Paul Clarke

Family values

The property sector is changing – on that, almost all sector professionals will probably agree. However, it seems that the industry franchises are leading the way in not only providing estate agents with a lower risk, higher return business model to follow, but one that is increasingly less rigid than before. Property franchises in their traditional form have been around for decades, there is no longer a one size fits all model. In fact, there are so many variations of a property franchise that even we are hard pressed to find they key differences. At one end of the scale, you have the likes of Belvoir, Century 21, Martin & Co and Hunters – historically traditional agents focused on having a strong high-street presence and attracting ambitious agents. These top-level management franchises also appeal to the more distant business owner types – people who might have little or no property experience but will benefit from an experienced team around them and, of course, the profits. At the other end of the scale, you have ‘officeless’ broker-style franchises, like Meyers and Moveli, which are less about having the awareness of the brand or a physical branch and more about personal profile.…