Estate agency brings US style of selling home to Yorkshire
Dan Pierce has grown his agency from a garage in a mate's house to an eight-office network using very American marketing tactics.
An estate agent described as a ‘maverick’ on his home turf is gaining market share and listings via his unusual approach to selling homes, celebrating 500 sales so far this year.
Dan Pearce, who is an unashamed fan of the US style of estate agency where agent’s personalities are put at the centre of their businesses, has expanded his business from the back of a friend’s garage in 2006 to a franchised business with a growing number of offices across West Yorkshire.
Pearce’s face is becoming a familiar face across the region – literally – as both his For Sale signs, outdoor advertising and branches all carry a cartoon version of his face – while the business is called Dan Pierce Sells Homes, and its strapline is ‘The Face of Estate Agency’.
The business now has eight franchisees covering 15 towns, and is being aggressively marketed by Pearce. This includes a huge poster in the centre of Churwell Hill will the words ‘Incredible’ in large letter and his face.
Realtor style
Prior to starting up his agency, Pearce worked for local Sequence agency William H Brown, but his admiration of the US-style of ‘realtor’ sales has been made clear in his comment to local media.
“Americans are the best marketers the world has ever seen,” he tells Leeds Live.
“The English mentality is, or what I see a lot of smaller businesses doing, is they put stuff up they want people to read. Well nobody reads anything.
“You’ll see posters saying, ‘I’m so and so and this is my story…’ Nobody cares.
“Nike – Just do it. McDonald’s doesn’t even put the name anymore, just golden arches.
“People buy people. So, for the brand, it doesn’t say estate agency – what does estate even mean? – it says me and what I do: Dan Pearce Sells Homes.”
Read more: Shucks, it’s time y’all adopted the US system of selling homes, says leading realtor
