Purplebricks’ shareholder seeks to oust chairman yet again as losses widen December 8, 2022 Online-only estate agency Purplebricks’ losses have widened in the past six months, despite the CEO’s turnaround plans. Revenue dropped 16 per cent to £34.5m in the six months to the end of October, while gross profit plunged more than a third to £16.2m. Operating losses also grew by five per cent to £11.7m. But CEO [...]
‘Profiteering’ Home REIT to be sued over misleading investor information December 7, 2022 Beleaguered property investor Home REIT has been hit by a lawsuit from investors today amid claims it is “profiteering from the housing crisis” and used misleading information to raise cash. The social housing-focused firm has been hammered by a slew of claims from short sellers in the past two weeks over the quality of charity [...]
UK house prices fall in sharpest drop since 2008 crash December 7, 2022 House price growth has continued to cool in the UK, with last month representing the sharpest decline in value since 2008. The average cost of a home now stands at £285,579, after falling by 2.3 per cent in November, according to Halifax today – which began tracking house prices in 1983. Growth rates have slowed [...]
Buy-to-let landlords in shock as mortgages skyrocket by record 286 per cent December 6, 2022 Buy-to-let landlords are facing a tougher time securing finance due to a significant reduction in product choice and rising mortgage rates, it has emerged. The debate around rising mortgage rates has so far been centred around the strife facing homeowners and families, but it’s also had an impact on buy-to-let landlords, to the detriment of [...]
Home REIT ‘significantly’ inflated property value, claims shadowy activist investor December 5, 2022 Home REIT has faced calls for its board to be sacked today for “significantly” inflating its property portfolio, in the latest of a string of attacks against the social housing investor in the past two weeks.
Faith in UK housing market to be restored in new year with M&A on the horizon December 5, 2022 Faith in the UK’s housing market is expected to be slightly restored in the new year, as mortgage rates slow their climb and cancellation rates cool. A rise in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the sector may also be on the horizon, according to research at brokerage Jefferies. In a note today, researchers said they [...]
Tech recruitment firm Levin to set up London HQ at new space in 155 Bishopsgate December 5, 2022 British Land has signed an agreement with tech recruitment giant Levin to let its entire Storey space at 155 Bishopsgate for its new London HQ. Levin, which has had a footprint at the development since 2020, is to take up 23,000 sq ft of space, after previously leasing space on the same campus at 1 [...]
Weekend Spotlight: £82bn in rental properties across UK are occupied by fraudsters and criminals December 3, 2022 Almost 280,000 UK rental properties, with a combined market value of £82bn, are thought to be occupied by fraudsters, City A.M. was told today. The rental market has long been a leading target for fraudsters, criminals, and money launderers. Research estimates that 5 per cent of all rental stock is being let to criminals and the [...]
John Lewis seals £500m deal with Abrdn to enter rental property market December 2, 2022 John Lewis has signed a £500m deal with investment giant Abrdn to enter the rental property market. The agreement announced today will see the High Street titan deliver a thousands new homes a year, with a view to having built 10,000 in the next decade. In a bid to diversify and move away from dependency [...]
UK sets aside £9.2m to train Brits to make homes more energy efficient December 1, 2022 The UK government has set aside £9.2m to train Brits to make homes more energy efficient. Nearly 9,000 training free or heavily subsidised courses are set to be run across England for heat pump and energy efficiency installers, the government announced today. The global housing sector produces around 40 per cent of the world’s emissions. [...]