BREAKING NEWS – top 5 stories 29/03/2021

Estate Agent Networking Breaking News

STOP PRESS! HOUSING MARKET HAS RUN OUT OF PROPERTY TO SELL BY 50% – IT IS OFFICIAL

According to latest analysis by TwentyEA, the amount of housing stock available to sell is at an all time low. It reports that,

The South West has the lowest level of available stock at just 2.2 months and the whole of England and Wales (with the exception of London) has just between 2.2 and 2.4 months of stock left. This means that available stock numbers in months are down by around 50% on historical “norms”.

Also, it goes on to report that,

At this stage, if you are thinking like me, you will be saying to yourself we are not going to run out of property to sell as Estate Agents will continue to bring in new instructions onto the market for sale. The problem is that whilst we know that supply of property will rise in the coming months, so will demand.

In fact, the problem is getting worse right now. If you exclude London, so far this month we have seen nearly 102,000 sales agreed and only 99,500 new instructions for sale.

So sadly, we have already run out of stock (or are close enough to it to make a big difference to how buyers act) in many parts of the country. There are ominous signs here that there will be significant house price inflation as too much demand chases a decreasing supply of quality homes at a time when the government policy is to extend home ownership’.

Could it be that the Chancellor’s generosity will bite him on the bum? With rampant house inflation and maybe a 1988 re-run, when all of a sudden, the market collapses as prices are too high and everyone who was ever going to move – just did.

Leaving a trickle of new business amidst a landscape of super-heated properties that buyers are wary of buying. Having worked through that Chancellor of an Exchequer exploding bomb of a market I sincerely hope that is not the case – let us see

THE 29th of MARCH & RULE OF SIX – WILL IT BE FULL THROTTLE FOR HOUSING MARKET?

So now we are not in Lockdown 3.0 (there are some regional variances) and we can now bleary-eyed go and play golf and meet up and shop more freely, and will this now open up the housing market even more? With all shops on the high street are set to re-open until 10 pm from 12th of April.

‘Travel The ‘stay at home’ rule will end on 29 March, but many restrictions will remain in place. People should continue to work from home where they can and minimise the number of journeys they make where possible, avoiding travel at the busiest times and routes. Travel abroad will continue to be prohibited, other than for a small number of permitted reasons. Holidays abroad will not be allowed, given it will remain important to manage the risk of imported variants and protect the vaccination programme. The government has launched a new taskforce to review global travel which will report on 12 April.

Social contact The evidence shows that it is safer for people to meet outdoors rather than indoors. And this is why from 29 March, when most schools start to break up for the Easter holidays, outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either 6 people (the Rule of 6) or 2 households will also be allowed, making it easier for friends and families to meet outside.

Business and activities Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, and open-air swimming pools, will also be allowed to reopen, and people will be able to take part in formally organised outdoor sports.’

Government link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary

ZOOPLA EX-OWNER IS IN THE CAZOO MONEY ONCE AGAIN

Alexander Chesterman – the ex-Founder of Zoopla, which he floated on the stock exchange for £1BN, is in the money again as Cazoo, which he founded.

Cazoo has just announced a $7BN valuation tie up in America which will see about $1BN of capital into the UK coffers. For all those who want a blueprint of how to scale a business and do it digitally without offices and branches – Mr Chesterman is that person. I think he raised £80M before even launching Cazoo which just shows what personal branding and successful teams can do.

ALL BOOM NO GLOOM FOR THOSE WITH SHARES IN SOME NATIONAL HOME BUILDERS

Despite Covid-19, three lockdowns and a turbulent year, those with shares in some of the developers in the UK have something to smile about. The extension of the stamp duty deadline (many builders used to give concessions where they ‘paid’ an element or all of the SDLT duty) and the rising market, has changed the fortunes of builders whose share prices had in 2020 been in the doldrums.

According to the Times this has, ‘led Barratt Developments and Persimmon stocks to double in value from their pandemic lows. Taylor Wimpey and Bellway are up 78 per cent’.

BOOMIN TO LAUNCH IN FOUR DAYS – FRIDAY THE 2nd OF APRIL

Long awaited, the mighty forces of Boomin are officially, unleashed officially on Friday, will they be sending out Easter eggs as part of their charm offensive, let us wait and see, whichever way they seek to move forward, it is certain that a media circus is about to descend – which to my mind is no bad thing as audience is everything with a new venture.

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

LIVING BY THE SEASIDE 2022
Breaking News

COVID five years on: City and coastal trends reverse as homes by the sea take longer to sell

Rightmove’s new report looks at how the market has changed five years on from the pandemic starting Many city and coastal trends have now reversed, with homes near the sea taking three weeks longer to sell compared to 2020, and the majority of buyers in the capital looking to stay rather than leave London A…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

What it takes to make real estate development financing work

By Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder at ASK Partners Securing financing for real estate development has become an uphill battle. With interest rates still elevated, inflation pushing construction costs higher, and planning delays introducing further uncertainty, developers face a challenging environment. Traditional lenders, constrained by regulatory pressures and rising risk aversion, have scaled back, creating…
Read More
Home and Living

Signs Your Roof Needs Professional Repair: Don’t Ignore These Red Flags!

The roof of your home is one of its most vital components. It serves as the first line of defense against the elements, shielding you and your family from rain, snow, wind, and UV rays. A sturdy roof also enhances the energy efficiency of your house, helping to regulate temperature and reduce heating and cooling…
Read More
for sale sign london
Estate Agent Talk

Cheap Local Estate Agent

How much is the average estate agency fees in England for 2025? The figure of 1.42% (including VAT) is the average estate agency fee in 2025. This average fee for selling your home can vary with figures between 1% and up to 3.5%, there may be some lower and higher too. How you are looking…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

The Future of Real Estate: How Technology is Revolutionizing the Industry

It is also evident that the real estate industry is going through a lot of changes mainly due to changes in technology. Technology is changing almost every aspect of the industry and this includes the purchasing, selling, and advertising of properties. Consumers need a more efficient and enhanced form of transactions, real estate professionals must…
Read More
Breaking News

Halifax House Price Index – Average UK house price falls in March

• House prices fall by -0.5% in March (vs -0.2% in February) • Average property price now £296,699 (compared to £298,274 in previous month) • Annual rate of growth remains at +2.8%, unchanged from February • Northern Ireland sees house prices rise at fastest pace (+6.6%) Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Halifax, said: “UK house…
Read More