Winkworth offers shares to franchisees in new ‘talent drive’
Jake Woolford is a Winkworth ‘rising star’ and now runs a team of seven across sales, lettings and property management in Crystal Palace.
Estate agency corporate Winkworth, which has over 100 offices nationwide, is on the hunt for ‘best-in-class, talented and entrepreneurial individuals’ and is offering wannabe franchisees the ability to earn shares based on performance.
TALENT PROGRAMME
Dominic Agace, Chief Executive, Winkworth, says: “Those selected for the talent programme will be fast tracked to running an office where their performance will be rewarded with equity.
“Many agents start their careers in a corporate environment and then quickly become aware that they don’t have much control over their future progression.”
Agace says that they have already identified a number of future stars who, in return for outstanding performance, will be ‘rewarded with shares to encourage them to build a profitable business and take charge’.
In South East London, 30-year-old Jake Woolford (main picture) runs Winkworth’s Crystal Palace office and is just one ‘rising star’ who will receive performance-related shares in the business.
WORK EXPERIENCE
He started his career at Winkworth doing work experience in its Notting Hill office and after university joined the network, quickly becoming assistant manager at its Kennington office.
He says: “At the age of 28, I took over the Crystal Palace office. Winkworth lets me run it as though it is my own business. There is a tremendous level of trust and I have an enormous, vested interest in the office doing well.
“We have a team of seven across sales, lettings and property management. In the past year, the business has grown by 35% – which is great considering market conditions.”
LARGE CORPORATES
Rob Oatley, 41, worked for large corporates and online agents during his 20-year career in property before joining Winkworth to run its Pimlico office – also in London.
He says: “This is such a good option for me with a super incentive of earning a share of ownership.
“I am an employee with the autonomy to run the business and get rewarded with the ultimate goal of owning the franchise.”
Lucy Britton, Winkworth Head of Talent and Recruitment, says: ‘We will provide all the assistance and advice needed to our future franchisees to plan for the growth and success of the business.”
And she adds: “We will also consider support for existing agents by topping up their funding to ensure they can purchase their own franchise.
“And we’ll also help existing franchisees to expand by acquiring offices where the owner might be looking to retire.”
The Neg revealed in September how in its latest financial update for investors Winkworth revealed overall ‘network’ revenue was down by 5% to £26.4 million.
Sales were down by 18% to £12.3 million but lettings revenue was up by 10% to £14 million buoyed by the white-hot rental market.
