Family feud: London estate agent Winkworth sues chair over plot with wife to oust son from board Property London estate agent Winkworth has initiated High Court proceedings against its chair, Simon Agace, for an alleged breach of contract after he and his wife attempted to oust the company’s board, including his son, Morning Wire can reveal. The AIM-listed company, which is one of the UK’s oldest estate agents and specialises in high-end properties [...]
Foxtons hits out at Renters’ Rights Act as profit halves Property 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 [...]
Housebuilders on hook for mansion tax if they fail to sell property after a year Property Property developers will be forced to pay the Labour’s new mansion tax if they take more than a year to offload newly built luxury homes, raising fresh fears that housebuilders will be further disincentivised from building homes in the capital. As part of plans included in a Treasury consultation document, housing developers will be liable [...]
‘Soul destroying’: Why London’s luxury property market has taken the biggest hit in a decade April 16, 2026 It’s been almost three years since Emma first put her Kensington home on the market. With an initial asking price of just over £4m, she turned down a number of early low-ball offers before accepting one only slightly below what she’d wanted. But after months of dithering, the buyer pulled out at the last minute. [...]
Rightmove accused of ‘bullying’ estate agents in £1.5bn legal battle April 1, 2026 Property giant Rightmove has been accused of “bullying” its members into making payments, as hundreds of estate agents support a £1.5bn legal claim against the firm. The FTSE 100 company has been accused of charging excessive and unfair fees to the estate agents and new home developers that used its property listing portal as part [...]
Huge losses revealed at Purplebricks after takeover September 25, 2025 Online estate agency Purplebricks racked up huge losses in the year it was taken over by Strike, it has been revealed. New accounts filed nine months after the Companies House deadline show the firm’s pre-tax losses went from £19.4m to £37.8m in the year to 31 March 2024. Over the same period, its turnover rose [...]
Dubai first-time buyer scheme hopes to lure Brits, and keep them July 17, 2025 A new first-time buyer scheme in Dubai will keep expats in the country for longer and is likely to help lure even more ambitious Brits priced out of the property UK market to the gulf state, property experts in the Emirate have said. The city state’s Land Department unveiled its first formal programme to help [...]
Dexters: High rents boost profit of London’s largest private estate agent April 22, 2025 Independent estate agent Dexters has reported a double-digit profit boost due to growth in its letting arm. Revenue rose 23 per cent rise to £222m in 2024, from £181m in 2023, with underlying operating profit up 17 per cent to £47.2m, from £40.4m in the prior year. Dexters, which is London’s largest estate agency with [...]
Purplebricks boss who rescued online estate agency for £1 to step down November 7, 2024 The chief executive of Purplebricks is to step down as the online estate agency undergoes a major restructure. Sam Mitchell has been the CEO of Strike since January 2018 and took over the same role at Purplebricks in June 2023 after the company was acquired for just £1 after falling into financial difficulties. Mitchell has [...]
Desperate rich Brits seeking homes abroad in record numbers, say estate agents October 21, 2024 Super-rich Brits are looking at properties in popular expat destinations in record numbers, several leading estate agents have told Morning Wire, as they prepare to flee “in desperation” from any punitive measures introduced at next week’s Budget. Enquiries to luxury property specialist Christies International Real Estate Dubai have trebled in recent months, one agent said, [...]