Prioritising clear, proactive communication, ensuring transparent agreements and fees, and keeping robust records of actions and transactions are the top ways agents can reduce the likelihood of complaints escalating to formal disputes in an increasingly regulated housing market. The findings from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) reinforce the value of strong training, clear processes, and high service standards in maintaining trust with consumers and protecting the reputation of the sector.

Consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) aims to ensure planning decisions better reflect Local Plans across England. Propertymark’s response emphasises that policy must focus on delivering the homes people actually need, supported by infrastructure, clear guidance, and stronger safeguards to ensure developers fulfil their commitments.

With elections to the Senedd approaching, we have set out clear priorities for the next Welsh Government to support a stable, professional and sustainable housing sector. Our new manifesto, published in Welsh and English, outlines practical steps to increase supply, raise standards and support property professionals, while ensuring consumers are protected.

With Holyrood elections set for 7 May 2026 and a national housing emergency declared in 2024, we have set out what the next Scottish Government must do to support a stable, affordable and functioning property market. Our manifesto focuses on practical reforms that increase supply, improve affordability and strengthen professional standards — shaped directly by member insight.

Recent headlines may have made fraud sound like a fast-growing threat across the whole market; however, HM Land Registry’s own figures show that in 2024–25 it received 4,429,092 applications to create or update the register and identified only 86 as fraudulent, or just over 0.0019 per cent. Even so, the sums involved can be significant. In the same year, HM Land Registry says it prevented the registration of fraudulent applications against more than £59 million worth of property.

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee is examining whether the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will strengthen the rights of leaseholders and effectively pave the way for commonhold in practice. We’ve provided written evidence, based on feedback from members, which focuses on the areas where change is most urgently needed to support agents and consumers and create a housing market that functions more effectively.

The 2025 data reveal a sharp rise in consumer complaints across the property sector, with a 47% increase compared with 2024 and a 77% rise since 2023. While many cases are resolved quickly, the figures highlight the types of issues that most often lead to disputes and where improvements can help prevent problems from escalating.

Reforms coming into force during 2026, following the Employment Rights Act 2025, will affect recruitment, staff management, and workplace policies across the UK, including in property agencies. With many firms employing a mix of negotiators, property managers, administrative staff, and apprentices, understanding the changes early will help agencies remain compliant and continue to operate effectively.

Whilst nothing significant was delivered defining housing policy, the statement set the tone for future decisions. Yet, without sustained, targeted support for housing, the underlying pressures in the property market will remain. Transactions depend on confidence, investment depends on stability, and supply depends on a coherent long-term strategy.

The evidence that underpins the policy has been criticised by the Regulatory Policy Committee as not fit for purpose, with concerns raised about whether it can genuinely drive improvements in housing quality across the private rented sector (PRS). As the UK Government considers extending and reforming the DHS, it is vital that policymakers recognise a simple truth: standards alone will not improve homes unless they are enforceable, understood and supported by a professional, regulated sector.

The Q4 2025 Auctions Barometer reveals a sector gaining confidence as base rates ease and digital innovation accelerates. With rising lot numbers, strong reserve price performance, and online formats leading the way, the report highlights how auctioneers are adapting to economic shifts while continuing to deliver results for buyers and sellers across the UK.

Energy efficiency policy has major implications for the private rented sector (PRS), homebuyers and sellers, and the wider housing market. Our response to the UK Government’s consultation on reforms to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and the introduction of the Home Energy Model sets out clear recommendations to ensure changes are grounded in real-world property conditions and avoid unintended consequences for supply.

Jersey’s States Assembly has passed regulations establishing a statutory fire safety regime on the island. The new legislation responds to lessons from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 to modernise ongoing fire safety management in high-rise homes as well as protect residents and emergency responders. Further guidance is expected from the Assembly before implementation.

The new Board formalises the separation between Propertymark’s regulatory and representative functions, ensuring that regulation is independent, impartial and firmly focused on the public interest. This approach aligns us with best practice across other regulated professional sectors, reinforcing our long-standing commitment to high standards and accountability and strengthening professionalism, transparency and public trust across the property sector.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued hundreds of thousands of pounds in new fines to property agents for failures to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, reinforcing the consequences of getting compliance wrong. The latest enforcement action covers the 2025–26 reporting period and includes 170 penalties issued to estate agency businesses, totalling more than £835,000. Letting agents are also within HMRC’s supervisory scope where transactions meet the required thresholds.