Finance
UK Sotheby’s Realty to ‘explore tokenisation’ of two luxury properties
            UK Sotheby’s International Realty has partnered with PropTech platform Smartlands to look into blockchain-powered fractional ownership options for a London penthouse and a Greek villa.         
    Meyer Bergman’s VC arm backs CapitalRise
            Luxury property crowdfunding platform CapitalRise has secured a £1m equity investment from Meyer Bergman's Revolt Ventures         
    HSBC reveals plans to double its UK mortgage business
            Lender's expansion plan could trigger a mortgage price war         
    Election 2019: What a Labour government might do to property & wealth taxes
            There's no 2019 election manifesto yet, but Mishcon de Reya has summarised everything that Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has proposed about property and wealth-related taxation over the last few years…        
    Bridging finance veteran returns to Century Capital
            John Wheeler has rejoined Paul Munford's property lending firm to "lead an ambitious new growth phase"         
    Returning Stamp Duty to 2005 levels would galvanise the property market, suggests influential think tank
            "Stamp duty has distorted the market to such an extent that the costs of cutting it are far lower than generally realised," suggests the Centre for Policy Studies, led by David Cameron's former housing…        
    Change in government is biggest worry for UK’s wealthy
            A new PM, tax changes and failing health are the top three concerns facing HNW residents right now, according to a new survey         
    £1m+ deals have soared 12-fold in 20 years, as the average house price has almost tripled
            Today's prime property market is "much bigger and more complex" than in 1999, says mortgage firm Private Finance as it charts the rise of seven-figure transactions over the past two decades         
    Octopus Real Estate creates new ‘Head of Residential’ role
            D’mitri Zaprzala has been promoted to run the resi show at specialist property lender Octopus         
    Octopus Real Estate opens first regional office
            Property finance firm moves into Manchester         
    Fairway & Leconfield launch £200m Golden Postcode property investment fund
            George Brooksbank's investment firm Fairway Capital and development outfit Leconfield are looking to spend £200m over the next 18 months on "value add" prime residential properties on garden squares in…        
    Government to scrutinise luxury property deals in US-style crackdown
            Similar targeting orders to those in operation in New York and Florida could force agents to hand over the personal details of buyers involved in high-end transactions across RBKC & Westminster