Glynis Frew
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Latest property news
Four-branch Mullucks Wells joins Hunters franchise network but remains ‘independent’
Directors of Mullucks Wells will continue running business but branches and its website are being re-branded as 'part of Hunters'.
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Features
The property MOT
Everybody is worried and grumbling about the forthcoming lettings law, but regulation can be a force for good, says Glynis Frew, CEO, Hunters.
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Features
Three conference keynotes: Brexit, bans and franchisees
Read Sheila Manchester's summary of the three keynote presentations made during the Negotiator Conference including from Sir Ivan Rogers.
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Latest property news
Ewemove voted best hybrid estate agency of the year
Read how estate agency Ewemove won Hybrid Estate Agency of the Year at this year's The Negotiator Awards in central London.
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Latest property news
Challenging property market to continue, warns Hunters boss
Here's why 203-branch franchised estate agency Hunters says the UK's difficult property market conditions are set to continue.
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Latest property news
‘Hybrid agents miss whole point of property industry when they ignore sales progression’
Hunters CEO Glynis Frew has predicated that hybrid agents can only take a limited slice of the property industry while they ignore sales progression.
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Latest property news
Hunters reports a ‘strong’ first half of 2018 but ‘slight’ rise in turnover
York-based Hunters says it has enjoyed a ‘strong’ first six months of the year revealing turnover marginally ahead of 2017 and also the opening of several new branches. Although the 26-year-old company hasn’t revealed any financials, this would suggest it has turned over £17 million during the period, the same as its half-year achievement last year. The company, which at 200-plus branches is the smallest of the stock market-listed franchised estate agents in the UK behind Belvoir and Martin & Co, says it enjoyed a promising first six months “despite the widely reported challenging conditions in the housing market”. Acquisition fund Since January the company has opened nine new branches and its acquisition fund, which helps franchisees bankroll the purchase of rivals or property portfolios in their areas, has prompted four such acquisitions since September last year, the company says. “We will continue to focus on delivering a market-leading service to clients, laying the foundations for further growth this year,” says Glynis Frew, the company’s Chief Executive and now the only woman to head up a stock- market-listed estate agent following the departure of Alison Platt from Countrywide earlier this year. Hunters’ update failed to excite City investors. The company’s…
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Latest property news
Hunters opened 37 branches during 2017 and increased income by nearly 10%, results reveal
Franchise sales and lettings group Hunters says it outperformed the market during 2017 and increased its income by 9.8% to £38.9m, up from £35.4m in 2016, despite the “well-documented challenging conditions in the UK”. Today’s results come from its latest trading update to the City and includes details of its aggressive expansion, which included 37 new branch openings last year, taking it to a total of 213 branches. Like its competitors Martin & Co, EweMove and Belvoir, Hunters is hoping the choppy trading conditions within the UK property market at the moment will persuade more independent agents to seek safe anchorage in its branded franchise network. Cost reductions “Market conditions will continue to encourage independent operators to be part of a stronger group that can also offer significant cost reductions, particularly in terms of portal charges for Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket,” its update says. “We are already seeing an improved level of enquiries from high quality independent businesses. Our financial strength will enable us to both expand our network and reward shareholders with an attractive dividend.” In December last year Hunters began listing its properties centrally via OnTheMarket.com, rather than leaving it to individual franchisees. The City would seem to…
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Agencies & People
Major UK agent signs up to rent empty properties via Airbnb
Franchised agency network Hunters is piloting a scheme in Manchester that will enable its landlord and vendor clients to rent out their properties via Airbnb and other short-term rental sites. The first properties to be offered for short-term rent are within Bracken House (pictured, right), a development of apartments within the city centre. The new service is a partnership with Lavanda.co.uk, which has launched an agent version of its property management service to facilitate the deal. Hunters says the Manchester pilot has been a “great success” and will be rolled across the national Hunters 200-branch network over the next 12 months. Properties must be let out for a minimum of two nights and will be managed by Lavanda including a furnishing service for empty properties, tenant vetting, hotel-style housekeeping, face-to-face check-ins and a 24-7 concierge service. Lavanda will also advertise the properties, it says, via all the major short-term rental websites including Airbnb, Booking.com, HomeAway and Expedia. “Much to the frustration of vendors, the recent slow sales market has led to swathes of prime property sitting empty,” says Guy Westlake, CEO of Lavanda (pictured, left). “This has not only resulted in landlords suffering a significant loss of income, but [for…
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Latest property news
Hunters’ five-year OnTheMarket deal brings online marketing back to its HQ
The recent deal by stock market-listed estate agency Hunters Property Group to list all its franchisees properties via OnTheMarket.com (OTM) significantly changes the way its franchisees choose how to market their listings, it has been revealed. Until now it is believed that franchised branches were free to choose which portal they list their properties on and, at different times, have signed up to he OTM and either listed with Zoopla or Rightmove. But now that the ‘one other portal’ rule is dead in the water following the recent decision to demutualise OTM’s parent company Agents Mutual and float the portal on the AIM stock market, Hunters has taken the unilateral decision to move all of its franchisees on to OnTheMarket.com. A spokesperson for Hunters, said: “We can’t comment on the extent of the deal yet but we see it as a positive step for the whole network, which will provide the best solution in terms of creating exposure for our properties.” Portal choice Only a handful of Hunters’ franchisees list with Rightmove while 180 list with Zoopla out of its’ total network of more than 200 branches. “Some of the Hunters franchised offices have joined OnTheMarket on an individual basis…
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