Positive BoE lender survey misleading, experts warn, as ‘ongoing turmoil spooks big banks’
Lenders expect mortgage demand to increase over the coming months, according to the Bank of England’s latest Credit Conditions Survey – but experts warn attitudes have shifted since the survey was carried out earlier this year, amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. Demand for secured lending for house purchase was unchanged in Q1, with figures covering the […]
‘Housing market has lost some momentum’ – Halifax
The latest house price data from Halifax suggests the housing market has lost momentum as spring begins. The pace of annual growth has eased to 0.8% from 1.2% the previous month, which Halifax head of mortgages Amanda Bryden says reflects wider uncertainty regarding the conflict in the Middle East. She explained: “Concerns about higher energy […]
RICS reports slowdown of UK housing market as ongoing Middle East conflict raises borrowing costs
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Residential Survey for March 2026 found the market losing momentum as rising borrowing costs and wider geopolitical uncertainty weighed heavily on buyer confidence and sales activity. New buyer enquiries fell to a net balance of -39%, down from -29% in February, marking the weakest reading since August […]
100% mortgages on the rise as buyers struggle with affordability
Sales of 100% mortgages hit a five-year high last year, an analysis of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data by Compare the Market has found. The comparison site warns the rise indicates buyers are increasingly struggling with affordability. In the first three quarters of 2025 (January to September) sales of no-deposit mortgages reached 574, compared with […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer – ‘The answer is marginal gains – Dave said so’
When it comes to implementing AI in the residential transaction process, there’s no need to re-invent the wheel, Cyber Conveyancer Peter Ambrose explains. Taking small steps to improve what already works will eventually result in a giant technology leap for conveyancing. It’s a good job ChatGPT wasn’t around in 1969, otherwise when Neil Armstrong […]
Survey highlights gulf between client expectations and home moving experience
A survey of 1000 home movers suggests expectations around the time it takes to complete a property purchase is being insufficiently communicated, with over two thirds of respondents saying their purchase took longer than expected. Perhaps unsurprisingly, against a backdrop of extending transaction timescales, three quarters of respondents said their transaction took longer than 12 […]
Market turmoil leaves home movers exposed to mortgage rate changes
Four in 10 downsizers still require a mortgage to buy a home, the impact of which is consumer exposure to “market turmoil”, the home moving comparison site reallymoving warns. Drawing on its own data from thousands of quotes on its site, reallymoving said 40.5% of downsizers used a mortgage to purchase their home in the […]
Satisfied clients aren’t leaving reviews in growing ‘advocacy gap’, report finds
A survey of legal services clients has found that although the vast majority (84%) are happy with the service they receive, 66% said they would never leave a review. Access Legal surveyed 1,000 clients who have used conveyancing, wills and probate, family law or personal injury legal services in the last two years for its […]
Communication, unclear expectations and unjustified delays are key causes of residential conveyancing complaints
Poor communication, unclear or unrealistic expectations and unjustified delays without proper explanation are the key causes of complaints in property transactions, according to the Legal Ombudsman in the latest Spotlight published on its website. The Spotlight goes on to provide guidance for practitioners, focusing on what the ombudsman describes as three critical junctures: instruction and […]
‘The biggest shock to the UK mortgage market since the 2022 mini-budget’
The Iran conflict has triggered the sharpest shock to the UK mortgage market since the 2022 mini-budget, the financial information company Moneyfacts has said, with rates soaring in the space of just one month. Mortgage deals have been rapidly repriced, with average two-year fixed rates jumping from 4.84% to 5.84% in a month, while five-year […]
Mazur overturned: Legal sector reacts
Law firms and practitioners have responded to the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, which limited the extent to which legal executives and paralegals can conduct litigation. Following the Court of Appeal’s judgment, CILEx Regulation said its priority would be to support those who had been affected […]
‘Ominous signs’ as Middle East conflict clouds positive housing market indicators
The latest indicators from HMRC and Nationwide paint a positive picture of the housing market, but experts warn the figures “set an ominous tone” as the Middle East conflict slows economic growth. Seasonally adjusted UK monthly residential property transaction figures from HMRC show a 6% increase on January’s figures, with 102,410 transactions. Although the figures […]
Mixed messages from property experts as geopolitical tensions cast a shadow over increase in BoE mortgage approvals
The Bank of England’s Money and Credit data for February shows an increase in net mortgage approvals for house purchases, up to 62,600 from 60,200 in January. Approvals for remortgaging also increased to 41,200 in February, from 38,500 in January. Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased to £4.8 billion in February, from £4.2 […]
‘Market conditions are shifting’ as demand falls 13%
Zoopla’s March house price index shows a 13% drop in demand compared to this time last year, with “a clear trend” of a growing gap between buyer demand and sales agreed. Although the market remains active, it is increasingly dependent on a smaller group of committed buyers, Zoopla said. “We’re seeing a growing divergence between […]
Four profit killers I see in high street firms – and what to do about them
Brand and marketing specialist Damian Reed sets out the simple mistakes high street law firms make when it comes to marketing, and explains how to rectify them. I visit a lot of law firms. As head of brand and marketing at QualitySolicitors, it comes with the territory, and I genuinely love it. There is something […]
ONS figures suggest modest housing market growth but experts warn confidence will ebb
UK house prices rose by 1.3% in the year to January 2026, down from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12 months to December 2025. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK decreased by 0.3% between December 2025 and January 2026, compared with an increase 0.4% from the same period […]
Inflation remains at 3% as experts warn of geopolitical impact
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.0% in the 12 months to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January. On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 0.4% in February 2026, the same rate as in February 2025. “Inflation holding firm in February is quite literally the calm before the storm as we […]
Young home buyers rely on parents and TikTok for information, Lloyds research finds
Parents are the most trusted source of information for prospective homeowners, according to new research from Lloyds Banking Group, with TikTok the source of choice for a third of young buyers. The study of 2,000 prospective first-time buyers reveals the ‘knowledge bank of mum and dad’ now ranks above mortgage brokers, estate agents and even lenders when it comes to […]
HBF sentiment survey reveals lack of buyers and higher taxes are restraining SME developers
New findings from the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) SME Sentiment Survey reveal the vast majority (70%) of small and medium sized home builders say that market conditions are limiting their appetite to invest in new sites, with developers in London the most pessimistic. The new quarterly survey, which assesses the barriers to housing delivery and […]
Mortgage Advice Bureau announces £32b of lending in record year
Technology driven mortgage intermediary the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) has announced that the value of arranged mortgages reached £32 billion in 2025, a 23% increase on the previous year and a record level of lending for the business. The performance demonstrates the growing influence of just 190 adviser firms delivering mortgage advice at such scale […]