A housing association has launched an ‘ethical’ sales and lettings agency.
Two Rivers Housing Group, based in Gloucestershire, has launched TwoCan, an agency which will operate as a ‘profit for purpose’ business, directly supporting the housing association.
The organisation says its venture into estate agency will take a ‘unique and ethical’ approach to make it ‘stand out from the competition’.
The agency will not have a high street presence, with its team based in Two Rivers’ office in Newent serving the areas of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
TwoCan will also be committed to green working practices, something it says it will achieve through not having a presence on the high street and by using low emissions vehicles.
The agency has recruited a team of senior negotiators with over 70 years’ estate agency experience.
The primary purpose of the new business is to generate fresh sources of income to replace reduced government funds, according to Two Rivers.
“Our clients can trust they will receive a professional service, delivered with honesty and integrity, whilst supporting a well-established charity,” says Gerry McFall, managing director of TwoCan.
Simon Cawley, manager of the new agency, adds: “We have a team with an excellent track-record, a bright, fresh and distinctive image, strong professional values and an opportunity to do things well, but differently.”
TwoCan, which calls itself ‘Gloucestershire’s newest estate agency’, launched this week and the vendors and landlords of its first 20 properties for sale or let will benefit from a ‘no fees’ introductory offer.
As of yesterday, the firm had four properties listed for sale on Rightmove and no properties listed for rent.
TwoCan is not the first agency to describe itself as ‘ethical’. Last July a London agent named Brickworks launched, offering fixed fees and pledging no individual commissions for negotiators.
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Quite refreshing. An estate agent that is not there merely for profit and profit alone. Can't see it catching on, though.
Also, the very fact we have to have these ethical agents is a bit of a damning indictment of estate agency, no?
No! This is a shameless gimmick that buys into the lie that all estate agents are evil, greedy, unscrupulous devils whose only intention is to milk as much money from their clients as possible.
You do know that there are estate agents out there, many in fact, who already do things in a ethical way. They don't call themselves ethical, because that's just taken as read.
Your disenchantment with the industry is making you look past all the good work many agents do. We're not all monsters and you know that full well. But the public like a scapegoat - and politicians, traffic wardens and estate agents are easy targets.
Well said, Kelly. These estate agent haters don't really have a clue what they're talking about!
I hope they don't pay low basics and high commissions, otherwise all those ethics will go out of the window on pay day....
It seems to be a good concept but I'm not sure how long it will last.
Well said, Kelly. Seems more like a PR gimmick to me. I don't question their good intentions, but this makes it seem like every other estate agency out there is unethical, which patently isn't the case.
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