Trade body the FIA unveils training deal with Julian O’Dell

The Federation of Independent Agents (FIA) has revealed a new tie-up with a training provider as it continues to recruit more agents.

The partnership with Marvellous Training Solutions will give FIA members access to online estate agency and lettings training and consultancy support.

Julian O’Dell, one of the industry’s best-known agent trainers, set up Marvellous as a specialist online training business in 2020.

FIA founder Graham Lock (main picture) says: “There are a multitude of subjects that agents can improve on in any market, but given the signals, next year could be particularly challenging so I want to make sure our members have what they need at their fingertips and benefit from our strategic commercial partnership.

“Having spoken to Julian at length and researched that market, I believe Marvellous Training Solutions to be a great fit for The FIA.”

Admired

O’Dell says: “I am very excited to be linking up with the FIA which is an industry group I have admired for some time, and which fits in with my ethos and standards as to how estate agency should be conducted.

“The FIA member agents who are existing clients of mine share an appetite for improvement in skills and approaches, reflected by an ongoing investment in our training programmes.”

The FIA now boasts 65 brands as members three years after it was founded, with 75 branches in different locations around England and Wales. All members are small independent agencies with less than ten offices.

Lock told The Neg his aim is to eventually have 500 members, with representation in Scotland and Northern Ireland.