BREAKING NEWS – top 5 stories 10/03/2021

Estate Agent Networking Breaking News

FINANCE CHIEF OF PROPERTYMARK RESIGNS – SEVEN DEPARTURES IN 10 MONTHS

Following on from our reporting yesterday Kate Hawkins Chief Finance Officer has resigned to ‘seek other opportunities’.

Also a non-executive Helen Herniman has resigned, this means that in the last 10 months;- the Chair has left, David Cox has left, Mark Hayward has left, a new CEO Tim Balcon was appointed and left in five months, an interim CEO Nathan Emerson is in place, Kirsty Finney left six months into her role, Kate Hawkins and now Helen Herniman has gone, and Mark Hayward has returned with a new title.

Do members feel that this organisation is fit for purpose?

In its annual accounts 2019, it states. ‘The Finance department has undergone a major review of its processes, systems and procedures. As part of gaining that financial stability we have identified that our tax position was not properly ordered and that has led to a significant payment to HM Revenue and Customs of outstanding VAT which has arisen through mis-definition of our liabilities and exemptions over a number of years.’

It is hard to see how Properymark can present itself as an organisation that helps agents ‘regulate’ themselves, teaches agents to be financially competent, and be the choice for ‘government’ as the driving force for any changes in statutes.

VAT fraud can mean a custodial sentence, fine and often directors are struck off; as well as HMRC in the future taking a particular interest in companies who ‘forgot to pay the VAT’. Who was at the helm, who knew, how much was underpaid, was there a fine? Surely members are entitled to know the truth.

BAN ON EVICTIONS IN SCOTLAND EXTENDED UNTIL END OF SEPTEMBER

In line with other temporary eviction bans, Scotland has now confirmed that the temporary stopping of evictions will extend until the end of the present Furlough scheme in the UK.

GOVERNMENT INJECTS CASH TO FUND TRAINING OF 500 ASSESSORS TO SORT CLADDING

The government has earmarked nearly three quarters of a million pounds to assist in the training of 500 extra specialists who can help to quantify the problems caused by the cladding scandal. At present there simply are not enough assessors to sign off buildings, which means mortgage lenders will not lend, trapping tens of thousands of homeowners nationally. It is hoped that this inniative will fill the ‘skill gap’ and help all stakeholders.

CONNELLS CONTINUES TO BUY UP AGENCY BRANDS

It seems that there is no end to Connells strategy of buying the market as it has just announced the purchase of the three-branch independent Holroyds in Yorkshire, clearly Skipton building society have very deep pockets.

COMPLETIONS UP BY 24% IN JANURARY 2021

Unsurprisingly the amount of completions recorded at HMRC showed a huge uptick, by nearly a quarter of the volume, previously recorded, the official figure was over 121,000. It will be interesting to see with the new SDLT holiday deadline – the end of June, if a similar peaking of completions takes place through the year, throwing out the usual seasonal ebb and flow of the 1.1M annual completions.

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

First-Time Buyers Prioritising ‘Forever Homes’

A third of first-time buyer purchases are semi-detached properties, as young people turn to ‘forever homes’   Barclays mortgage data shows semi-detached properties rose in popularity in August, accounting for 33.5 per cent of first-time buyer purchases Four in 10 Barclays first-time buyer customers chose mortgages allowing them to complete their repayments over a 30+…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Closing the gap on client relationships and recommendations

New research from iamproperty has highlighted the growing disconnect between what buyers and sellers want from their agent and what they experience, which could be killing recommendations from happy clients. iamproperty’s quarterly consumer survey revealed that only a third of respondents (32%)¹ would recommend their agent following their experience. With many agents relying on recommendations…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Northern Ireland to expect over 25,000 new home movers

Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis has revealed that Northern Ireland is to welcome an estimated 25,000- 30,000 new arrivals from the UK and Europe over the next five years, as migration to the region reaches its highest levels in more than a decade. Recent figures show that 11,700 people relocated from other parts of the…
Read More
Breaking News

Red tape and rising costs stifling new-build availability across the capital

The latest analysis from London estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed how protracted building timelines are preventing the capital’s housebuilders from delivering the level of new-build housing stock required to meet demand, with new homes currently accounting for just 7.5% of all properties listed for sale across London. Benham and Reeves analysed the latest…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

UK’s new wave of ‘second cities’ offers strongest yield growth for property investors

The latest research from West One Loans has found that whilst investors may continue to favour the nation’s key cities such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester, a new wave of ‘second cities’ is delivering the strongest growth in rental yields. These emerging markets are offering investors the chance to achieve attractive returns, driven by rising…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Decline in change of use further constricting housing supply

Jonathan Samuels, CEO of Octane Capital, believes that a decline in conversion projects could ultimately prevent the Government from hitting its ambitious housing delivery targets, as the firm’s latest analysis has revealed that the number of homes created through change of use has fallen sharply in the last five years. Octane Capital analysed official Government…
Read More