British competition watchdog launches probe into housebuilders

Competition and Markets Authority had seen potential evidence of companies exchanging information relating to pricing, sales rates, and incentives offered to new homebuyers

The watchdog spent the past year looking into Britain's chronic housing shortage, an issue that has become a key political battleground ahead of a general election expected this year. 

Britain’s competition regulator has opened an investigation into eight housebuilders to probe potential information sharing, sharpening scrutiny of a sector that is failing to deliver enough affordable housing to meet demand.

The Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, has opened a cartel investigation into eight developers, including Barratt Developments, Berkeley Group, Persimmon, and Vistry Group.