Marcus Whewell

CEO of The Guild of Professional Estate Agents. Passionate about the property industry, marketing and the world of business.

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

White paper on lettings out this week - like affordable rents for new homes & 3 year tenancies, but fees ban needs longer consultation

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Heard some New Homes sold as leasehold under help to buy -then land sold separately to a 3rd party / offered back at 15x the price = immoral

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Fantastic conference last week; new brand has been enthusiastically received, and proud to celebrate the awards winners - all good to great!

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Seems like privatisation of Land Registry has been called off - this never made sense / important that the data is managed independently

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Bank of England given new powers to help regulate BTL market - should encourage a more stable and less political approach = good news

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

HSE suggestions for annual gas safety checks (like an MOT) make good sense and will save landlords £22m- join in the consultation!

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Latest ruling on Foxtons display of lettings fees leaves agents unclear - Trading Standards need to agree and publish a definitive position

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Latest report says rents to rise 19% in next 5 yrs versus 13% for house prices - first time buyers 'in a hole' / we need to get building!

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Claims that 34 residential property tax changes have led to £8.3bn fall in sales, cost 14k jobs, and £450m les tax revenue - Govt strategy?

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Claim that if interest rates rise to 2.5%, many private landlords start to lose money - Govt needs to nurture, not complicate and attack!

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

WHICH report says only '4 in 10 houses sell as a result of the main portals': Agents are 'market makers' / should celebrate this openly

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Corporate employee admits stealing £21k of tenancy deposits - where are the robust processes and audits? No wonder EAs are not all trusted.

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Leading analyst querying valuation of PurpleBricks, given its relatively low completion rates - will PB release its numbers for analysis?

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

UK renters 'less happy' compared to homeowners than elsewhere in Europe - a sign of the times, and unfortunately something to get used to

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Top rental yields now 'up North' (see Lendinvest report); expect Build to Let to follow - already in Birmingham
.

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Growing pressure on PRS will drive the market towards AirB&B esp in London; seems a backward step w.r.t. standards, safety and protection..

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

New tougher affordability tests for BTL from Jan 17 / Help To Buy to be withdrawn = low paid and/or poor credit? Be nice to your parents!

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

Apparently 5.5m people do not believe they will never be able to own a home - if true, Govt needs to support PRS, not treat as a 'cash cow'

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

New money laundering proposals to focus on letting agents - companies need to ensure full compliance; recommend an independent audit!

[Marcus Whewell @Marcus_TheGuild]

London agent paying £300 to view a property, and then another £250 for a sole agency listing - a race to the bottom!