Policy priorities set out in LSB business plan 2025/26
In its business plan for 2025/26, published, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has outlined its priorities, aimed at improving outcomes for consumers and the public. These priorities include work to improve ethical standards within the profession, as well as work to protect the public from risks emerging from market developments. Alongside its policy work, the […]
Drop in inflation offers ‘a welcome relief’ for buyers, but industry remains cautious
The Office for National Statistics’ announcement that UK inflation has fallen to 2.6% has been welcomed by industry figures, although some predict the positivity will be short-lived. Experts claim the 0.2% drop will offer some relief to potential home buyers, with broad agreement that the downward trend supports the expectation of a Bank of England […]
Property listings at seven-year high; sales agreed up 9.3%
The first quarter of 2025 saw 451,000 new properties listed for sale, according to the latest insight from property data analysts TwentyCi – the highest number of Q1 listings in the last seven years. As well as a 4% rise in new instructions, TwentyCi’s figures reveal the number of sales agreed is up year-on-year, with […]
L&G data reveals promising signs, with interest from older first time buyers up by 80%
L&G says there has been a ‘significant increase’ in first-time buyer searches for mortgages, including a sharp rise in older buyers who want to get on the property ladder. Quarter one data from L&G’s Ignite mortgage platform showed an increase of 45% for first-time buyers compared to figures from Q4 of 2024, with searches by […]
Private equity investment in ‘digital-first’ surveying portal
Surveying portal HouzeCheck has received significant investment from London-based private equity funders Beach Equity Investments LLP, to further develop its digital-first offering. Launched in 2018, Houzecheck’s platform uses cloud, digital, and AI technologies to provide RICS Level 2 Homebuyer Surveys, RICS Level 3 Building Surveys, and property valuations through a network of c.150 fully accredited […]
Keep up pressure on completion to help vulnerable buyers, says iamproperty co-founder
Ben Ridgway, co-founder of estate agent software company iamproperty, has urged the property industry to achieve faster completions and a more efficient homebuying process in the wake of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) deadline. Failing to do so, he warns, will place strain on vulnerable buyers already faced with an extra £34 million in […]