Agencies & People
News covering the businesses, activities, people and personalities in estate agency and letting agency and wider residential property industry.
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LJB Estates picks Alto to power Midlands growth
Coventry-based property management service, LJB Estates, has selected Alto to support its expansion across the Midlands and streamline operations across lettings, sales, finance and property management. Founded just three years ago by Director, Leon Binns (main image), LJB Estates has quickly grown from a small management firm into a full-service property business offering sales, lettings, maintenance, mortgages and development. The agency’s goal is to become “Coventry’s one-stop property shop.” “From the start, we wanted to offer clients everything under one roof – from lettings and management to maintenance, mortgages, and sales,” said Leon. “But as the business grew, we were juggling multiple platforms: spreadsheets, Word docs, credit-check tools, e-signing software, and it slowed us down. With Alto’s all-in-one CRM, we can finally bring everything together in one simple, cloud-based system. It’s faster, more organised, and gives us time back to focus on clients.” Improving efficiency Binns said Alto’s functionality – particularly its prospecting, automation, and financial reporting tools – has already helped LJB Estates improve efficiency and present a more professional image to clients. “Alto has already been a real game-changer for us,” he added. “We’re constantly asked to carry out valuations, and Alto lets us generate professional packs instantly. It…
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Young office manager steps up to take over his own branch
LSL Estate Agency Franchising has completed the re-sale of Reeds Rains Evesham to Branch Manager, Jack Ford.
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‘Most vendors trust estate agents, NOT tech, to value their homes’
As AI threatens to take the industry over - or many experts claim - new research shows sellers think human local agents are best place to value accurately.
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Budget uncertainty hits Foxtons’ property sales revenue
Trading update reveals Autumn Budget speculation and 'wait and see' buyer attitudes have pushed London estate agency to lean harder on its lettings book as sales revenue drops.
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I’m back! Estate agent returns to home town to open branch
Chartered Surveyor, Neil Mellon, has returned to Omagh to launch an estate agency that reflects a modernised and digital-first approach in Northern Ireland.
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Letting agency is ‘first’ for property industry, say founders
Good Place Lettings is a joint venture between Crisis and Homes for Good and offers landlords ethical management model with profits reinvested to help tackle homelessness.
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Welsh estate agent sentenced after admitting fake wedding fraud
Serial fraudster created false travel documents and hotel bookings to steal from family and friends to fund gambling debts.
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Wilfords London makes multiple hires amid expansion
Five senior appointments have been made across Wilfords London to support branch openings and business growth.
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Verona Frankish named Woman of the Year
Verona Frankish has been named Woman of the Year – Residential (Consultancy / Other Services) at the 2025 Inspiring Women in Property Awards. The event celebrates women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and influence across the UK property industry. Verona was recognised for her outstanding achievements at the helm of Yopa, as well as her continued advocacy for greater diversity, inclusion, and empowerment within the sector. Since becoming Yopa’s first female CEO in 2022, Verona has led a complete business transformation. In the last year alone, Yopa has grown its agent headcount by 30%, increased revenue by 26%, improved gross profit by 41%, and reduced operating losses by 59%. She has introduced a clear and focused business strategy, reinforced Yopa’s purpose-led culture, and driven significant progress towards profitability. Inspiring influence In addition to her success within Yopa, Verona’s influence extends across the wider industry through her work as Chair of Women in Estate Agency (WiEA). Over the past year, Verona, along with the wider WiEA board, have overseen the launch of The Power of You leadership programme, secured a multi-year partnership with Rightmove, and led WiEA’s sold-out annual conference, now regarded as one of the industry’s most influential events.…
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Conveyancers urged not to say ‘Dear Sirs’ by new official guidance
Estate agent Ellie Rees and fellow campaigners win approval from solicitors' organisation after calling them out during national radio interview.
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