An important forum for dialogue
A major highlight of the day was the appearance of Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, who shared UK Government plans on reforms to the home buying and selling process and material information in property listings. Her attendance underlined Propertymark’s role in creating constructive dialogue between the profession and those responsible for shaping policy.
In the next few weeks, we will attend further roundtables with Baroness Taylor, and we will lead one of the delivery groups, working with HM Land Registry, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and other UK Government departments.
The programme also featured former Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner MP, who joined delegates for a session which allowed questions from members to be put directly to a senior political figure.
Sir Mel Stride MP also addressed delegates, setting out his perspective on wider economic and housing market challenges, including taxation, home ownership and housing supply.
Inspiration beyond the agenda
Alongside the political and policy programme, the exhibition created a real sense of energy throughout the day. Featuring 80 suppliers, the sell-out exhibition gave delegates the chance to meet existing contacts, discover new services, explore innovation and build relationships across the wider property ecosystem.
Practical insight for a changing profession
Some of the most valuable sessions were those that turned major sector challenges into practical guidance. Panel host Claire Yates tackled one of the most persistent frustrations in residential sales: transaction delays, leading a discussion which explored the need for earlier information, clearer expectations, stronger communication between parties, and more coordinated use of technology across the transaction chain.
The dedicated auctioneering session featured insights into using auctions as a strategic business tool, as speakers explored referral partnerships, white-label models, and fully embedded auction services, as well as opportunities for agents to diversify income, improve certainty, and add value for clients by identifying the right assets and routes to market.
The Buy, Build, Scale: Financing Acquisitions and Adding Value to Your Business panel examined how agencies can approach acquisitions strategically. For firms considering expansion, the message was clear: growth requires preparation, expert advice and a realistic understanding of risk.
Renters’ Rights, compliance, and complaints
The lettings programme reflected the scale of change facing agents and landlords, particularly around the Renters’ Rights and the future of the private rented sector (PRS).
Sessions challenged misconceptions, highlighting change rather than decline in the sector, with many landlords continuing to rely on professional agents to manage risk, understand their obligations, and navigate reform.
Compliance was a recurring theme, with strong processes, evidence trails, and consistent reviews identified as essential tools for mitigating risk. Complaints were also explored, with The Property Ombudsman, Leslie Horton, emphasising that issues arise not from technical failure alone, but from gaps in customer service, unclear updates, or incomplete explanations. The practical message for agents was that clear, comprehensive communication and strong internal processes are essential to reducing complaints and improving consumer confidence.
Renters' Right Act 2025 Toolkit
The toolkit breaks down the Act and helps you to inform your landlords and tenants. It includes guidance, training, fact sheets, FAQs, and resources to help you prepare for the changes.
Technology, AI, and the human value of agents
Lara Lewington, TV presenter, journalist and author specialising in technology, AI and health innovation, delivered a keynote that looked beyond property, showing how AI is already supporting earlier disease detection, personalised healthcare and better use of data. The wider message was highly relevant to the agency: technology is advancing quickly, but its value depends on how well people use it, understand it and apply it responsibly.
That theme carried through into property-focused sessions, including discussion of how AI and data are shaping the future of property search and customer expectations. The Future of Agencies panel also explored how technology will reshape agency, while making clear that it should support, not replace, the human role of agents.
Building stronger teams
People and leadership were another key topic, exploring how property businesses can attract, develop, and retain the next generation of professionals. Past president of ARLA Propertymark, Angharad Trueman, led a panel session that challenged traditional management models and encouraged leaders to provide clearer progression, more consistent feedback, flexibility, purpose, and meaningful development opportunities.
Baroness Karren Brady shared lessons from her career in business, leadership and public life, including reflections on ambition, resilience, confidence, people management and the importance of building cultures where teams understand the vision and their role in delivering it.
Propertymark One is about giving property professionals direct access to the people, policies and perspectives that influence their businesses every day. We are proud to provide a platform where important conversations can take place, where questions can be asked openly, and where our members can hear directly from policymakers and industry leaders. The quality of discussion throughout the day, combined with the expertise shared by our speakers, made this a hugely valuable event for everyone who attended.
