean drives high maintenance bill for landlord

The latest market insight from property management specialist, Rushbrook & Rathbone, suggests that property maintenance spend is set to surge in April, as the annual ‘spring clean’ by landlords saw the month account for the second highest proportion of total annual maintenance spend in 2025, as well as the largest average spend per work order. Rushbrook…
Read More
Breaking News

65% of homebuyers blame slow process on conveyancers

The latest research from Lyons Bowe reveals that 65% of recent homebuyers say the conveyancing process was the slowest part of their buying process, with a quarter saying the legal back and forth took more than 16 weeks to complete. Lyons Bowe commissioned a survey of 1,000 UK homeowners who made a purchase in the past…
Read More
Breaking News

UK Construction Activity Collapses

Glenigan’s April Construction Index uncovers an industry struggling to cushion the blows from ongoing international conflict and a persistently weak economy. Work starting on-site declined by 17% compared to Q4, remaining 18% below 2025 levels. Residential construction starts dropped by 13% during the Index period and fell by 30% against 2025 figures. Non-residential project-starts dipped…
Read More
Breaking News

Homebuyer demand down in Q1 2026

Buyer demand slips in Q1 2026, with South of England outperformed by North and Midlands The latest Sales Demand Index from eXp UK has revealed that homebuyer demand in England slipped by -1.6% in Q1 2026. The analysis also reveals a clear north-south divide with counties located in the midlands or north of the country recording…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Check your rights now or risk being caught out by new rental laws

Renters have been urged to check their rights now or risk being caught out, as sweeping new laws prepare to transform the rental market from May. The warning comes ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act, with major reforms set to affect millions of tenants, fundamentally changing how tenancies are managed and challenged. Housing law expert…
Read More
Breaking News

East London dominates on annual growth for property values over the last decade

The latest analysis by Foxtons has revealed that, alongside a consistent average annual rate of growth in property values of 1.3% across the capital over the last decade, the east of London dominates when it comes to stand out borough performance – with Redbridge, Havering and Barking and Dagenham topping the table for house price…
Read More