An update from the Chief Executive of NAEA Propertymark

The last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind for the property sector, with more regulation and consultations than you can shake a stick at – and not to mention the new Housing Minister! So with so much going on, as part of a running feature we’ve taken a look at how NAEA Propertymark Chief Executive Mark Hayward has been spending his time serving our members’ interests.

Influencing politicians and key decision makers is a crucial part of the work we do at Propertymark HQ. Getting them to act upon evidence we provide about the sector and making sure that your views are represented are paramount.

In October, Mark attended the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) conference, where Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid announced the regulation of managing agents to protect leaseholders and proposed his changes to regulate the industry.

In November, Mark, along with NAEA Propertymark President Katie Griffin, represented the UK at the National Association of Realtors’ conference and exhibition. The highly attended event – there were 22,00 delegates in total – gave Mark and Katie a chance to show the US what we’re all about. They also attended meetings on global advisory, state and local forums, as well as sessions to discuss blockchain technology, international realtors and UK networking.

Mark engaged with the largest European Association of Real Estate Professions CEPI (of which we are members) and a further meeting with the Chief Executive of the organisation is due to take place in the UK soon to discuss Propertymark and the work we do.

NAEA Propertymark are also continuing to discuss a close working relationship with the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV). IPAV have been particularly supportive of Propertymark, having attended one of our Masterclasses in Belfast earlier in the year.

In addition, Mark has spoken at a number of Propertymark events over the past few months, including Durham, Cardiff, Belfast, London, Norfolk, Hampshire, Yorkshire and Leicester to name a just few.

Videos and webinars

Mark delivered a Rightmove Webinar and live Q&A on anti-money laundering in October, which had over 1100 delegates locked in. He gave an update on the latest legislation and then answered as many questions as he could.

He is set to join Rightmove again on 16 January for a second Q&A, and is geared up to answer as many of your questions on legislative changes within Estate Agency. So if you’ve got a burning question, make sure you sign up to the 30 minute session.

In the media

Getting the media to take notice of our brand and the work we do is crucial. Mark has responded to numerous requests from journalists for interviews and expert commentary, including talking to the BBC after the delivery of the Autumn Budget, and full coverage on both the BBC and Sky on the call for evidence into the house buying and selling process. He has also worked with our press agency to achieve coverage for Propertymark in regional and national newspapers and appeared on several radio interviews.

And the award goes to…

Mark took a break from being in front of the camera to act as a judge at the London Magazine Club Property Awards and the Guernsey Property and Construction Seminar. He also presented an award at the Agents Giving 2017 Fundraising Champions Awards, during which, NAEA Propertymark’s very own Jamie Aspland received the award for Best Individual Fundraising.

Written responses and providing evidence

As well as all of our ongoing work on anti-money laundering and industry regulation, in the last three months we’ve:

  • Responded to the Governments call for evidence on improving the home buying and selling process
  • Met with DCLG to discuss how the sector can move forward
  • Put forward our recommendations on fire and smoke alarms in Scottish homes
  • Reviewed and addressed policy set out by the Chancellor in the 2017 Autumn Budget
  • Submitted a response to a consultation on tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market
  • Put forward our views to Government on guidance for leasehold properties

What to expect from 2018!

Our brand new AML app is coming soon! We have teamed up with a US based technology company to develop an application which uses cutting edge technology to intelligently identify and authenticate users, providing enhanced customer due diligence, and after months in the making, we are hoping to launch the app shortly.

Continuing with the theme of AML, Mark will be commonplace at our Masterclasses throughout 2018, and will be delivering his highly sought after and informative session on anti-money laundering at the NAEA Propertymark National Conference in February – so if you haven’t booked your place at one of our events yet, what are you waiting for?

Looking ahead to the future, the Propertymark Trailblazer scheme has now reached its final submissions and it is due to be released in the coming months. We believe it will be well supported, as it is something that the industry desperately needs in terms of encouraging and attracting new faces into the industry.

The residential property market has been pivotal both commercially and legislatively this year, and we will continue to represent our members in all arenas going into 2018.

 

Kindly shared by NAEA Propertymark