Hybrid estate agency EweMove is today announcing four new branches with more to come as it makes a move to target frustrated staff working for other agencies.
Its latest branches are in Ilford, Bracknell, Reigate and Redhill, bringing its national total to 66 with what it calls "a growing pipeline of new franchisees" already signed up to launch between now and the new year.
The company has previously only taken on recruits from outside the industry, but it is now targetting disgruntled existing agency staff wanting to set up on their own.
“The tight market means that many valuers have seen their income and career prospects curtailed. We’re offering those with the right attitude and values a chance to run their own estate and letting agency with EweMove" explains agency boss Glenn Ackroyd, whose title in the company is Head Shepherd.
"We know that many of these individuals have got what it takes to become a successful franchisee but are trapped in their current situation with limited opportunities to progress or reap the financial rewards of their hard work" he says.
Ackroyd is now offering 20 agents the opportunity to start a EweMove franchise for £1,995 plus VAT although it says this will not necessarily be distributed on a first-come first-served basis as it wants "the best" agents who can work to the firm's unusual part-traditional, part-online agency business model.
“We’re also exploring opportunities with independent estate agents. The industry is going through rapid structural change with the growth of the online agent. There will always be space for traditional full service agents but in the technological arms race, and with on-going consolidation, independents are being squeezed from all directions" says Ackroyd.
EweMove claims that its unique offer to franchisees is its centralised direct mail, leafleting and online pay per click campaigns. It says with online marketing alone, its franchisees average 22 sales leads per month at a cost of £11.93 each.
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If anybody has any questions, we are doing a webinar tomorrow (Tuesday 6th) at 7pm - You can find details at www.discoversheep.com
I would imagine that there are some disgruntled members of the Ewe Move 'flock' this morning. I would not be happy if I was an existing franchisee and saw this offer! What is their normal franchise set up fee? £20,000?
Hi Tom - I can see where you are coming from.
But the Estate Agents proposition is different to our existing franchise package in terms of the funding. We explained this to our network a few weeks back on our weekly webinar and posted in on our forum.
It terms of how the financials work differently, ultimately our existing franchisees are dealt with in the same way. We would never do it anyway differently. Our franchisees are very important to us and we'd never sacrifice our relationship with them for a few coins of silver.
AND - they are the ones who choose who is let into our business (they run the selection panel, not us). We would not do with this unless they were on board with the process. The numbers and breakdown will be fully covered off in tomorrows webinar.
not sure about this business model, in an area near me they gave an introductory offer of the first 20 houses they'd sell for free - it took 6 months to get 20 listings for free and in the next 6 months they listed only about 5 more properties
Hi Pete,
Our franchises like the model - in this years independent Smith Henderson survey results, our franchisees rated us 94% for 'Proven System' (compared to the industry average of 32%).
And 98% of our franchisees would recommend others to buy a franchise.
We're the only 5 Star rated Estate Agency franchise, being 1 of only 19 franchises in the UK to achieve this status (there are over 900 franchises in the UK). http://smithhenderson.com/5-star-franchisee-satisfaction/
And our customers also rated our franchisees ''Excellent" on Trustpilot.
And we scooped awards for Lettings and Estate Agents in the Times/Sunday Times last year. I could go on :-)
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