Coronavirus
Countrywide reveals lockdown impact & bounce-back performance
"Early trading indicators in England are encouraging and we expect a similar bounce back in Wales and Scotland," says Countrywide's Board ahead of the Plc's AGM
NAEA boss warns ‘Covid fatigue’ could force another property market lockdown
"If the sector is seen to be abusing the safety rules, the Government has the right to withdraw its consent to keep the housing market open," warns Mark Hayward, Chief Executive of the National Association o…
Savills forecasts a 7.5% drop for house prices this year, with transactions down by a third
Savills is standing by its pre-pandemic five-year forecasts, despite anticipating a major slump in 2020.
Activity returns to global property markets, but there’s a ‘disconnect’ between buyers & sellers on pricing
Residential property activity in China "has largely returned to normal" after two or three months out of lockdown, reports Savills
Can estate agencies survive the unfurloughing of wage bills?
The Government's furlough scheme is supporting the property industry to the tune of over £120 million a month, says Rayner Personnel.
Demand for second homes jumps as price uncertainty reigns
A quarter of people say they are more likely to buy a second home now than before the Covid-19 lockdown, says Knight Frank.
Foxtons reveals lockdown cost; aims to re-open all branches by 1st June
Estate agency chain aims to complete a phased re-opening of all branches by next Monday. Commission earnings dropped by 44% in the last eight weeks compared to the same period in 2019.
A 29-point checklist for estate agency re-openings after the Covid-19 lockdown
As more agents re-open doors, Propertymark has shared a 29-point operating checklist for safe business operations...
Coronavirus mortgage payment holiday to be extended
Struggling borrowers will be able pause or reduce mortgage payments until 31st October.
Online enquiries surge in a ‘lockdown lift-off’
“This shows what happens when you temporarily suppress pent-up demand that had been building for years," says Knight Frank. “It’s early days but the ‘Boris Bounce’ may well be followed by a ‘lockdown lift-off’.”
Countrywide & other agencies take a cautious approach to branch re-opening
Some firms re-opened offices as soon as the Government allowed it last week, but others - including Countrywide - are only slowly re-opening branches after the Covid-19 lockdown.