Format: News

The UK's biggest estate agency group Countrywide is "in retailing, the same as Tesco”, said Chief Executive (and Tesco Non Exec) Alison Platt at the weekend.

Three weeks in to 2016 and it feels a bit like we've just unstrapped ourselves from a bizarre property-themed rollercoaster.

London-based international developer Strawberry Star Group has hired another senior management type from United House Developments.

Prime rents in the Home Counties dropped by 0.3%in 2015's final quarter, says Knight Frank, leaving rent values 4.3% up on the year. Q4's decline followed a 0.

One of north London's most important period properties has reportedly changed hands for £20m.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that gross mortgage lending reached £19.9bn in December. That's is 3% lower than November's £20.5bn, but 23% higher than December 2014's £16.2 bn.

Countrywide plc has "further enhanced its focus on the residential development market" by acquiring North London new-build specialist agency, Lanes Land & New Homes.

A Lewisham project by Tsuruta Architects has been named overall winner of the New London Architecture (NLA) Don’t Move Improve! 2016 awards for the best new home extensions.

RIBA's Chief Executive, Harry Rich, has decided to leave the organisation.

On the whole, London's Emerging Prime districts performed slightly better than their Prime counterparts in 2015, according to Douglas & Gordon's latest figures.

Kensington & Chelsea Council is to start publishing the pre-application advice given by its planning officers.

According to the - pretty roasting - heat map below, virtually every borough in Zones 1 and 2 turned in a 4%+ annual increase in average rental values last year.