October 2009

Welcome to the latest Residential Alert, and what an autumn it promises to be! The depressed housing market has had some much-needed good publicity in the last month or so – but is it too soon to talk of a genuine recovery? Tony Pidgley thinks so. In this market the one thing that’s certain is that nothing is certain. We hope you are benefitting from some warmer words and deeds in the residential market, and enjoy our inaugural resi e-newsletter!

Helen Roxburgh - Senior Reporter, EGi

Barratt and Redrow to raise £843m through rights issues

Housebuilders Barratt and Redrow have announced rights issues totalling £843.5m.

First estate agent banned for failing to join redress scheme

For the first time the Office of Fair Trading has banned an estate agent from working for failing to join a redress scheme.

HCA chief reveals four-step plan to boost private rental sector

Sir Bob Kerslake announced today that he was planning to combine the Kickstart and the private rental sector initiatives (PRSI).

NLA slams government on housing benefit reform

Millions of pounds have been wasted by government reforms on housing benefit, according to the National Landlords Association.

HCA announces link between PRSI and Kickstart schemes:

Listen to Grainger’s Andrew Pratt and CB Richard Ellis’ Nick Jopling discuss the impact of the Homes and Communities’ private rental initiative.

Berkeley marks start of work on £1bn Kidbrooke regeneration scheme

Watch our report from Berkeley’s ground-breaking event at the south London estate.

A blue day for Redrow

Steve Morgan's regret in posting Redrow's financial results today was palpable. The chairman, who has only been back in the role for six months, said it was "intensely disappointing" to have the post the "worst set of trading results in the company's history".

Tony Pidgley is gloomy - but should we care?

Tony Pidgley was very down on the market at the Newport Resi conference this year. The newly crowned chairman of Berkeley stood in front of an audience of industry professionals, and warned that it would be "at least two years before we see any good signs of recovery".

Growing gains

In the past six years, the National Landlords Association has nearly quadrupled its membership. Now, its new director Sussanne Chambers tells Helen Roxburgh how she hopes to flex the NLA's muscles to influence government policy.

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