‘Fit for purpose?’

Fit for Purpose

Like a vast sea washing out at low tide, Covid-19 has revealed a new shoreline where everything looks odd and different and is up for scrutiny. From Philip Green’s Arcadia group retail model, to Countrywide PLC and their 500M losses over the last three years. Or the bottleneck of hundreds of thousands of sales that hang in the SDLT holiday balance, squeezing their way to exchange against a deadline that looms large.

WFH – working from home, will agents abandon the high street agency model? is the hub model smoke and mirrors or the new reality? Proptech described by industry genius Gary Barker to be worth close to 6BN annually, now almost equals the annual value of the traditional real estate property industry itself in the UK, what does that tell us?

For me, the bigger questions are, and I would love some thoughts from those reading this, why in 1988 when the world was grey and analogue and pen and paper ruled the world of estate agency, could we get nearly 2 million sales exchanged in one year? I was there in the thick of it, and now three decades later with technology doubling its power annually it seems according to statistics from Twenty EA, over 500,000 sales languish un-exchanged?

Is it time to re-imagine the paper led conveyancing and mortgage lending systems? no one doubts the human hours of toil and effort that people in the property industry tirelessly put in – but is the lack of ‘traction’ and inefficiencies telling us that maybe like Countrywide’s fate which may be decided this week, some things are fit for purpose others are not.

How can the PRS deal with the ravages of the pandemic, both due to unfortunate tenants unable to pay their rent and implications for all, and what moving forward is the most effective way to run a modern lettings practice?

Everyone and their Mum would like to launch a ‘better’ property portal. Many are trying. Even more have failed.’ This is not my take on the present property portal wars but a direct quote from a 2014 article on this site. What in 2021 will and should portals or platforms be doing for all stakeholders, are they just digital property billboards or do they serve a higher purpose?

If you have a view – please let us all know by emailing me at info@stagingsite.estateagentnetworking.co.uk – Andrew Stanton Executive Editor – moving property and proptech forward.

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

Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s weekly mortgage tracker 30/05/25

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.64% +0.03% -0.78% 5-year fixed 4.61% +0.03% -0.45%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.82% +0.02% -0.93% 5-year fixed 3.88% +0.09% -0.55%   Average…
Read More
Home and Living

Carpet Cleaning Specials in Stanton: Save on Your Next Service

Sure, the carpeting in your Stanton home is inviting and adds warmth and comfort, but it can also store harmful dirt, allergens, and bacteria that can affect your family’s health. This makes regular carpet cleaning not only better for your health, but also your wallet. With Carpet Cleaning Stanton specials, you can save on the professional services…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Seven in ten branches now using Rightmove’s insights and training platform

New figures from Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, show that seven in ten estate and letting agency branches are making use of its insights and training platform, the Rightmove Hub. This is up from 56% of branches back in 2023. The Hub, first launched ten years ago and recently revamped, has expanded in response…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

From Fixer-Upper to Profitable Asset: Strategic Renovations for Landlords

Did you buy a fixer-upper? Or maybe you inherited one. Either way, you’re standing in a place with peeling linoleum, a questionable smell, and wallpaper that could file for social security. The big question: Do you patch things up, go full HGTV, or just torch it for the insurance (don’t do that)? First, take a…
Read More
Breaking News

Household Costs Indices for UK household groups: January to March 2025

Household Costs Indices, 12-month growth rates, expenditure shares and contributions for UK household groups and all-households. These are official statistics in development. Main points Overall UK household costs, as measured by the Household Costs Index (HCI), rose by 2.6% in the year to March 2025; this is a fall from 2.9% in the year to…
Read More
Surge in country and seaside property values
Breaking News

Why Rural House Prices Are Surging Faster Than Cities

New analysis from Open Property Group reveals that rural England is facing an affordability crunch, as house prices in the countryside outpace urban growth, despite lower average wages and higher living costs in remote areas. These shifting dynamics are challenging the long-standing assumption that rural life offers a more affordable and sustainable alternative to the…
Read More