Last week saw the first rollout of vaccines in the UK, which is cause for optimism for pretty much everyone.
It doesn’t surprise me that real estate agents are positive about output increasing in the next 12 months.
Putting business aside, being able to socialise normally once people are vaccinated will be a huge relief.
I will never again underestimate the ability to go out and spend a few hours in pubs and restaurants every week.
I just hope that even hesitant people are encouraged by their friends and families to get vaccinated, so we can all move on with our lives.
Aside from news of the vaccine, stamp duty and the property market’s rampant delays continue to dominate the headlines.
Anybody who starts the buying process now is unlikely to complete in time to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday, according to the Law Society.
If you want to take advantage of the holiday now you may need to buy with cash, or somehow find a solicitor firm capable of performing faster than the market average.
I spoke to a London mortgage broker who was very frustrated about the quality of the service he received from a major solicitor firm. In a way this is nothing new – mortgage brokers get frustrated with legal professionals all the time – but it seems things are worse than they’ve been before.
Interestingly I also received an email from somebody last week who told me the legal side of things is less onerous in Scotland, so perhaps things aren’t as bad up there.
Anyway, let’s hope the good news continues as we look forward to some (admittedly limited) New Year celebrations. Here’s hoping next year is better than this one!
Ryan Bembridge, Editor, PropertyWire
