The Western Australia state government believes buyers and sellers of property in the state won’t be worse off after announcing fees charged by settlement agents and land valuers will no longer be capped. From 3 February, the government will no longer enforce a maximum limit on what can be charged by settlement agents and valuers, believing there is sufficient competition to ensure consumers are not faced with exorbitant fees.

The Canadian economy was largely stagnant through the first 11 months of last year, shrinking by 0.09 percent. In light of the collapse in oil prices, however, things could have been worse. But the relative resilience of headline growth belies the extent to which the economy is now being supported by one sector: real estate.

The National Council of the Australian Institute of Architects is seeking the opinion of members on a broad range of issues impacting the industry to help gain clarity on the way forward.