Three reasons AI will not replace the mortgage broker AD Mortgage advice has never been a simple numbers game, and it is becoming even less so. Technology is speeding up sourcing, suitability checks and paperwork. Clients are also more digitally confident than ever, and lenders are ever more competitive. But for anyone advising complex borrowers, especially in the high-net-worth space, the idea that AI will [...]
JMW head of real estate: Despite the challenges, I’m optimistic about the housing market Opinion Sophie Maryan, head of residential real estate at JMW Solicitors, tells us about life as a City lawyer in Square Mile and Me.
John Lewis blames high costs as it axes build-to-rent venture Retail Retail giant John Lewis is to withdraw from its build-to-rent business in a shock U-turn on its diversification plans, after bemoaning high interest rates and a downturn in the London property market. John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which also owns Waitrose, took on management of around 1,000 homes in Bromley, West Ealing and Reading as part [...]
House affordability offers first time buyers boost but Londoners lag behind January 20, 2026 Improved house affordability has sparked an uptick in first time buyer activity over the last year, but those on lower incomes remain shut out of the housing market. Affordability constraints eased slightly, due to declining mortgage rates and wage growth surpassing house price growth, bolstering buyer demand, particularly among those taking the first step onto [...]
House prices plunge around London with Brighton, Crawley hit hardest December 30, 2025 Patches of London’s ‘stockbroker belt’ suffered the most significant decline in house prices this year, as both the capital and the South East fell behind northern regions. The West Sussex town of Crawley suffered an 8.9 per cent drop of £36,317, while High Wycombe saw a 7.4 per cent drop, with £34,994 wiped off house [...]
UAE developer Arada secures majority stake in London housing development November 17, 2025 UAE-based developer Arada has bought an 80 per cent stake in Thameside West, a waterfront mixed-use development set to deliver 5,000 housing units in the capital. The £2.5bn deal is Arada’s second large-scale investment in the London residential market in the space of less than two months, following its purchase of local developer Regal in [...]
Housing market slump ‘compounded’ by Budget fears November 13, 2025 The housing market suffered from a six-month low in demand amid caution from consumers ahead of the upcoming Budget, a survey has shown. Buyer demand, sales activity and new instructions fell into negative territory over October in a monthly survey conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). Property professionals blamed fears around the [...]
Mortgage lending hits highest level since March amid pre-Budget rush October 29, 2025 Net borrowing of mortgage debt rose to the highest level since March this year, money and credit statistics published by the Bank of England have shown, in signs that Brits are rushing to buy homes before any new property taxes are announced at the Budget. Net borrowing rose by £1.2bn to £5.5bn while mortgage approvals [...]
Sales of central London properties suffer as buyers head to outer boroughs October 6, 2025 Overall demand for prime property steadied in the third quarter of the year on sales of mansions in south west boroughs, while central London sales fell. Prices have slumped by around a fifth in the past decade due to low demand, while an exodus of high net worth individuals and uncertainty around property taxes has [...]
Labour warned not to repeat past mistakes with homebuying reforms October 6, 2025 Property experts have welcomed government efforts to simplify the homebuying process, but warned that any change must be done in alignment with industry to avoid a repeat of previous attempts to cut red tape. The proposed changes include digitisation, the introduction of binding contracts at an earlier stage, and requiring property sellers and estate agents [...]