Hybrid estate agency Keller Williams has landed a major industry coup following the arrival of high-profile traditional estate agency senior Matthew Thompson (pictured).

His new role at Keller Williams, which is part of the huge self-employed estate agent network based in the US, will be Operating Principal at the company’s central London Market Centre, known as KW Prime.

Thompson has enjoyed an illustrious estate agency career in London including nearly ten years at Foxtons, rising to be manager of its infamous Brixton branch.

It was one of the most successful offices within the Foxtons network rising to a turnover of £3 million on his watch.

The branch was also damaged when he worked there by Reclaim the Streets anti-gentrification protestors in April 2015.

In December of that year he left Foxtons to briefly join Faron Sutaria before joining D&G as an Area Director.

Hybrid agency

There he looked after its South London operation including 10 branches and 70 staff and credited with raising his average fee from 1% to 2%.

Thompson says his departure of from D&G is not connected to its recent acquisition by Foxtons and that he was already in discussion to join KW when the sale was announced last month.

But he is ready to criticise the traditional estate agency model, saying: “It’s too transactional and so often the merits of talented staff can be diluted by a ‘list, list, list’ attitude pushed by estate agency leaders.

“My belief is that superior client service and agent performance can be smothered by a relentless KPI culture whereas in truth, nurturing great relationships with clients and agents is the key to long term success.

“The Keller Williams model will allow me to promote and further that ethos with a focus on fulfilling agents’ earning potential”.