Property industry news

Wider economic factors and upcoming interest rate decisions will likely play a key role in the trajectory of the housing market moving forward. Nevertheless, overall pricing, mortgage products, and confidence are all trending upward, providing a perfect mix to help get people onto or move up the property ladder.

The property sector has seen a significant regulatory shift with the quiet withdrawal of the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) Material Information Guidance. This change coincides with the enforcement of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act) on 6 April 2025 which supersedes the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) and has shifted power over consumer protections to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

There are numerous ways that upfront information can help agents in today’s property market, including making it easier to value and list a property, and streamlining the buying and selling process . Propertymark encourages members to verify property details with HM Land Registry (HMLR) as best practice, particularly following the publication of Trading Standards’ full material information guidance in November 2023.

From 14 May 2025, all UK letting agents will be required to check tenants, landlords, and other clients against the UK’s official sanctions list. If a match is found — or even suspected — agents will be legally required to report it to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). Sanctions checks are already a standard part of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) due diligence, but for the first time, these checks will now be a separate legal requirement in their own right.

As the home finance market grows more complex, estate agents are urged to help educate consumers on their options. Buyers often struggle to understand the range of products available or how affordability is assessed, and property professionals are well placed to guide clients towards independent advice and trusted resources.

With energy prices in the UK remaining volatile, both landlords and tenants are feeling the strain. For letting agents, this presents a critical opportunity to step in as a valuable intermediary—helping both parties navigate rising costs, understand new regulations, and adopt energy-efficient practices that protect everyone’s financial wellbeing.

Three new museums are set to join the list of bodies that can advise the Animal and Plant Health Agency on applications for exemption certificates under the Ivory Act 2018. If an owner wants to sell ivory-containing items which were made before 1918 and are of outstandingly high artistic, cultural, or historic value, they must be expertly assessed by recognised institutions.

Plans are afoot to strengthen HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) to act quickly and robustly against professional tax advisers who help clients avoid paying the correct tax. Propertymark welcomes this because it aligns with our calls to the Treasury, and we support HMRC’s ambition to ensure the financial sector upholds the highest standards and integrity of the tax system.

Trust is placed in lettings and sales agents by individuals and businesses who seek expertise, knowledge and attention to detail. With that trust, however, comes risk – and that's why it's essential to consider Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance. Gallagher, the industry-approved supplier of insurance for Propertymark, offers cover for agency businesses to help protect them from the legal costs involved should a client make a claim against them due to a mistake or incorrect advice.

US trade tariffs are shifting global auction dynamics, and UK auctioneers are being drawn into the ripple effects of international policy. While these measures are largely designed to protect US industries from Chinese competition, they’ve also had knock-on effects on transatlantic trade, complicating the movement of goods and altering buyer behaviour in ways that UK auction businesses are starting to feel. So, how can UK auctioneers respond with confidence to a changing market?

It’s likely that we will now see a return to a normal pace in the sales market now that the Stamp Duty threshold changes have taken effect in England and Northern Ireland. This spurred on a spike in momentum which is likely to tail off in line with previous trends seen on the back of property tax changes.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), which passed into law on 24 May 2024, contains provisions to prohibit unfair commercial practices, replacing and updating the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (the 2008 regulations). The legislation hands direct enforcement powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), giving them the authority to act on breaches of consumer protection rules, including requirements for providing material information.