Planning Slump Deepens Supply Challenge
Housing supply remains a fundamental constraint on affordability. Planning approvals for new homes in England fell by a fifth in the latest quarter to 45,315 homes, the lowest level since 2012. Meanwhile, analysis cited by Coventry Building Society suggests that the average first-time-buyer property could cost nearly £24,000 more by 2030, with the deposit requirement […]
Landlord Reform Creates Advice Moment
Landlord clients face a growing combination of regulatory and commercial pressure. SpareRoom research suggests that 27% of landlords in England plan to leave the sector and 36% expect to reduce portfolio size. Separately, the Renters’ Rights Act is progressing through further implementation steps, including a rental-property registration service, while landlords have been required to use […]
AI Opportunity in Conveyancing Pressure
Conveyancing capacity is becoming a more significant mortgage-market constraint. The workforce in England and Wales has reportedly fallen 15% since 2021, from just over 13,000 people to 11,140. At the same time, Precise has joined LMS Panel Link, while SortRefer has introduced an enhanced service built around dedicated case handling and lower caseloads. These developments […]
Mortgage Rates Rise as Market Cools
Mortgage pricing is moving higher again, with Nationwide for Intermediaries increasing selected fixed and tracker rates by up to 21 basis points and Principality raising product-transfer rates by up to 25bps. Other lenders, including Barclays, TSB, Virgin Money, Foundation and Kensington, have also repriced, while sub-5% deals are reportedly becoming harder to find. For advisers, […]