Foxtons hits out at Renters’ Rights Act as profit halves July 30, 2026 Foxtons’ profit slipped as the London estate agency hits out at the Renters’ Rights Act, blaming the new tenant powers for causing a surge in renters cancelling their tenancies. The London-listed firm said the new law meant a higher number of tenants cancelled their rental agreements in May and June, meaning the estate agency lost [...]
Mortgage approvals inch up yet gains to be ‘retracted’ July 29, 2026 Mortgage approvals rose slightly in June, according to Bank of England data, yet growing fears of a rise in interest rates could set the property market back again. Net mortgage approvals climbed by around three per cent, from 56,565 in May to 58,200 in June. That remained below the six-month average of around 61,400, and [...]
Student housing giant Unite faces £400m loss amid property value slump July 28, 2026 Unite Students has plunged to a more-than £400m loss after being hit by a £500m revaluation of its properties and “extremely challenging” building costs. The UK’s largest student landlord slumped to a £417m pre-tax loss in the six months to June, reversing a £186m profit the year before, as its earnings slipped by two per [...]
Industry hits out at rumours as No 10 denies plan to abolish stamp duty and council tax July 27, 2026 Andy Burnham is “not considering” scrapping stamp duty and council tax, Downing Street has said, as the government moves to pour cold water on rumours of major tax changes that had spooked property sector leaders. Business chiefs condemned the government over the danger of property tax speculation after reports over the weekend suggested that Burnham [...]
Top-end priced UK properties may take four times longer to leave market July 25, 2026 Property sellers in Britain asking for too high a price who have to reduce it to make a sale take four times as long to sell than those listing an accurate initial asking price. According to new research from estate agent Savills, 33 per cent of sales required the asking price to be slashed to [...]
Housebuilder hits a wall: How did Vistry become the UK’s most shorted stock? July 24, 2026 Vistry, the “nation’s favourite housebuilder,” has become the UK’s most shorted stock. From a shift to a bold new model to hopes that it can fuel Burnham’s housing vision, Felix Armstrong unpicks the firm’s recent history Back in 2024, Vistry boss Greg Fitzgerald was brimming with optimism. The housebuilder’s ambitious switch from a private market [...]
FTSE 100 Segro ‘minded to accept’ £14bn Prologis takeover July 22, 2026 Segro has said it is “minded to accept” the £14bn takeover offer tabled by US real estate giant Prologis. The FTSE 100 property firm said on Wednesday evening that the terms of Prologis’s fourth bid are at a level it would be willing to recommend to its shareholders. Segro’s update came just five minutes before [...]
Prologis tables ‘best and final’ £14bn offer for Segro July 22, 2026 US real estate firm Prologis has tabled a “best and final” £14bn offer for Segro, the FTSE 100 property company it has been pursuing for weeks. The Californian property company said its latest offer, which values Segro at £10.32 per share, is a “compelling opportunity for both sets of shareholders”. This bid marks the latest [...]
London house prices fall again as property slowdown drags on July 22, 2026 London house prices fell again in May as uncertainty over Andy Burnham’s premiership dampened market confidence. The average house price in the capital slipped by 3.7 per cent to £545,000 in the year to May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices jumped in the rest of the country, though the headline rate [...]
Housebuilders urge Rayner to ‘hit the ground running’ and rip up planning red tape July 22, 2026 Housebuilders have called on Angela Rayner to “hit the ground running” and rip up planning red tape after her surprise comeback as housing secretary. Rayner resigned as housing secretary in September over an investigation into her tax affairs but was cleared of wrongdoing in March this year. Leading housebuilding figures told City AM they welcomed [...]