Featured Articles

James Morris-Manuel, MD and VP of EMEA at Matterport, explains how digital twins of properties offer an easy way for landlords to win tenants using virtual tours - and help to keep tenants smiling with predictive maintenance Britain's rental market is booming, despite these troubling economic times, with more than 8.7 million buy-to-let properties worth an estimated £1.7trn a year. Britain is now the fourth-largest residential rental market in the world and as it becomes more competitive landlords are tur

MRI Software, a global leader in real estate software solutions, today announced the acquisition of UK-based Springboard, a leading provider of footfall counting and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered analytics to retailers, landlords, and government bodies. In acquiring Springboard, MRI will expand its MRI@Work™ for Retail solutions suite, which currently serves more than 500 retailers and retail property owners and operators globally. Leveraging plug-and-play software, existing camera networks, and pr

With mortgage interest rates rising and lenders becoming ever more cautious, estate agents need to concentrate on quality marketing, according to the UK’s leading visual content partner, FocalAgent.   Some analysts fear a house price drop of 10% over the next 12 months as well as a market slowdown. Potential buyers with access to finance will therefore have plenty of choice when it comes to purchasing their new home. “Sellers are going to have to stand out from the crowd,” said FocalAgent CEO Lee Wainwrig

The recent events in Ukraine, and the knock-on effects in the global energy market have brought into sharp relief the need to keep an ever-closer eye on our areas of expenditure at home and at work.  With the government, at the time of writing, addressing the instability with a proposed 2-year price cap for consumers and a 6-month price ceiling for businesses, many are searching for practical and innovative ways in which energy can be conserved and costs managed. In the property management sector, the rec

A common misconception when people purchase their freeholds is they believe it to be the end of the story. This is often not the case and steps should be taken to protect the position. Why do you need new leases if you have bought your freehold? Although you may own the freehold of your building, the original leases remain in place. They cannot be “cancelled” as they regulate the legal relationship between the flat owners and the freehold company. Taxation Issues The usual position when purchasing the fre

The Right to Manage (RTM) was introduced in 2002 giving flat owners a no fault right to collectively take over the management functions in respect of their building via an RTM company. It has provided a very useful alternative to collectively acquiring the freehold as no premium is payable and the process is shorter and arguably less complex.  However there have been some problems and so the Government tasked the Law Commission to undertake a review of the existing RTM legislation with a view to improving

Issue 121 of News on the Block has now been published and is available to read online. This issue includes a special PropTech feature sponsored by Hyperoptic.  This issue includes some of the following articles:  Tribunal hits out at S20 consultation  Report finding leads to call for education on housing  How to deal with angry customers  Are you set for the Building Safety Fund?  Putting sustainability first is crucial  How technology is changing health and wellbeing  19 reasons to wait for Lease

Specialist property solicitors JB Leitch are pleased to report they have retained Tier 3 status in the new Legal 500 rankings for property litigation for the third consecutive year. Acknowledged as the world’s largest independent legal referral guide, the rankings for 2023 are based on a broad series of criteria, including strong technical ability available for the most complex and innovative work, client recommendation and results. In a remarkable achievement, Legal Director Phil Parkinson has been award

A webinar explaining the best way to navigate the tough new Facebook advertising rules for estate agents is to be hosted by online valuation specialists, The ValPal Network (TVPN).  Head of marketing, Steph Rady and industry advertising expert, Paul Long, will address the recent Facebook updates, explain how they are affecting estate agents and outline what can be done to reduce the chances of accounts being restricted.  In December last year, Facebook introduced the ‘Special Ad Category: Housing’ update

A stylish collection of 102 apartments in a former Edwardian warehouse set in London’s famous Camden Town are to be looked after by Principle Estate Management. The converted property known as Carlow House is a striking example of 1930s art deco architecture, with the one and two bedroomed apartments arranged around a four-storey atrium with a daytime concierge. The right-to-manage (RTM) company responsible for the development appointed Principle after a full tender. Although Principle already manages mul

Residential property management company FirstPort is putting environmental sustainability at the top of its agenda – with community partnerships at the heart of its biodiversity plans.    As part of its sustainability work, a group of conservation students from Surrey have teamed up with FirstPort to create an ecological plan to conserve and improve the ponds, grassland, and woodlands at their local retirement development.  The work with the college is just one example of how Christian Phipps, Sustainabil

Lynda Clark, CEO of First Time Buyer Group, Comments: “It’s about time the Government takes housing as a subject of address. We’re less than a month away from the end of Help to Buy, but we have yet to see an alternative low deposit scheme with the same level of oomph, though shared ownership is an invaluable option for many. “Affordability remains a concern for the next generation of homeowners, with the average house price now above the current Stamp Duty threshold for first time buyers. The Government’