The E-Homebuying Forum exists to provide a platform for companies who wish to modernise the home buying process. The Forum works with Government and other industry stakeholders to provide industry-wide strategic vision and direction in pursuit of greater transparency, efficiency and commitment in the home buying process - with the goal of bringing faster certainty to the consumer.
Latest News
31st March 2011 - Property industry leaders call for a preliminary contract to tackle gazumping and gazundering
Leading members of the residential property industry called for the development of a legally binding preliminary contract to reduce the risk of house sales falling though in England. At a roundtable event hosted by former head of the Office of Fair Trading and President of the E-Homebuying Forum, Sir Bryan Carsberg last week, representatives from estate agents and firms of solicitors and conveyancers debated the merits of introducing preliminary contracts as a standard procedure in the home buying and selling process.
Attenders agreed that a legally binding preliminary contract could markedly change the way properties are purchased in England by introducing greater certainty at an early stage in the process. The contract would require both parties (buyer and seller) to commit to the house sale at the agreed price, subject to certain conditions that had been approved from the outset. That way, if the property market changed and the buyer wanted to purchase the house at a lower price or if the seller wanted to take a higher offer, the contract would hold firm and ensure that withdrawal would attract penalties.
Read the full press release here 20110331 Precontract
1st September 2010 - Tom Parker becomes Chairman of the EHF
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Tom Parker, founder and former Managing Director of Quest, has joined the group as the new Chairman. He takes over from outgoing Chairman Mark Riddick |
Tom brings a wealth of experience and passion to his role. Having been in the property and mortgage sector for over 35 years, his company, Quest, changed the face of the mortgage industry as it became the market leading provider of mortgage valuation and survey software solutions. Tom will be working with Sir Bryan Carsberg to bring together industry to deliver greater efficiency, transparency and commitment to the home buying and selling process. His role will also include working with EHF members – who represent all relevant businesses and stakeholders including estate agents, surveyors, search firms, lenders and solicitors – to achieve consensus on how to bring market-driven improvements to the home buying and selling process. Subsequently, the EHF will liaise with Government and industry to effect these improvements.
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1st June 2010 - Sir Bryan Carsberg becomes President of the EHF
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In a move that will greatly strengthen its drive for reform, the Former Director General of OFT and Oftel, Sir Bryan Carsberg is joining the E-Homebuying Forum (EHF) this week as its first President. |
Sir Bryan’s Review of Residential Property in 2008 and the Forum’s Blueprint for improving the property transaction process both received widespread acceptance across the industry. Sir Bryan’s appointment looks set to become the catalyst for turning this consensus into real action, providing a rallying point for those in the industry who want to become engineers of change rather than the victims of it. In his role as President, Sir Bryan will be overseeing the Forum’s aim of bringing greater efficiency, transparency and commitment to the home buying and selling process. Alongside this announcement, the EHF has published an updated version of its Blueprint for the Future of Homebuying. You can download this, and the press release announcing Sir Bryan's appointment, below. |
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Download the press release here
Download the latest version of the EHF Blueprint here
21st May 2010 - EHF comments on suspension of Home Information Packs
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Mark Riddick, Chairman of E-Homebuying Forum responds to CLG suspending the use of HIPs: "The original vision of HIPs to bring faster certainty for homebuyers through greater transparency was laudable but we ended up with a product starved of the prime value it had - an upfront survey. |
"We believe HIPs failed in practice because of the way they were introduced and regulated and we are now calling on Government and industry to work together to deliver a new and mutually acceptable solution." |
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February 2010 - EHF welcomes an historic e-conveyancing first
The E-Homebuying Forum today welcomes what is an historic day for e-Conveyancing. Conveyancing Direct celebrated being the first law firm in the country to successfully submit a live electronic mortgage deed directly from a case management system using the Land Registry’s new Business Gateway.
Download the press release here
February 2010 - EHF responds to OFT Home Buying and Selling Market Study
Mark Riddick, Chairman of the E-Homebuying Forum, comments on the publication of the Office of Fair Trading Home Buying and Selling Market Study, published on 18 February 2010.
Download the press release here