The Market
SDLT receipts plummeted by 26% in Q1
The Treasury's Stamp Duty tax take fell dramatically from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019, reports LCP, as Brexit amplified the seasonal transaction dip
Grosvenor: ‘We will have to work harder & cleverer to deliver returns anywhere near those we have seen in recent years’
Sterling's depreciation helps Grosvenor Group post 'better than expected' profits despite an annual fall
Property demand has fallen to a six-year low – NAEA
Estate agency branches have fewer properties available to buy compared to last year, and buyer numbers have dropped to their lowest March level since 2013
Unsold new-build units pile up in London
A record 31,500 units under construction across the capital are unsold, reports Molior, which is nearly half of all units currently underway;
Marriott rolls out a global ‘luxury home rental initiative’
Hotel group Marriott is taking on Airbnb in the holiday lettings arena, launching a new top-end home rental platform in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America
Lies & Statistics: On the lost art of valuing property
Portals have given vendors the ability to do their own research, but gauging the right asking price remains beyond the reach of machines, says Patrick Alvarado
Brexit’s ‘false dawn’ sparks PCL deal surge
Transactions spiked by over 18% last quarter as 'shrewd' buyers and investors pushed their purchases through before March 29th, reports LCP
‘We suspect house prices will rise only 1% over the year and would not be at all surprised if they stagnate’ – EY
EY's Spring ITEM Club predicts muted property price growth ahead, with a 'limited' upside even if a Brexit deal is agreed. A no deal exit could see house prices fall by 5% in 2020
RICS looks to ‘clear up the home buying process’
Residential property surveys are confusing for consumers, says the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, as it opens a consultation on an overhaul of the system with mandatory new standards
PCL landlords return after striking out on the sales market
While new listings were still down by 6.3% in the year to March, it was the smallest decline in over 18 months
Prime London buyers are ‘manoeuvring into position’
The ratio of new buyers to new listings rose to a record high of 9:1 in March, reports Knight Frank, predicting that demand could be released 'at short notice' in the event of some political clarity emerging...
Old rectories & manor houses ‘offer the best value for money’; barn conversions are the priciest ‘quintessentially English’ homes per square foot
Big manor houses and old rectories tend to be the most expensive "quintessentially English" homes in a village, but they're a fair bit cheaper per square foot than cottages or barn conversions, says Jackson-Stops.