With ‘H-Day’ fast approaching, over 300 agents and other industry professionals attended a HIPs Are Happening conference in London recently. They were able to put their questions directly to the Housing Minister at the event.
Yvette Cooper attended the conference to provide the keynote speech, in which she reassured attendees that HIPs will go live on the 1 June and that there will be enough energy assessors. The floor was then opened and the Minister took a number of questions from the audience.
The two AHIPP conferences, one in London and an earlier conference in Manchester, both provided attendees with an opportunity to access hundreds of pack providers, Home Inspectors, Energy Assessors and other Home Information Pack (HIP) professionals in addition to an exhibition of over 30 experts.
Delegates participated in a range of seminars devised to bring agents up-to-date, enabling them to gather relevant information to assist them in preparing for when HIPs go live on the 1st June.
Mike Ockenden, director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), who hosted the two HIP events, said, ‘The conferences provided an opportunity for estate agents and others in the industry to air concerns, ask questions and gain clarification from industry experts to ensure they are fully prepared for the 1 June deadline.
‘I was delighted to see so many attendees over the two days and it was encouraging to engage with such an informed audience. Questions have shifted away from “what if” to “how”, with the emphasis now focused on how to achieve successful implementation for the benefit of home buyers and sellers across England and Wales.’