

Housing Unpacked
Tom Bill, Knight Frank
The UK housing market generates more headlines than almost any other part of the economy - but often with very little clarity. Housing Unpacked cuts through the blizzard of noise and speculation to focus on what really matters: the structural forces shaping the market, the political choices behind them, the broader mood in financial markets and what that tells us about where the market is heading.
Tom Bill, Head of UK Residential Research at Knight Frank, brings together data, policy and lived market experience to tell us what’s really going on and what happens next.
Tom Bill, Head of UK Residential Research at Knight Frank, brings together data, policy and lived market experience to tell us what’s really going on and what happens next.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 10, 2025 • 38min
Prime Central London: The reality on the ground ahead of the Budget
With tax speculation dominating the headlines, is Prime Central London really stalling or are there opportunities for buyers? Tom Bill speaks to Stuart Bailey, Head of Prime Central London Sales at Knight Frank, about which taxes in the Budget would most impact the market, what buyers should expect in terms of future price growth, how many people are leaving the capital and which areas of London are back on the radar.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

Oct 20, 2025 • 33min
The £30 Billion Question: What Rachel Reeves Faces Ahead of the November Budget
What’s happening behind the scenes as the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility prepare for the 26 November Budget? Tom Bill is joined once again by Michael Brown from Pepperstone to share their insights.From the OBR’s “observation window” to the Treasury’s 11 Bloomberg terminals, Tom and Michael discuss how gilt yields, labour market data, and fiscal headroom are shaping Rachel Reeves’ options — and what all of this means for property taxes, mortgage rates, and the housing market.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

Oct 6, 2025 • 30min
Carol Lewis: Headlines, Housing and Hype
Carol Lewis, Property Editor of The Times and The Sunday Times, explains how to navigate the flood of property headlines in the run-up to November’s Budget. Carol speaks to Tom about the Treasury’s use of “trial balloon” tax stories, why house price data often looks contradictory, and how readers can distinguish speculation from fact. She also gives a behind-the-scenes view of how the media prepares for Budget day, stressing the journalist’s role as messenger rather than market shaper.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

Sep 22, 2025 • 44min
James Nation: Property Taxes, Pitch-Rolling & Budget Nerves
Former No.10 policy insider James Nation joins Tom to decode the run-in to the 26 November Budget: OBR round-one forecasts, the 10-year gilt “observation window”, and why a productivity downgrade matters for the property market. We ask how credible this summer’s property tax rumours feel, possible sweeteners, and what a “successful” Budget looks like. Plus: Treasury vs Downing St culture, Labour’s deputy leadership race and whether Starmer and Reeves are still in post next year.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

Sep 8, 2025 • 26min
Nerves are spreading through bond and property markets ahead of November Budget
This week, head of UK residential research Tom Bill is joined by financial market analyst Michael Brown from Pepperstone to assess the state of property and bond markets ahead of November’s Budget. Borrowing costs have been climbing in recent weeks for a number of reasons that include a lack of credibility on financial markets that the government has a coherent plan. Property taxes have been floated as one solution but some ideas are more convincing than others. Michael offers his own five-point plan for the government to follow in order to regain the trust of markets – but it would involve some difficult decisions. Whether you are buying, selling, remortgaging or scrolling to see what your house is worth, there are key insights on offer to provide you with the bigger picture.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

Aug 18, 2025 • 33min
The UK Wealth Exodus with Leslie Macleod-Miller
What would happen if the rich left the UK? In this episode of Intelligence Talks, host Tom Bill is joined by Leslie MacLeod-Miller, CEO of Foreign Investors for Britain to dig into what the governments changes in taxation mean for non-doms, and what the knock on affect could be for the rest of the country.Listen to find out what Leslie thinks needs to happen to keep money in the UK and what impact tax changes are already having on the UK prime market.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

Aug 4, 2025 • 28min
Housing, Inflation and Government Strategies
This week; sticky inflation, bond market reactions, and the government's role in the property market. We look at recent economic data showing weak growth and high inflation, and try to unpick the implications for the housing market such as increased supply and mortgage rates, and the challenges faced by policymakers.We also look at the US trade deals and Federal Reserve decisions, providing insights into how these factors could affect both the UK and global economies. Host Tom Bill is joined by seasoned financial market analyst Michael Brown from Pepperstone to give some clarity amidst economic uncertainty.Subscribe to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.


