Your weekend roundup of news, views and features

COLUMN: How the Government’s tax grab is causing ordinary people to flee the UK

Adam Walker demonstrates how successful property professionals are being penalised financially, to the point that they are leaving the UK market.

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AGENT BLOG: After Scotland's rent cap lifted, guess what happened next?

Nicky Lloyd of ESPC Lettings in Edinburgh reflects on the rental market in Scotland six months after a rent cap and ban on evictions were scrapped.

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AUCTION UPDATE: Residential sales driving resilience in auction market

The latest property auction market insights from Essential information Group's David Leary reveals the dominance of residential sales.

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Number of former rental properties for sale rises as CGT changes loom

Research by Rightmove among its listings shows the proportion of former rented properties within the market rising to 18%.

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Huge rise in number of sales fall-throughs reported

Homebuyers are still struggling with higher mortgage rates and so more and more sales are falling through says Moverly’s Gemma Young.

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Mark Ridley is to be replaced by current CFO Simon Shaw as Group Chief Executive of the blue-chip agency.

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Walsall is consulting on plans that will force both the owners of smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation to apply for planning permission.

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Estate agent duo recognised for sales success at global event

Mark Buchanan and Amie Brooks, both of whom work within the eXp UK network, flew to the gala estate agent event in Miami.

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LSL Estate Agency Franchising expands service offering

MD Paul Hardy announces strategic partnership with B-hive Block Management to boost franchisees' growth potential.

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Stamp Duty hike to ‘damage’ rental market warn auctioneers

2% rise in budget for SDLT will lead to investors exiting the market, reduce supply and push up rents says NAVA.

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New workers' rights shake-up to impact estate agencies

Employees working for property businesses will be able to claim unfair dismissal from day one of a new job, under a new government bill.

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'Criminal’ landlord trio hit with huge £450k HMO fine

A group of three West Northants landlords have together been fined a total of £452,796 for a series of unlicensed and unsafe HMOs.

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Airbnb set to compete with lettings agents for longer rentals

Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky says the company is eyeing longer-term rentals as a lucrative new area of business, putting his firm soon in direct competition with some agents.

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COURTS: Landlord wins 'important' appeal in rent to rent case

Amlendu Kumar wins appeal in what a leading property lawyer says is an "important new decision" affecting rent-to-rent agreements and rent repayment orders.

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CLAIM: High St agents face double threat of rising costs and stiffer competition

Bricks-and-mortar estate agencies facing higher staff costs and increased competition from the growing number of ‘personal’ agents according to Property Experts founder.

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Bill to ban Section 21 evictions published – industry reaction

The Government takes its first step towards scrapping Section 21 'no fault' evictions with the first reading in Parliament of the Renters' Rights Bill.

Click here to read Bill to ban Section 21 evictions published – industry reaction.

Airbnb 'won't take down illegally-sublet listings' claims landlord

The short-lets giant has not taken down a listing despite being informed that the Central London property is being illegally sublet, it is claimed.

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Foxtons’ branch blockaded during Global Day of Housing Action

Foxtons makes surprise move into London commuter towns with acquisitions

The London-based agent has spent some £12m buying two estate agencies, one in Reading and the other in Watford, both bought from private shareholders.

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James Cleverly named as new Shadow Housing Minister in Badenoch reshuffle

The ex-Foreign Secretary becomes Angela Rayner's opposite number in Parliament, taking over the role of Shadow Housing Minister from Kevin Hollinrake.

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Decade of dedication for The Propertymark Trust

Veteran estate agency manager and property consultant, John Oakley, is celebrating 10 years as trustee of The Propertymark Trust.

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'People tell me they're ashamed to be landlords – but why?'

Paul Shamplina is deeply worried that the constant criticism, extra taxation and additional rules are persuading too many landlords to quit.

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Guild reports 'thousands of referrals' via network

Guild of Property Professionals chief Iain McKenzie says its referral system has generated 2,086 referrals for its network since the start of the year.

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Closing for entries – The Negotiator Awards, midnight tomorrow

You still have chance to get an entry in for The Negotiator Awards 2025 and be part of the UK's best agency event, to cap off the year. But this is it – no more extensions! Open to agents and suppliers.

Click here to read Closing for entries – The Negotiator Awards, midnight tomorrow.

HOUSE PRICES UPDATE – how the regions are faring

According to the latest property price data, transactions are on the rise while average prices are slightly down. Kate Faulkner reports.

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GUEST BLOG: How to win an agency award

As the entry deadline for The Negotiator Awards nears, best-selling author and founder of August Awards, Donna O'Toole offers her recipe for success – sign up for her webinar.

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Industry leaders reveal charter to reduce 'sales agreed to exchange' to 28 days

Project 28 has major lenders, estate agencies and conveyancing firms behind its bold promise to finally speed up Britain's slow property transactions.

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REACTION: Renters' Rights Bill takes final steps to becoming law 'very soon'

The controversial legislation, which will see the private rented sector entirely overhauled, sailed through its likely final debate ahead of becoming law.

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Need cash to get qualified? New generous bursaries revealed

The Propertymark Trust has extended its Class of 25 initiative and is inviting applications from those looking to gain industry qualifications, with bursaries available of up to 100%.

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Where do estate agents and conveyancers go from here with referral fees?

Legal firm senior explores how the property sales industry and conveyancers need to rethink how their relationship works following the Panorama probe.

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FEATURE: DIGITAL MARKETING: Essential components of a lead-generating property website

A function of your property website is to generate and convert leads, but there’s more to it than meets the eye, says marketing expert, Nelly Berova.

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Property sales fall-through rate hits four-year high

A lack of visibility in chains means that deals are collapsing at an ever-increasing rate as buyer nervousness builds, says Paul Halliwell of ViewMyChain.

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FEATURE: The Ombudsman Files – Misinformation in property survey leads to buyer dispute

The Property Ombudsman investigates a claim brought by a buyer who found that the windows were single-glazed despite the property survey stating otherwise.

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