Your weekend roundup of top news

Estate agents face mandatory referral fee transparency rules following shock report<br />

Trading Standards has concluded its investigation into referral fees and recommended agents are forced to comply or face expulsion.

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Half of estate agents are now plugged into pioneering blockchain network<br />

VTUK is to join three key rivals on the Coadjute platform, which enables agents, conveyancers, buyers and sellers to all see live information on transactions.

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House prices will rise 2% this year – but growth likely to stall in 2021

Pent-up demand is pushing house prices up – but economic fall-out of government's Covid restrictions next year will mean zero growth.

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Rightmove challenger raises £5.4 million from high-profile investors

Four-year-old platform OneDome has raised the cash from existing and new investors including Lord Rothschild and property magnates, the Rueben Brothers.

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Industry panel pins blame on mortgage firms for super-slow sales progression

An industry webinar, organised by TM Group, reveals how lenders and surveyors are struggling to cope with the huge demand.

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"Build build build" – Boris starts the planning revolution

The Government is consulting on its radical proposals for the planning approval process in England – but, Nigel Lewis asks, will it really allow developers to build more homes?

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Challenger portal promises ‘local dominance’ to agents after AI launch

Residential People says its new artificial intelligence-based service, to be launch in December, will be a game changer.

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Easier EPCs? Housing minister launches new ‘environmental MOT’ style service

Christopher Pincher says service will enable property professionals to check if a property has a valid EPC much more easily, and also order a new one if it does not.

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Industry predicts: “What happens when the housing boom ends?”

Leading housing market commentators tell Reuters and The Negotiator what next year and beyond holds for estate agents.

Click here to read Industry predicts: “What happens when the housing boom ends?”.

Guest blog: <br />Nathan Emerson "The right job for the right person"

There’s a role in every business that only one person can do, says Nathan Emerson. Make sure that someone is you! 

Click here to read Guest blog: <br />Nathan Emerson "The right job for the right person".