Letting & Estate Agent Podcast The housing crisis isn't a market failure it's a Government failure - Ep. 2486
Mar 3, 2026
David Powell, CEO of Andrews Estate Agents and leader of a 40-branch network from Bristol to London, discusses housing policy and the private rental sector. He argues the crisis stems from government decisions, not the market. He talks about council house sell-offs, how regulation squeezed landlords, mismatches from build-to-rent, and policy-driven demand effects.
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Housing Should Be Removed From Party Politics
- David Powell argues housing is a government, not a market, failure and should be removed from central political cycles.
- He suggests housing policy needs a separate, long-term authority focused on creating and maintaining homes rather than winning votes.
Thatcher-Era Sales Needed Ongoing Investment
- David Powell recalls the Thatcher era council house sales and notes keeping council stock would have required expensive maintenance and continued building.
- He frames the historical policy shift as costly to sustain rather than the sole cause of today's problems.
Regulation Shrinks Family Rental Supply
- Powell says regulatory pressure on the private rented sector has pushed some landlords to exit, reducing the effective growth of family-friendly rental stock.
- He notes build-to-rent towers mask stagnation in supply for suburban family homes.