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Em Morley

Ex-Foxtons Director Becomes Douglas & Gordon Chief Executive

Published On: July 29, 2015 at 10:28 am

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The former director of Foxtons estate agent, James Evans, has been appointed as the new chief executive of another London agent, Douglas & Gordon.

Ex-Foxtons Director Becomes Douglas & Gordon Chief Executive

Ex-Foxtons Director Becomes Douglas & Gordon Chief Executive

At Foxtons, Evans was responsible for the firm’s South London area for ten years. During this period, the business grew fourfold.

He also had a lead position in the senior management team that achieved a sale to private equity in 2007 and a highly successful public listing in 2013.

Evans says: “For many years, I have admired Douglas & Gordon as a high quality estate agency with a trusted brand founded on the integrity and quality of its customer service.

“I look forward to working with the shareholders, senior management and all the staff to ensure continued growth within the company.

“I am extremely excited about the future success we can all achieve together.”1

Chairman of Douglas & Gordon, Michael Hodgson, adds: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of James Evans, who has both an intimate knowledge of the estate agency world and how successful companies work.

“We look forward to working with him to take the company into the next stage of its development.”1

Evans will begin his role as chief executive in November.

A Douglas & Gordon spokesperson confirms that high profile executive director, Ed Mead, will stay in his role. They also say that Mead is currently working on the firm’s new residential development sector, due to be launched this autumn.

Evans’ appointment arrives over two years after ex-Douglas & Gordon boss, Ivor Dickinson, announced his departure after a sabbatical. He had worked for the company for 27 years, 15 of which he was its managing director.

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/douglas-gordon-woo-ex-foxtons-director-to-be-new-chief-executive/

Planning permissions rise by 19% in Q2

Published On: July 29, 2015 at 10:25 am

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Positive figures released today show that planning permissions rose fairly substantially during the second quarter of 2015.

HBF and Glenigan’s latest Housing Pipeline report indicates that 52,167 homes were granted planning permissions in last three months, a rise of 19% of the 43,926 recorded at the same time twelve months ago.[1]

As a result, the Moving Annual Total has gone past 200,000 for the first time in seven years.

Welcome

With Britain looking to improve housing supply, the increased number of homes in the pipeline is very welcome. The introduction of the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme in 2013 has improved output substantially. However, the constraints attributed to the planning process are hindering the chance to satisfy demand still further.

Figures from the report show that 203,810 permissions were approved in the year to April, while in Q1 of this year, permissions were up more than twice on what they were at the same period in 2011 and 2012.[1]

‘Since the Help to Buy scheme was introduced in 2013 house building activity has increased strongly,’ observed Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the HBF. ‘Private housing starts in 2014 were up nearly 40% on their pre-Help to Buy level in 2012. However we are still only building around half the number of new homes the country needs and far fewer than in previous decades.’[1]

Planning permissions rise by 19% in Q2

Planning permissions rise by 19% in Q2

‘One of the biggest constraints on the industry’s ability to meet the new level of demand and deliver further sustained increases in build rates is the planning process. How quickly we get more sites to the point where we can actually start to lay bricks will be a major influence on future house building levels,’ Baseley continued.[1]

Quality

Baseley also believes that, ‘increasing housing delivery will provide the high quality homes our next generation needs, support thousands of companies up and down the land and create tens of thousands of jobs.’[1]

Glenigan’s Economic Director, Allan Willen also commented, ‘Planning approvals remained firm during the first quarter, as private sector developers bring forward more and larger sites than a year ago. Glenigan expect the strengthening development pipeline to feed through to a rise in project starts during the second half of the year.’[1]

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/planning-permissions-up-19-in-q2-2015.html

 

 

Zoopla Introduces New Service for Users

Published On: July 29, 2015 at 9:29 am

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Zoopla Introduces New Service for Users

Zoopla Introduces New Service for Users

Zoopla has introduced a new service to its website, which connects its users to property-related professionals and tradespeople.

Zoopla has partnered with Plentific for the venture, a property site that Zoopla provides property listings for.

The Find a Pro service, available on Zoopla and PrimeLocation, will provide access to a network of over 35,000 tradespeople and professionals in sectors including surveyors, architects, electricians, locksmiths and gardeners.

The businesses have a platform to attract new customers, with the ability to showcase their staff, past projects, consumer ratings and reviews, and associated memberships and accreditations.

Basic membership to Find a Pro is free, but Plentific charges the companies a commission once a job is completed, with the progress of jobs being tracked.

Clients can also review any businesses they use on the sites.

Additionally, Find a Pro offers a premium membership, available at a monthly fee.

Former investment bankers and property developers, Cem Savas and Emre Kazan, launched Plentific last year, aiming for a property portal with a difference.

Alongside property listings, Plentific enables users to calculate travel time from the home to places of work, likely mortgage requirements and costs, and contact an agent.

Users can also access mortgage and legal advice, and property coaches. The site makes its money when users sign up to any of these services.

 

 

Generation Rent Calls for Harsher Criminal Landlord Penalties

Published On: July 28, 2015 at 5:09 pm

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The number of landlord convictions is no deterrent to the worst landlords, argues tenant group Generation Rent. The organisation is calling on the Government to increase the penalties for those that rent out unsafe homes.

This follows the release of all landlords convicted under the Housing Act 2004, as published by Environmental Health News, after a legal battle with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Generation Rent Calls for Harsher Criminal Landlord Penalties

Generation Rent Calls for Harsher Criminal Landlord Penalties

2,006 landlords have been convicted. However, Citizens Advice estimates that there are 740,000 unsafe properties in the private rental sector.

The publication of the data allows tenants to check if their landlord, or prospective landlord, has been convicted of an offence.

However, Generation Rent believes that this may not help them, as renters often pay a holding deposit to the letting agent before getting a draft tenancy agreement, and thus finding out who their landlord could be.

If the tenant discovers that the landlord is a convicted criminal and then decides to back out, they could still lose their holding deposit, which can be hundreds of pounds.

The group is urging ministers to use the forthcoming housing bill to give renters the right to back out of an agreement if the landlord is convicted of an offence.

Its campaign also calls for the following:

  • Higher fines that local authorities can impose and keep, which will give them the incentive to take more action against criminal landlords.
  • A national landlord licensing scheme to create a more professional sector, by training and supporting landlords in complying with legislation and helping their tenants.
  • An extension to the Rent Repayment Order, which allows tenants living in unsafe conditions to claim back rent.

Director of Generation Rent, Betsy Dillner, says: “The private rented population has been growing over the past decade, and with rising demand, the number of opportunities for unscrupulous landlords to exploit desperate tenants has grown.

“Although prosecutions have been rising, Citizens Advice estimates that 740,000 homes are unsafe, so it’s clear that their activities are missing thousands of landlord and not even acting as a deterrent.

“Those landlords who do get caught are fined tiny sums compared to the rent they receive, so they’re just treated as a business expense. If the Government really wants to drive the bad landlords out of the market, we need a much more robust sentencing regime.”1

1 https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/7/generation-rent-criminal-landlords-are-not-being-brought-to-justice

 

 

London’s Top 10 Fastest Growing Boroughs

Published On: July 28, 2015 at 4:57 pm

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This month, London’s top ten fastest growing boroughs has seen great change.

Three newcomers have entered the list – Hounslow and Brent in West London, and Barking and Dagenham in East London – according to recent data from Land Registry.

All parts of London have experienced growth, with the borough of Hillingdon in West London, home to Heathrow Airport, rising eight places, and Enfield in North London and Bexley in South East London increasing by one position each.

However, Lewisham – a first time buyer hotspots close to Bexley – has dropped four places and Croydon in South London – another area popular with aspiring young buyers – has fallen two places.

Starting with tenth place, here are London’s top ten fastest growing boroughs:

Position

 Borough Average house price Annual change

Monthly change
10 Harrow £380,523 12% -0.2%
9 Barking and Dagenham £278,604 12.6% 0.8%
8 Brent £434,139 12.9% 0%
7 Lewisham £402,861 13.2% 0.6%
6 Bexley £292,804 13.4% 0.9%
5 Hounslow £379,481 13.9% 2.5%
4 Croydon £335,849 14.6% 0.4%
3 Enfield £342,958 15.1% 0.6%
2 Hillingdon £342,662 15.2% 1.2%
1 Newham £306,386 16% 1.4%

 

Agents warned over money laundering by NCA

Published On: July 28, 2015 at 4:53 pm

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Estate agents have once again been warned by the National Crime Agency that it is imperative the authorities are informed should they have any suspicion that a buyer is looking to launder money through the purchase of a property.

The fresh warning, in an interview for The Times with the National Crime Agency’s economic crime command director Donald Toon, comes after a Channel 4 documentary entitled From Russia With Cash.

Correct procedure

Mr Toon tells the newspaper, ‘if estate agents have a suspicion that there may be money laundering involved, then they absolutely should be submitting a suspicious activity report (SAR).’ Toon warns agents, ‘you are at risk of committing a criminal offence if you do not do that.’[1]

Toon claims that foreign criminals are laundering billions of pounds through successful house purchases in the UK, with central London in particular being targeted. He believes that property prices in the capital are being skewed as a result of purchases by rogues, ‘who want to sequester their assets here in the UK.’[2]

Tax

Another feature that alarms Mr Toon are the total number of homes registered to complex, offshore firms and corporations. The Times suggests that the Treasury has gained £150m in the last three months from a tax on homes bought by companies, trusts and investment funds, as opposed to individuals.

The newspaper says that when the tax first came in force in 2013/14, it raised £100m from 3,990 homes. 80% of this revenue came from just two boroughs-the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Agents warned over money laundering by NCA

Agents warned over money laundering by NCA

In the Channel 4 documentary, five estate agencies were named. These were:

*Winkworth

*Marsh & Parsons

*Domus Nova

*Chard

*Bective Leslie Marsh

In From Russia With Cash, a fake politician, posing as a Russian Government Minister, is followed to see how agents respond to his supposed plan to use millions in stolen cash to purchase prime property in the capital.

At present, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the National Association of Estate Agents have said that they are to hold investigations into claims made in the episode.

[1] https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/7/money-laundering-agents-warned-by-national-crime-agency