Your weekend roundup of top news

ARLA Propertymark Conference & Exhibition postponed again<br />

The 2020 ARLA Propertymark Conference & Exhibition, postponed from March and rescheduled for October 2020 will not take place this year, ARLA has confirmed.

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Is major industry figure Robin Paterson eyeing up Countrywide?

Paterson owns Sotheby's Realty UK, helped expand Hamptons International and Barnard Marcus during the 1990s and recently set up an investment LLP to buy Countrywide shares with a former owner of Humberts.

Click here to read Is major industry figure Robin Paterson eyeing up Countrywide?.

House price growth rebounds in July as activity bounces back after lockdown

Annual house price growth recovers to 1.5% in July, according to latest Nationwide house price index, with prices up 1.7% on June.

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Surge in BTL investors looking to place new properties with agencies<br />

Figures from letting-agent comparison site Rentround show 21% increase in landlord searches for agents.

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Surviving the virus - part 3<br />

You’ve kept your business together through lockdown, the staff are back in the office and now you’re dealing with the backlog. But what about your pipeline? Adam Walker offers some guidance. 

Click here to read Surviving the virus - part 3<br />.

How to ‘stay safe’ – Risk Assessment for your office<br />

It’s back to the office for agents, but it’s not business as usual. H&S consultant, Peter Stevens, outlines the steps you should take to protect staff and the public. 

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COVID commuter hotspots signal a breath of fresh air for housing market

People looking to move home want gardens, countryside locations and fast broadband – with a quick commute if needed.

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Faster sales loom as Land Registry green lights electronic signatures

Land Registry says needs of COVID led it to take historic decision to bring forward electronic signatures for a wide range of different property transactions.

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Fintech pioneer launches free-to-list estate agency to rival Purplebricks

Ray Rafiq-Omar says his online estate agency will make it money from arranging mortgages for buyers who register to view properties advertised on Rightmove.

Click here to read Fintech pioneer launches free-to-list estate agency to rival Purplebricks.

New Propertymark CEO job spec excludes estate agents from applying

Trade association says it wants someone with wider experience other than just insider knowledge of the industry.

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Michael Bruce: ‘Purplebricks didn’t drive down estate agency fees’

In a wide-ranging interview to discuss his new charity Agents Together, Bruce tackles many of the key criticism levelled against Purplebricks.

Click here to read Michael Bruce: ‘Purplebricks didn’t drive down estate agency fees’.