This year’s Propertymark One conference is moving to London’s ExCel and will take place on June 14th, hosted by ITV’s This Morning regular and radio presenter Jenni Falconer (main picture).

The Propertymark One conference, which launched last year, will again be bringing sales, lettings, auctioneers, inventories, and commercial property talent into one room to hear from industry experts including renowned economists and legal experts who will provide insights into the industry’s future.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

And this year the agent trade body will be using new technology to enhance attendees’ experiences by providing them with the option to personalise their day.

Agents will be able to maximise the day’s opportunities by choosing which sessions to be involved in and take part in the discussions and break out rooms that are most important to them.

At last year’s event in Wembley Arena Falconer brought all her colour and enthusiasm to the stage and she says this year’s conference will be ‘bigger than ever’.

She says: “We have great speakers, great industry experts – it is going to be a truly wonderful day.

“What’s even better this time is that you can personalise your whole day by booking into tailored sessions and break-out rooms. If you haven’t got your tickets what an earth are you waiting for!”

TRULY IMMERSIVE

Jason Lee, Propertymark’s Head of Commercial, adds: “As quickly as 2023 has gone, we are just as swiftly putting in motion a truly immersive and progressive Conference, beyond what we provided last year and all previous years in fact.”

He adds: “We know that agents will be eagerly awaiting what we have up our sleeve for this year, and trust me, it will not disappoint. We have opened Early Bird discount prices, so we encourage agents to get in there quickly and secure their tickets.”

Early bird discounted prices close at the end of February.

More information HERE.

Jenni Falconer explains more HERE.

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Building on the standout success of the organisation’s 2023 property conference, the Women in Estate Agency group (WiEA) has just announced its programme for the forthcoming event.

Being held on 7^th March at The Institute of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, London (pictured), more than twenty speakers have been confirmed, including a ‘very special’ mystery guest to close the conference with an inspirational story of pain, survival and recovery.

The line-up features Kate Faulkner OBE (pictured) in a session entitled “Behind the Headlines: A Story of Advocacy and Action”, as well as Heather Staff, co-founder of proptech business, Street Group, who will share her hands on experience of challenge and success.

Rachel Hanniquet-Brooking will deliver a thought-provoking address drawn from her personal experience on overcoming unconscious bias and building your personal brand, while Jane Thomas, Director and Lead Trainer of Premier Life Skills, will talk about how individuals can bounce back from adversity.

Other contributors include headline sponsors Rightmove, cybercrime expert, Francis West, and Verona Frankish CEO of Yopa.

TikTok takeover

Comedic and sometimes controversial podcast host and TikTok star, David Mintz, will host a panel discussion exploring the vital area of mental and physical health in business. Panellist confirmed so far are Tony Morris (bestselling author, communication speaker and conversion strategist), Ellie Hall (MD of Martin & Co), Layla Gordon (voted ‘UK’s Most Transformational Nutritionist 2023’), Clare Hughes (co-founder of Women in Estate Agency) and SJ Taylor (Preston Baker’s Group Operations Director).

Early bird tickets for the property conference are available until 31^st January via the Women In Estate Agency website womeninestateagency.co.uk.

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Letting agents have called on the Government to take urgent action to fix the broken evictions system for those seeking to evict troublesome tenants.

In its response to the House of Commons justice committee’s inquiry into the county courts’ work, Propertymark calls out the ‘unacceptable’ delays in access to justice and suggests that technology should be used to improve the service.

Its commentary paints a troublesome picture including the time from claim to hearing continuing to rise and the average wait time for a warrant to be issued in a PRS possession claim still at 29 weeks, although in London this can sometimes be as high as 40 weeks.

Propertymark says the fees schedule needs to be digitalised to ensure swift action for justice and that paperwork does not hold up the process.

Contentious

The trade association says the Ministry of Justice needs to explore how it can prioritise the most contentious possession cases including those involving anti-social behaviour.

Propertymark suggests that landlords and agents should have the automatic right to a high court enforcement officer to prevent them from needing to apply for a writ of possession through the county court first, making the process much quicker.

Evictions

It also wants the Government to consider additional mandatory grounds for possession via a Section 8 notice to include: if the tenant is persistently late in paying rent, fails to provide access to the property for inspections by landlords or their agents, has acquired the property with false or incorrect information and is in breach of their tenancy agreement.

Timothy Douglas (main picture), Head of Policy and Campaigns, says: “We hope that through the work of the committee, the need for a dedicated housing court can form part of UK government thinking going forward and be the desired outcome for long-term reform and overall benefit to the sector.”

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Well over half of private landlords may be forced to raise rents next year as they see their mortgage costs jump.

Research for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) found that 60% of landlords expect their mortgage repayments to go up despite a quarter saying they plan to renegotiate their loans.

The news follows confirmation from the Bank of England last week that the base interest rate will stay at the 15-year high of 5.25%.

Exposed

According to data from Hamptons, landlord investors across the UK are now paying £15 billion in mortgage interest on an annual basis, up 40% over the course of the last year.

The buy-to-let market is especially exposed to the impact of higher interest rates, with 82% of mortgages in the sector interest-only, according to the Bank of England. This is compared to just 11% for owner-occupier mortgages.

The NRLA calls on the Government to support the sector by scrapping tax hikes, which have cut the supply of homes to rent and led to rising rents.

Landlords are simply unable to afford growing mortgage costs”.

Ben Beadle, CEO, NRLA

Ben Beadle, CEO at NRLA, says: “Higher interest rates put continued pressure on renters, as landlords are simply unable to afford growing mortgage costs.

“Ministers need to accept that tax hikes on the sector have also played a major role in the affordability challenges we now see across the rental market,” he says.

“It’s time to reverse course and develop pro-growth tax measures. Without them it is renters who will continue to struggle as demand outstrips supply and rents go up.”

Research by Capital Economics for the NRLA found that removing the 3% stamp duty levy on the purchase of additional homes would see almost 900,000 new private rented homes across the UK over the next 10 years.

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Property ‘deal sourcers’ are to be better regulated following a new partnership between the sector’s trade association and a leading redress scheme.

It hopes to reduce the number of illegally operating sourcing agent and complaints made by property investors but also improve the generally-held negative view of the sourcing industry within the property investment sector.

The partnership is between the National Association of Property Sourcing Agents (NAPSA) and the PRS and includes property sourcing agents, deal packagers and deal sourcers.

Tina Walsh, CEO of NAPSA, adds: “It is imperative that as the national association for the sourcing and deal packaging sector we have partnerships with other supervisory and regulatory bodies to ensure that our agents are always at the forefront of setting the highest standards and professionalism.

“By working in this way we also help to ensure that our sector provides a much safer environment for property investors when choosing to use the services of a sourcing agent.”

‘Sourcers’ are individuals and companies who seek out and research properties ideal for investors which includes, most often, existing rental properties or homes likely to make good PRS units.

But they are not regulated because they are neither landlords, letting agents nor investment advisors. NAPSA was launched in 2021 to fill the gap with a voluntary scheme so investors could identify ‘best practice’ operators.

Redress requirement

To be a member, sourcers must join one of the two Government-approved redress schemes and, following an agreement with TPO last year, the PRS has now also teamed up with NAPSA.

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the PRS, says: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with NAPSA; this partnership is another cog in the wheel towards a professional and trusted property sourcing sector.

“The training, guidance and standards set out by both organisations will offer reassurance, encourage confidence in the industry and provide accountability to customers and authorities that this is a safe and compliant space in which to operate.”

Read more about property sourcers.

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The UK’s second largest referalls network for independent agents has revealed an expansion drive for 2024 during its 30^th anniversary year.

Simon Whale, who earlier this year was one of two industry figures who lead a consortium to buy the national Relocation Agent Network (RAN), says his hope is to increase UK agent member coverage from approximately 65% to 100% during the next 12 months.

This would put RAN on a similar if not equal footing to the UK’s other big independent agent referrals network, The Guild of Property Professionals.

“We’re down from our peak of around 750 members,” says Whale who, talking to The Neg, reveals that RAN’s previous owners Dwellworks, which is a global business services firm, was most interested in corporate short-lets and international relocation markets when it bought RAN in February 2021.

He says these markets took a battering during the months after Covid which ultimately helped persuade Dwellworks to exit, and consequently he wants to focus RAN’s activities once more on serving its agent members whatever market they serve, including the provision of technology.

Football club

“It’s a bit like buying a football club – it’s been an institution for years and now we want to build it back up,” says Whale, who also heads up proptech marketplace Kerfuffle.

“We’ve finished the last of the 2023 RAN roadshows, and we’ve also been busy looking at the areas where we have gaps and next year we’ll be on a big recruitment drive.

“RAN has always been about having the best agents so by that I mean mystery shopping, and checking their market performance and online reviews.

“Many of our member agencies rely on RAN for business and we’ve got one which has a £90,000 value pipeline from the network’s referrals.

“But we’re not sitting on our laurels – there is a big opportunity out there to expand the range of referrals including part-exchange and commercial leads so it’s going to be an interesting 12 months for us.”

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Big changes have been announced at leading SW of England independent estate agency network Experts in Property including a new chair, board members and expansion plan.

The grouping of some 30 estate agents across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset held its AGM recently where it was decided that former agent Steve Moir would step down as its chairman and be replaced by Bristol agent Andrew Simmonds (main picture).

Steve is the ‘Moir’ in Saltash estate agency Hennings Moir, which opened in 1984 and came under new ownership when Steve retired in 2018.

Chairman of Experts in Property from 2001 till 2006, Steve once again took to the helm in 2009 and has remained in the post, even since retiring from agency.

Now, after 14 years in the role, he has hung up his hat and intends to enjoy full retirement.”

Simmonds is a working estate agent, qualified surveyor, RICS registered valuer and member of ARLA, NAEA, NAVA and the IRPM. He has spent more than two decades working in the property sector and co-hosts a well-known monthly property podcast.

“I’m excited to have been elected to take the role as chairman of the Experts in Property. It’s a great organisation and Steve has done a fantastic job. We’re all very sad to see him leave and wish him all the best for his retirement,” he says.

“Looking forward, we will of course be reviewing the range of benefits for members and looking to expand them even further, making membership to the network an even more compelling proposition for independent agents across the region and beyond.”

The non-profit making organisation is run by the agents, for the agents, supported by one paid member of staff.

Board changes have also been announced. Honiton estate agent of more than 30 years Roger Hemming has joined Okehampton-based James Stevens and the long-standing Andy Pounsberry on the board of directors.

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The Guild parent company Nurtur.group has poured cold water on rumours that it’s seeking a buyer for the entire business.

The company, which operates Fine & Country as well as The Guild of Property Professionals, says it is not for sale.

Jon Cooke, CEO of Nurtur.group, told the Neg: “We have a supportive shareholder, with the support of which the group has grown considerably over the past 18 months to two years, acquiring four businesses.

“Our shareholder will continue to work alongside nurtur.group to help ensure future growth.”

Investor backing

Nurtur’s majority shareholder is the City investment firm Toscafund, which has been behind Nurtur’s acquisitions of proptech firms in the last few years, including BriefYourMarket, Leadpro, Starberry and The Property Jungle.

Nurtur.group changed its name from epropservices early last year, with the declared intention to become a major player in the proptech investment market.

It also launched a proptech ‘Accelerator Programme’ headed up by one of its NEDs, former Reapit boss Gary Barker.

Exclusive supplier

Under a deal with eXp UK announced in the summer, Nurtur.group became the exclusive supplier of Google Local SEO, Facebook Advertising and LeadPro across eXp’s extensive network of 350+ agents.

Back in 2017, Nurtur, under the group’s previous name GPEA, signed a £60m deal with easyProperty to offer its member agents online agency capability.

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