New online agency wants to offer US and Australia-style franchises

A couple behind a new online estate agency want to establish what they describe as a US or Australian-style franchise system of similar operations.

John and Victoria Dixon, former marketeers and property developers, have set up Fresh Chilli Estate Agents which a series of claims familiar to those who have seen the recent spate of online agencies launching. 

“Like a great many pre-digital business sectors, estate agents have not been challenged for decades. We’re going to do things a lot differently: reducing fees, improving communications and speeding the whole process up significantly” says John Dixon.

“We will deal with every customer personally and take regular advantage of the whole range of social media available today to offer a fresh perspective to those seeking an alternative to the current options available. Unlike mainstream agencies, who are often accused of having low service and communication values and offering poor value for money, we will update all our clients with a weekly report and at least match any like-for-like fee quotation” he says.

“From our name and logo, to our pricing structure with its stepped and fixed, inclusive fees, we aim to stand out and save customers a substantial amount of money.”

The couple will themselves by operating in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Wetherby areas of Yorkshire.

For other local areas, they are seeking franchise partners who would have autonomy over fees and would be able to keep 100 per cent of their income. Their franchising benefits would be integration into a generic website, feeding of inventory into Rightmove and Zoopla, the provision of back-office overheads, centralised advertising and marketing, and membership of The Property Ombudsman.

The couple are looking for prospective franchise-holders with three years’ agency experience.