Honest writing on sourcing property from the public record.
Practical pieces on finding distressed and off-market commercial owners using official, licensed open data. No financial advice, no guarantees - just how to read what the registers actually say.
Where to find motivated seller leads in the UK: 9 data sources ranked (2026)
A ranked comparison of nine ways to source motivated and distressed property seller leads in the UK, from Companies House insolvency filings and The Gazette to EPC data, probate, auctions and aggregation tools like DealBrief.
Tired landlord data: how to find EPC E/F/G rental properties in the UK (and the MEES deadline that makes them sell)
How to source motivated landlord sellers using EPC E/F/G rental data, grounded in Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and the EPC C by 1 October 2030 deadline confirmed in the Warm Homes Plan, with a step-by-step method to find and contact owners.
UK Property Distress Index - July 2026: 25,365 owners monitored, 1,324 under elevated stress
Issue #3 of our free monthly index of legal distress on UK property-owning companies: 25,365 property-owning companies under continuous monitoring, 60 with a receiver appointed, 1,324 carrying elevated stress signals, and 3,489 corporate-insolvency notices captured from The Gazette across the full month.
Class MA: converting commercial property to residential under UK permitted development
A plain-English guide to Class MA permitted development - the right to convert commercial premises (use class E) to homes (class C3) in England without a full planning application, the March 2024 changes, what qualifies, prior approval, and how to spot eligible buildings before they list.
Below market value (BMV) property in the UK: what it really means and how to find it
What 'below market value' (BMV) actually means in UK property, why genuine BMV comes from motivated sellers rather than portals, the legitimate sources of motivation (repossession, insolvency, LPA receiver, probate, divorce, chain break), and how to find distressed owners before they list.
UK property distress glossary: winding-up petitions, LPA receivers, strike-offs and more
Plain-English definitions of the public-record signals that indicate a UK property owner may be a motivated seller - winding-up petition, LPA receiver, administration, liquidation, strike-off, fixed and floating charges, and MEES - each defined as a self-contained answer.
Best Distressed Property Software UK (2026): An Honest Comparison
A factual 2026 guide to the best software for finding distressed and off-market UK property, from pre-listing owner-distress tools to auction and repossession aggregators. What each tool is best for, what it costs, and how to choose - including where DealBrief fits as the end-to-end pick for pre-listing distress.
UK Property Distress Index - June 2026: 9,379 owners monitored, 528 under elevated stress
Issue #2 of our free monthly index of legal distress on UK property-owning companies: 9,379 property-owning companies under continuous monitoring, 34 with a receiver appointed, 528 carrying elevated stress signals, and 1,886 corporate-insolvency notices captured from The Gazette this month.
DealBrief vs Searchland: a fair comparison for finding motivated property owners
An honest comparison of DealBrief and Searchland. Searchland is a site-led land-sourcing and planning platform; DealBrief is a signal-led tool that surfaces motivated owners from the legal record. Where each fits, and why some investors run both.
DealBrief vs LandInsight: a fair comparison for off-market owner sourcing
An honest comparison of DealBrief and LandInsight (LandTech). LandInsight is a site-led sourcing and assessment platform built around planning; DealBrief is a signal-led tool that surfaces motivated owners from the legal record. Where each fits.
What a winding-up petition tells you about a commercial property owner
A plain-English explanation of what a winding-up petition is, how it appears in The Gazette weeks before an insolvency is confirmed, and why it can be an early signal that a property-owning company may need to sell - with the caveats.
How to make a compliant first approach to a property owner (UK GDPR and PECR)
A practical, honest guide to making a lawful first approach to a property owner or company director under UK GDPR and PECR: legitimate interest, what you can and cannot say, and what to avoid.
UK Property Distress Index - May 2026: the baseline issue
Issue #1 of our free monthly index of legal distress on UK property-owning companies: 4,504,327 HM Land Registry titles now under daily monitoring, and 127 winding-up petitions captured in the Gazette feed's first six days live. An honest baseline - no fake zeros.
How to find distressed and off-market commercial property owners in England & Wales
A practical, honest walkthrough of using HM Land Registry, Companies House, The Gazette and Ordnance Survey to find commercial property owners under genuine pressure - without scraping or grey-area lists.
What an LPA receiver appointment tells you about a motivated seller
LPA receiverships are one of the clearest dated signals in commercial property. This piece explains what an LPA receiver is, what motivation actually means in that context, and how to approach the counterparty without overclaiming.
Sourcing property leads from public data: HM Land Registry, Companies House and The Gazette
A grounded look at the three public registers that already power most professional property sourcing in England & Wales - what each one holds, how they connect, and what they honestly can and cannot tell you.