Lordy! Strong words indeed from Trevor Kent with regards the government’s will they, won’t they debacle over stamp duty earlier this week.

I have to say when I heard one of the suggestions being mooted was a stamp duty ‘holiday’ – as opposed to outright abolition or reform– I raised a sceptical eyebrow.

So I was rather chuffed to hear that my humble opinion was shared by Mr Kent, one-time president of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), and a man who certainly knows what he’s talking about.

Trevor Kent

Having now also embraced the world of broadcasting, commenting on various aspects of the property industry, he’s become famous not only for his vast knowledge, but also his wonderfully verbose – and hugely entertaining – style.

Not surprisingly, then, the Chancellor’s rather vague announcement about changes they may or may not make with regards to stamp duty sent Our Trevor into a hyperventilating rant.

Here’s an extract from the press release we received from his office; you can just picture those already florid cheeks turning a furious shade of purple…:

“Instead of launching a Grace Darling of a lifeboat to provide some succour to the millions drowning in negative equity and repossession threat, Chancellor Darling has pulled the plug on what’s left of the market by inept indecision and half promises.

“The few sales estate agents that have been nursing through over the last few weeks have dropped anchor this morning,  following asides from the bridge that the captain MIGHT reduce Stamp Duty, or holiday it, or even delay payment  to some future date, but that he’s ‘not yet decided’ when or how.

“I ask you, who’s going to proceed with a purchase if delaying a few weeks might mean the saving of certainly 1%, maybe 3% and perhaps even 4% of the purchase price?

“Colleagues in the industry I’ve spoken to are apoplectic over this final back-breaking straw as they see what was left of their turnover keel over.

“The man’s crazy. It’s now or never and it’s got to be now.”

Related Tags: Buying, Buying & Selling, stamp duty, NAEA, Trevor Kent

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