To reduce the tax burden on the housing market rather than introduce further changes in isolation, we warn the Scottish Government that plans for two new council tax bands risk adding complexity while doing little to increase revenue.

HM Land Registry will add property and spatial identifiers to its monthly Price Paid Data from 28 August 2026, helping estate agents provide more reliable information to buyers and sellers. Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) and INSPIRE IDs will be available in separate lookup tables alongside the dataset. The change will make it easier to connect sale prices with other property, address, and location data.

More than 436,000 sole traders and landlords have submitted their first quarterly update under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has now begun identifying those who have not yet registered and transferring them to the new system proactively.

Propertymark has urged the UK Government to ensure that reforms to the building lifecycle support property agents, improve the home-moving process, and give consumers confidence that building work has been completed properly. Our members work closely with other professionals throughout the life of a building, and we have highlighted how consistent standards, clear responsibilities, and reliable records would help agents provide a better service to sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, and leaseholders.

The proportion of owner-occupiers has changed little over the past decade and remains below its 2003 peak, while high prices, large deposits, and a weak development pipeline continue to restrict access for first-time buyers and suppress mobility for those already on the property ladder. New planning rules may help, but government and industry evidence supports Propertymark’s position that wider reform is needed across housebuilding and the buying and selling process to restore adequate supply and revitalise the market.

Cyber crime incidents can impact property businesses of all sizes. A lack of cyber security can leave firms vulnerable to substantial losses and the impact can be huge and long lasting. Even using third-party hosting companies or sites doesn't remove the risk of exposure to crime and subsequent liabilities. Propertymark industry supplier, Gallagher, explains the steps property agents can take to prevent and manage risk.

Forty years after estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared while attending a work appointment, her legacy remains a powerful reminder that personal safety must be embedded in workplace culture. Our updated guidance and dedicated eLearning course help property agencies assess risks, strengthen procedures, and give staff the confidence to act when circumstances change.

The UK Government has taken its most significant step towards regulating property agents since the RoPA (Regulation of Property Agents) Working Group published its recommendations in 2019. Property professionals can prepare for future requirements now by gaining a recognised qualification, with financial support available through The Propertymark Trust’s Class of 26 initiative.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first days in office have brought several announcements and appointments with implications for the property sector. Angela Rayner has returned as Housing Secretary, rent controls have been ruled out for England, targeted business rates support has been announced, and Burnham has confirmed that Stamp Duty will not change at the Autumn Budget.

Responding to the UK Government’s consultation, our primary concern is the practicality of identifying and valuing properties that would be subject to the High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS). Many high-value homes have not been sold for several years, meaning accurate valuations cannot be based solely on online estimates or market appraisals.

Nearly ten years after we first began campaigning on this issue, reform is still not moving fast enough. Flat owners remain trapped by rising costs, complex rules, and a sales market that is becoming harder to navigate. We’ve drawn on fresh evidence from more than 1,200 leaseholders and over 200 Propertymark members to expose the current impact of unaffordable costs linked to building safety defects, the difficulty of challenging unreasonable service charges, and the increasing barriers to sale which are putting the market under significant pressure.

Despite global economic uncertainty, the auction profession remained resilient in Q1 2026, with 80% of surveyed members reporting that the number of lots achieving their reserve price stayed the same or increased compared with the previous quarter.

Since 1 May 2026, landlords who want to sell a tenanted property must rely on specific possession grounds under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988. For sales agents and auctioneers, this changes how rented property is valued, marketed and sold. Sellers may still be able to sell with vacant possession, but the process is no longer as straightforward as many landlords expect.

The property market remains an attractive target for money laundering because of the value of property assets and the ability to hide ownership through companies, trusts, and overseas structures. An estimated £6.7 billion of UK property was bought with wealth suspected to have come from questionable sources between 2016 and 2022 — yet the National Crime Agency (NCA) reports that the volume of SARs from the property sector remains low.