Founder of Carphone Warehouse invests in HouseSimple

Sir Charles Dunstone (right), founder of Carphone Warehouse and Chairman of TalkTalk and of Dixons Carphone, together with his business partner, Roger Taylor, last week committed a substantial investment of £5 million into online estate agents HouseSimple, Online Agency of the Year winner at The Negotiator Awards 2014. The investment highlights the increasing appeal of the online estate agency market, with many analysts projecting room for growth over the next few years, supported by the low cost nature of online estate agency. HouseSimple provides a full estate and letting agency service, from valuation guidance, photography, floor plans, hosted viewings, negotiation and full management of the sale or rental, through to completion, with costs starting from £290 which is generally cheaper compared the cost of a high street agent. Charles Dunstone said: “We believe estate agency is going to change considerably, with the future increasingly belonging to online estate agents. We like HouseSimple, we like its management and we like the idea of saving Britain’s home sellers billions of pounds, with a better experience. HouseSimple has the potential to be one of the industry’s real online winners, and we intend to be a core investor to help it achieve its full…