The Market
Bidder Beware: Why sealed bids are rarely best or final
The best buyer does not always emerge from the sealed bids process, so why are some agents so keen to push the envelope, asks James Bailey...
You hear a lot about "sealed bids" in prime central London.
Cotswold development sails into final phase
After shifting an impressive 350 units, lakeside property development "Watermark in the Cotswolds", is releasing its final phase of 25 homes.
Singapore buyers bagging bargains in Prime Central London
Overseas investors are bagging ginormous bargains on London property, as exchange rates effectively discount prices by up to 27%, according to the latest from Hamptons.
Lettings fees ad rules to be clarified
There's to be no enforcement just yet on the Advertising Standard's Authority's decree that letting agents must include details of all compulsory fees on ads.
Architects’ fees fall by 40%
This is not a good time to be an architect. 68 practices have gone bust already this year, according to Architect's Journal;
March madness is over as enquiries cool off
March was a bumper month for telephone enquiries to estate agents, with volumes up 25% on the previous month according to answering service Moneypenny.
Shaking the boughs of the property tree
As Lonres releases its Spring Residential Review, William Carrington urges the government to be careful of playing fast and loose with the property industry...
Austerity Auction: Greek consul’s Holland Park pile smashes guide price
A quick update on our "Austerity Auction" story from last month;
Confidence Blossoms in PCL: Properties are selling faster, with fewer price reductions and fall-throughs
The Lonres Spring Residential Review reports a real air of optimism blossoming through the prime central market, with a doubling in the number of new instructions unable to stifle a 9% rise in the average…
West End rental deals up 110% – LDG
Meanwhile, reports filtering in from one agency suggest it's been a rip-roaring start to 2013 for the West End rental market - in terms of volume anyway.
Dear Vince: RICS rallies members to help “eliminate the cowboys”
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has urged its members to write personal letters to Vince Cable ahead of this month's House of Commons debate on the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.
500 up for Strutt & Parker open house event
With the promise of a balmy ten degrees and perfect viewing conditions, over 500 homes have apparently signed up for Strutt & Parker's Open House Day this Saturday (6th April), as the agency's clever annual…