Agencies & People
News covering the businesses, activities, people and personalities in estate agency and letting agency and wider residential property industry.
-
Hybrid nature of Hunters’ new Cumbrian ‘branches’ revealed
Hunters' sales progression and negotiation staff to be based at its central hub in Carlisle but local valuers will not have an office.
Read More » -
John Hards completes Countrywide’s transition to a ‘post tenant fee ban world’
One of the letting industry’s key figures and former Countrywide National Lettings Director leaves the company after rejoining in March 2018.
Read More » -
Purplebricks is back in profit but market share stands still at 4%
Update released this morning reveals improving business efficiencies and losses stemmed, but its overall performance is flat, the company admits.
Read More » -
Hybrid estate agency moves into profit and looks for cash to expand
Neil Urch of hybrid agency HouseFox has made a profit just 14 months after start up and is now looking for investment to help him grow the business.
Read More » -
Revealed: the losers and winners on the high street for Google searches
Research by a leading digital marketing agency has revealed the high street estate agency winners and losers in the battle to corner the market for Google searches. The report is from MediaVision, which works for several big names in the industry including Rightmove, Douglas & Gordon, Bidwells, Lambert Smith Hampton and Kay & Co. “As a digital agency, we often get asked about key metrics to measure the effectiveness of a client’s broader marketing strategy, and we feel that brand demand is the best metric available,” says its CEO Louis Venter (below). “Put simply, brand demand is the volume of people that Google your brand on a monthly basis.” His company’s report shows that Savills remains the most searched property estate agent in the UK at 74,000 searches followed by Knight Frank, Foxtons, Hamptons, haart, Winkworth, KFH, Carter Jonas and Century 21. But some well-known names have also waned significantly in popularity online including John D Wood (21% down on 2018), Strutt & Parker (-21%), Marsh & Parsons (-12%), Currell (-21%), MyLondonHome (-38%), Harrods Estates (-24%), Haus Properties (-24%), Hotblack Desiato (-49%) and Goldschmidt Howland (-24%). Small and medium-size estate agents who don’t appear on the list shouldn’t worry unduly;…
Read More » -
‘Countrywide thinks it’s too big to fail’ claims industry analyst
Andrew Stanton claims witness statement made by Countrywide COO Paul Creffield reveals 'alarming' attitudes within the company.
Read More » -
Remorseful former letting agent avoids prison and gets away with £850 fine
Leaders in Liverpool says property manager’s theft was a disappointing but isolated incident and that Saleem Kassim's actions went 'completely against' the values of the company.
Read More » -
Another senior Purplebricks exec leaves to join hybrid competitor
Howard Russell says he's joining Accommodation.co.uk because the company culture at Purplebricks has changed dramatically after the Bruce brothers left.
Read More » -
Back of the net! Branch launch gets the Grobbelaar thumbs up
Legendary former Liverpool goalkeeper joins other sporting stars at opening of NW of England estate agency's latest new office
Read More » -
First landlords sign up to Choices’ advance rent model, but will other agents use it?
Controversial industry figure Simon Shinerock says he has signed-up 75 tenancies using his ‘advanced rent’ primary tenancy model which offers landlords a year’s rent in advance. Launched in July to great fanfare including coverage on Sky TV Shinerock, who runs 15-branch London and South East estate agency including Choices, Sinclair Hammelton and Daniels, says he is to offer the idea to competing agents because, he claims, it’s the “ultimate landlord marketing tool”. Shinerock says his initial pilot of the project has generated advance rent payment for 75 tenancies and that it’s already helping him sign-up landlords in a difficult market as the tenant fees ban bites. “So far approximately a third of the landlords who have been offered it have taken it up, which is encouraging,” he says. “Normally we charge 12-15% full management fee but landlords usually haggle down to 9%. “But offering a year’s rent up front helps us keep this haggling to a minimum.” Shinerock, who is chairman of Choices, says he has the funds to get the business off the ground but is looking for City fund financing to roll it out nationally. “I also want to get other agents involved. The idea would be to…
Read More »