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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Northwood MD Eric Walker promoted to run whole of Belvoir
The MD of Northwood Eric Walker has been promoted to run the whole four-brand operation of parent group Belvoir Lettings Plc.
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‘Overcrowded hybrid and online agency sector will soon consolidate like portals did’
The current over-supply of online and hybrid agents will soon consolidate down from around 80 at the moment to a handful of main players, it has been claimed. Bob Scarff, the former MD of Countrywide’s Estate Agency Division and now MD of telephony technology firm Callwell, says the current position where many are jockeying for position behind Purplebricks is very similar to the mid-noughties. At that time a huge number of property portals vied to be No.2 in the market behind Rightmove. “I remember one day at Countrywide when we sat down and counted the number of places that were displaying our stock and it was nearly 100 or a similar ridiculous number,” he says. “So just like the portals, I believe the hybrids or ‘agents without branches’ as I prefer to call them will also go through a consolidation.” AllAgents.com currently lists 78 online and hybrid agencies operating in the UK and Bob says these agents will boil down to a key half a dozen including Hatched, Yopa, Purplebricks and Ewemove but who else survives through the process is up for debate. He says he can’t make up his mind about the recently enlarged Emoov and that he has…
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Estate agents are the UK’s most sociable office workers, study reveals
A study by experiences firm Boundless has found that estate agents are the UK's most socialable office workers and developers the least.
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Countrywide drops proposed £20m remuneration package for directors
Britian's largest estate agency group Countrywide has had its proposed remuneration package for its key directors rejected by the shareholders.
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What London market slowdown? KFH expands lettings network
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward (KFH) has strengthened its residential lettings network in south east London with the addition of a new branch in Lee, SE12.
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War of the fees! HouseSimple criticises Yopa and Purplebricks for their upfront charges
Online estate agency HouseSimple has taken a sideways swipe at rivals Purplebricks and Yopa over their up-front fee structures. The agency’s soon-to-be released latest TV ad features a gastro pub at which a cheeky but persistent waiter asks punters to pay upfront for their drinks and food before they are served. One group of friends are asked to pay £250 upfront for their meal, while one couple are asked to pay £50 for their bottle of prosecco before its brought over. Unsurprisingly, the apparently real-life customers at the pub are baffled and even let rip with expletives when faced with a compulsory up-front payment for their nosh and splosh. Experiment “We wanted to make a point with this experiment; that in certain situations people don’t react well to paying upfront for a service they haven’t yet received and in some cases, never will,” says Sam Mitchell, CEO at HouseSimple (right). “If we don’t expect to pay upfront in these situations, why should this differ when buying or selling your home? The film captured and reinforced our decision to be the first online estate agent to have a No Sale No Fee only proposition.” HouseSimple charges vendors a £995 flat fee…
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Former M&P CEO Peter Rollings joins US recruitment firm as advisor
Former Marsh & Parsons CEO Peter Rollings has joined a US recruitment agency with offices in London as an advisor.
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City consultancy recommends shareholders reject Countrywide’s golden handcuffs for senior team
A City-based consultancy has called for shareholders to reject Countrywide latest remuneration package for its top execs.
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Lomond acquires SDL Group’s Birmingham letting portfolio
Lomond Capital has acquired SDL Group’s Birmingham residential lettings portfolio, which comprises 500 city centre properties, formerly the CP Bigwood residential lettings portfolio.
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Could it finally be working? Nested forecast to triple turnover this year
Estate agency cum bridging loan company Nested is set to triple its turnover to £10 million this year, but has still only sold 200 homes so far.
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