Estate agency trade association Propertymark has revealed plans to significantly expand the scope and operations of the organisation.

This includes launching a platform that will offer agents sales and lettings leads via a new UK and international relocation referral network; introduce a new ‘company membership’ category and also launch a division for buying agents.

The first initiative, called Connect, will put the organisation in direct competition with several existing industry outfits including the Relocation Agent Network, and to a lesser extent many bigger agency’s in-house operations as well as agent organisations such as The Guild.

Propertymark says its new initiative will enable member agents to be connected to “property transactors across the UK and the globe” and provide expert “wraparound support” for those relocating from one area of the country to another.

Good company

Propertymark has developed new technology to launch Connect and, as well as the platform, will bring “agents access to a wraparound service of business support by increasing the scope of Propertymark Protection with company membership,” the launch document says.

Company membership will work in tandem with the existing benefits of individual membership and be designed to help Propertymark members “save valuable time and money and create additional revenue streams”.

Propertymark is also to launch a division dedicated to supporting the increasing number of buying agents, saying such firms are no longer exclusively for the wealthy and need industry representation.

“We continue to listen to our membership and the wider needs of the industry to adapt our offering and provide the best possible quality and value for money,” says Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark.