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The national firm of surveyors Naismiths has appointed Kevin Marshall as a Director of Building Consultancy, as part of a strategic expansion. The firm, which in 2019 achieved annual revenue growth of 26% and expanded its team of chartered surveyors by 37%, is now ramping up its expert witness and dispute resolution capability in response to the rapid growth of the UK’s distressed property market. Kevin Marshall, who is a chartered building surveyor and former board member at Rendall & Rittner, is a well-

Two of Scanlans’ brightest young stars have passed their RICS Assessment of Professional Competence to qualify as chartered surveyors during lockdown.  The successful duo are Laura Jackson, who is based in Scanlans’ Birmingham office, and Lara Linsey, who is based in Manchester. Laura, 36, joined Scanlans in September 2018 as a graduate valuation surveyor.  Single mum Laura combined studying with working full-time and, in the run-up to her APC, also had to juggle home schooling for her five-year-old daugh

Well, here we all are, three months into lockdown and, with some clear relief, the slow release from isolation seems to be coming our way - and just in time for the summer too.  What could be better? Given that lockdown started shortly before the March Quarter Day and we have just passed the June Quarter Day, it is interesting to see two things.  Firstly, that the Government has extended the moratorium on evictions to protect commercial property tenants and tenants of rented residential property. Secondly

High level representatives of the property industry, led by Baroness Hayter, are drawing up a new code of practice for property agents in response to the recommendations of Lord Best’s 2019 RoPA working group. The code aims to drive up standards in the property agency sector, improving transparency and accountability for consumers. The code will go out for consultation in July, to be published and ready to be handed over to the new regulator by the end of 2020 A group of leading industry players, includin

Like all UK industries, property is impacted by COVID-19 and the effect of the lockdown on the way it works. But despite this ‘new normal’, we cannot ignore our sector’s other key issues. For property managers the lockdown has shone a light on the way we use technology as never before. This exponential growth is driving the ethical issues around privacy, data harvesting and function creep further up the agenda. In response, today the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) publishes the third

FirstPort, the UK’s largest residential property manager, has announced a transaction which will see it combining with leading property and asset manager, Mainstay Group. For FirstPort and Mainstay customers, clients, employees, management, and supply partners day-to-day operations will remain unchanged. Completion of the transaction only remains subject to approval by the Financial Conduct Authority. Last year FirstPort welcomed Equistone Partners Europe as its new majority investors to support its conti

The EV revolution is unstoppable but some older charge points are already becoming obsolete. Jamie Willsdon from Future Fuel has the solution. In the new build sector developers of residential blocks, particularly in the build-to-rent market, have been installing electric vehicle (EV) charge points as standard for several years.  Early solutions specified and installed by developers in the last five years are now typically being overseen by property managers who are increasingly coming to us with their pr

Cambridgeshire is full of areas of natural beauty ranging from small villages nestled into undulating hills to the wildlife-rich landscape of the fens, so why not bring the flora and the fauna to your home with a balcony garden. Annette Hurst, Sales Director at Barratt Homes Eastern Counties, said: “Having a balcony is an asset that is not only aesthetically pleasing, it can also be a great space to get creative with nature and bring the outside in.” Barratt Homes has shared five top tips for creating a b

With all four brands in the Fexco Property Services group relying on the services of external suppliers and contractors, we knew that for many, maintaining operations during COVID19 was never going to be simple or easy. We spoke to one of our approved contractors to get their perspective on how life has changed for their business, and what predictions they had for ‘business as usual’ in the future. Stephen Day  and Tom Lloyd are Directors of Dayco, a property maintenance services company who supply a wi

The Leasehold Group was devastated to hear about the sudden death of its Managing Director, colleague and friend Louie Burns in the early hours of Sunday 21 June 2020. Louie, who joined Leasehold Solutions in 2009, was passionate about fighting the injustices of leasehold. He steered the company’s crusade for changes to the system and, continuing the legacy of the late Alex Greenslade, actively campaigned to empower and level the playing field for leaseholders, often against vociferous opposition.  Louie,

The bounce back of the rental market following the Covid-19 crisis combined with incoming electrical checks legislation, is a perfect storm which could lead to a backlog of administration for letting agents and landlords, according to PropCert. The national provider of property certificates says that with more moves expected to take place in the coming weeks, around the same time the new legislation is introduced, transactions could be delayed unless property professionals have the necessary processes in

Leading managing agent Rendall & Rittner has appointed Charlie Crawley as Key Client Manager, a new role where she will focus on overseeing the company’s largest freehold clients. Bringing extensive experience of the sector, Charlie joins the company from Warwick Estates where she headed up freehold client relations and prior to that worked for a national freeholder working within their portfolio management team. She will be the dedicated point of contact for Rendall & Rittner’s clients, focusing on devel