It’s been a busy month for the property press – and an even busier one for our clients.
Across September, Proper PR clients have been making headlines on everything from AI and PropTech to the Renters’ Rights Act, landlord pressures, buyer confidence, specialist finance, development and business growth.
Rather than simply give you a very long list of links, we’ve pulled together some of the themes that have been dominating the headlines – and the clients helping to shape the conversation.
Technology, AI and a faster property industry
AI is everywhere, but what does it actually mean for property businesses?
GetAgent questioned whether estate agents really know how AI search is affecting their visibility, with research suggesting nine in ten believe it isn’t impacting their listings – despite many having no way of measuring it.
Propoly looked at AI from a different perspective, arguing that it isn’t about replacing letting agents but removing repetitive tasks, improving efficiency and allowing people to concentrate on the work that requires human judgement.
And Street.co.uk demonstrated the commercial impact technology can have, with its analysis finding agents using its platform for two years or more had increased instruction volumes by an average of 24%. It also launched new Form 4A automation designed to reduce the additional administration created by rental reform.
In the press:
GetAgent – Estate Agent Today
Propoly – Mortgage Strategy
Street.co.uk – The Negotiator – sales performance
Street.co.uk – The Negotiator – Form 4A automation
Renters’ Rights moves from legislation to reality
Unsurprisingly, the Renters’ Rights Act was one of the month’s biggest themes – but September’s coverage increasingly moved beyond what the legislation says and towards what it actually means in practice.
Research from The Lettings Partnership found more than six in ten letting agents are now spending more time on compliance and administration, while Propoly found three quarters of lettings professionals had experienced an increased administrative workload.
LegalforLandlords explored the landlord side of the equation, from the potential impact of new tenant protections on rental pricing to whether bills-inclusive rents remain viable as energy costs rise.
Meanwhile, Rushbrook highlighted the financial importance of looking after the property itself, with research revealing that poor maintenance could wipe more than £30,000 from the value of the average buy-to-let investment in England – rising to almost £59,000 in London.
The Lettings Partnership also raised another important industry question, estimating that hundreds of millions of pounds could potentially be sitting unclaimed within the tenancy deposit system and calling for greater clarity around how dormant deposits should ultimately be treated.
In the press:
The Lettings Partnership – Mortgage Strategy – Renters’ Rights compliance
The Lettings Partnership – Landlord Today – unclaimed deposits
Propoly – The Negotiator – Renters’ Rights workload
LegalforLandlords – The i – tenant protections and rents
LegalforLandlords – BuyAssociation – bills-inclusive rents
Rushbrook – MSN – protecting landlords’ property values
A property market under pressure – and adapting
September’s coverage also reflected a market dealing with changing confidence, affordability and competition.
House Buyer Bureau found Autumn Statement uncertainty was already causing some prospective buyers to pause their property searches, while GetAgent highlighted another pressure facing estate agents: the practice of overvaluing homes in order to win instructions.
Meanwhile, Lyons Bowe featured in The Telegraph as part of a wider look at one of property’s most enduring frustrations – why buying a home can take longer today than it did in the days of fax machines.
For Rushbrook, research into rental demand showed how the market itself is changing, with houses collectively accounting for almost two-thirds of properties experiencing high rental demand in England as people rent for longer and across more stages of their lives.
In the press:
House Buyer Bureau – Property Industry Eye
GetAgent – Property Industry Eye
Lyons Bowe – The Telegraph
Rushbrook – BTL Insider
Opportunity, investment and specialist property
Of course, challenging markets still create opportunities.
LandSale featured in The Intermediary examining whether holiday lets are taking too much of the blame for housing pressures that are often highly localised. Separate LandSale research looked at the extraordinary regional differences in the cost of derelict property, highlighting the opportunities – and risks – for buyers prepared to take on a substantial renovation project.
Octane Capital, meanwhile, forecast that bridging completions could reach £8bn during 2026 despite a subdued start to the year. Later in the month, the lender was back in the headlines with the relaunch of its specialist buy-to-let range following its acquisition by Aldermore.
And UK Property Development looked further ahead, with research forecasting that the average new-build home in England is on course to pass £400,000 in 2027.
In the press:
LandSale – The Intermediary
LandSale – Skill Builder
Octane Capital – Financial Reporter
Octane Capital – Mortgage Solutions
UK Property Development – Construction UK Magazine
Businesses evolving and growing
Finally, some of September’s stories were about the businesses themselves.
Dwelly reached ten acquisitions during 2026 with its latest London deal, continuing the rapid expansion of the lettings business.
And after almost four decades in business, Rushbrook explained the thinking behind its decision to change a brand it had spent 38 years building – a reminder that even established property businesses need to evolve.
In the press:
Dwelly – The Business Desk
Rushbrook – Estate Agent Today
Getting our clients into the conversations that matter
Good property PR is about understanding what journalists and their audiences are talking about, finding the insight our clients can genuinely add to that conversation and creating stories that are worth publishing. September’s coverage is a pretty good snapshot of what that looks like, and this is just a small selection of client work.