Hot property

Last year, the poaching of 14 key staff from Norwich Union by Allianz Cornhill in the property market, one of Norwich Union's most profitable broking and insurance sectors, created a stir across the market. Andrew Tjaardstra finds out how competition between insurers and brokers is heating up in the property investors market

Living in the UK it is hard to spend a day without hearing or reading about the overheating property market. We are bombarded with stories about interest rates, gazumping and how it could all end in tears as first-time buyers struggle to come up with the goods to make the first step on the property merry-go-round. Some residents of Kensington and Chelsea enjoyed their house prices rising by £1 a minute last year and, despite the Bank of England increasing interest rates to 5.25%, the market is