Trading Standards announce upfront info must be included on all property listings

National Trading Standards and the government, via their Levelling Up White Paper, have announced that compulsory new data will need to appear on estate agents' property listings by the end of May 2022.

The new requirement is part of a phased approach that will see additional requirements for upfront info added in due course. Currently only required information under part A has been specified with parts B and C to follow.

It is likely that phases B & C will require further material information such as restrictive covenants and flood risk.

Included in part A's defined list of required upfront information is a property's council tax band, price and tenure information. To see a full list of requirements click here to access National Trading Standards’ official project summary on improving the disclosure of material information in property listings.

National Trading Standards has stated that all material information is set to be obligatory on property listings at which stage estate agents will need to include all the required information before it is listed publicly.

HIVE fully supports the move for required upfront information and has already been supplying the information required under part A as part of our i-PACK, AML and legally prepared services.

In addition, and due to large scale processing of official data, we are in a unique position to provide market ready info in advance of the as yet undefined B and C phases such as restrictive covenants, cautions and leasehold information. This means that estate agents that use i-PACKS can rest assured that they will be ahead of the curve whilst enjoying an array of additional benefits such as a free and fully managed compliance service, lead generation, faster sales and referral income.

The entire ethos of i-PACKS and the underlying service is the legal preparation of all vendor clients and the surfacing of critical information that is provided to buyers before they make an offer.

HIVE also supports the instructing of a conveyancer at the point of listing so that buyer relevant information can be prepared and made available for marketing. Reporting on important items such as restrictive covenants, cautions and boundaries can only help prevent sales being derailed at a later stage after time and costs have been spent.

i-PACKS make it easy for estate agents to outsource their AML compliance and consumer protection legal obligations as we do all of the work and provide everything needed for public and back office use. By expanding our services we can play our part in creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone that includes supporting more first-time buyers, reducing transactions that fall-through and making the whole process more time and cost effective.

To find out more or to book an i-PACKS demo click here.

The Location Information guides have been very successful in helping to win business at the valuation stage. As you know, I was initially uncertain about how effective they would be, but they have proven to be an extremely worthwhile investment for us.

We were excited at the very beginning with the HIVE Location Information product. It adds real value to both vendors and landlords properties in providing in-depth local information and data for the property. Buyers and renters alike love the booklets and online presentation of the properties and the local amenities and infrastructure. It has also proved an instruction winner and gives us an added advantage over the other agents at valuations.

Joshua Rafter MARLA | Managing Director

HIVE's 360 Virtual Tour service has enabled us to stand out from the ever growing number of estate agents and has given us the opportunity to impress our clients with something new and innovative. We can confidently say that it has helped us win several instructions over our competitors and the service HIVE offers has exceeded our expectations.

Jamie Ullmer

We have been extremely impressed with Bruce and his team at Hive. Their technical knowledge and understanding of our Estate Agency needs has only been out-weighed by their drive and desire to deliver "a top notch product", within the time-frames that our business has demanded!

"Location Information" is a real USP for Miles & Barr and has not only helped us gain Listings where we may not have, but has also been an invaluable tool for relocating buyers which will surely help us secure future business.

Christin Miles | Partner

East Estate Agency of the Year silver award

We are now fully utilising the HIVE Brochures and they are being really well received by both potential vendors at market appraisals and by our current vendors. None of our competitors is offering anything like it and they help us win business.

Dee Quealy | Director

Having forged a reputation for innovative and forward thinking marketing, ‘Local Information’ was a perfect product for staying one step ahead from our nearest competitors. Our listers report that potential vendors are very impressed and this has had a direct impact on our conversion rates.

Hive offer a fantastic product coupled with excellent after sales and ongoing support. This product has allowed us to not only impress clients but improve our conversion and average fee value.

Robert Chamberlain | Area Sales Manager Essex & East Anglia

Being in a market with a shortage of instructions and available stock to sell, Hive Location Information Brochures have given us a instinct advantage with potential vendors in terms of winning a marginal instructions or achieving the right fee. It is also particularly impressive how quick we receive the completed brochures.

I would just like to drop you an email to mention that our Hive brochures are well received by our clients and gives us the edge to be different in providing bespoke information. I must also mention it was a contributory factor in us winning Gold in The Sunday Time Award for Best Estate Agent in the Eats of England (Single Office Category). We hope to see more great market leading innovation from your company.