Agencies & People
News covering the businesses, activities, people and personalities in estate agency and letting agency and wider residential property industry.
-
“We’re not an online agent” insists EweMove Head Shepherd
The ‘head shepherd’ of estate agent EweMove says his business is not an ‘online agency’ and that nearly 10% of his franchisees have now opened high street stores. The latest to open is in Bexleyheath in South London (pictured), which like many of the company’s 110 franchisees is a high street agent who has re-branded – in its case from Apex Residential. Nick Neill, who became Managing Director of EweMove in June and also used to hold a franchise in York, says he believes its model is one-off in the industry. “I don’t like it when we’re lumped in with the online agents – we’re just chalk and cheese. There is no comparison,” he says. “Online agents in my book charge up-front for their service and leave a lot of the rest to the vendor including viewings,” he says. “Although a lot of marketing is online to generate leads, we do all the viewings and also do face-to-face appraisals, valuations and photos and also pre-qualify viewers. No contract “Also, we don’t tie any seller into a contract term and they are free to walk away at any time, not having spent a single penny on bringing their property to market…
Read More » -
Hunters’ five-year OnTheMarket deal brings online marketing back to its HQ
The recent deal by stock market-listed estate agency Hunters Property Group to list all its franchisees properties via OnTheMarket.com (OTM) significantly changes the way its franchisees choose how to market their listings, it has been revealed. Until now it is believed that franchised branches were free to choose which portal they list their properties on and, at different times, have signed up to he OTM and either listed with Zoopla or Rightmove. But now that the ‘one other portal’ rule is dead in the water following the recent decision to demutualise OTM’s parent company Agents Mutual and float the portal on the AIM stock market, Hunters has taken the unilateral decision to move all of its franchisees on to OnTheMarket.com. A spokesperson for Hunters, said: “We can’t comment on the extent of the deal yet but we see it as a positive step for the whole network, which will provide the best solution in terms of creating exposure for our properties.” Portal choice Only a handful of Hunters’ franchisees list with Rightmove while 180 list with Zoopla out of its’ total network of more than 200 branches. “Some of the Hunters franchised offices have joined OnTheMarket on an individual basis…
Read More » -
Strategic expansion for Adair Paxton
Adair Paxton, which has provided complete property services for 160 years, has opened a new office in Adel, North Leeds.
Read More » -
LSL reports improving performance despite Brexit “uncertainty”
The trading environment for estate agents appears to be improving, if the latest trading update from the UK’s largest sales and lettings corporate LSL is anything to go by. Group revenue increased by 2.6% from £106.6m to £109.4 year-on-year and, although revenues from its sales operation within its 1,471 branches are down 9% over the past ten months, the rate of decline has been slowing and sales dropped by just 1% over the past three months. The company’s overall performance was given a lift by its financial services division where revenues increased by 16% and lettings, where revenues grew by 4% from January to October. Guild sale Its balance sheet is also looking healthier after LSL disclosed that the sale of its investment in the Guild of Property Professionals/eProp Services made it £5.6 million. LSL, which owns Marsh & Parsons, Your Move and Reeds Raines, has also reduced its debt over the past year, down by £1.2 million from £43.6 million. Although the company notes in its trading statement the recent Stamp Duty changes for first time buyers support for more house building in the UK within the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget, LSL is far from bullish. “Market activity levels have…
Read More » -
Smashing sale for Symonds & Sampson
There was standing room only at The Digby Hall, Sherborne with 19 lots in Dorset and Somerset...
Read More » -
Strong demand at Allsop’s residential auction
Allsop posted a £61m sales total from its latest residential auction, bringing the total for the year to date to £376m.
Read More » -
IAM Sold achieves its highest value sale
The IAM Sold southern team has achieved £1.2m for a six-bedroom property in Felbridge, West Sussex...
Read More » -
Hunters opens new office in Shoreditch
Hunters has launched a new branch in Shoreditch, London, adding to their fast expanding network of 30 branches.
Read More » -
John Pye launches in Manchester
John Pye Property has opened an office in Salford Quays, Manchester, setting its sights on growing the business further across the North West.
Read More » -
Allsop’s record sale
Allsop’s latest sale raised £71.3m, breaking residential September sales records since 2008 and more than £12m above its 2016 September sale.
Read More »