Countrywide boss explains 'redundancy' letters sent to managers

The chief executive of Countrywide, Britain’s largest estate and letting agency group handling around one in 10 of all residential transactions, has sought to calm the rumours surrounding redundancy letters reported to be sent to senior managers.

Tweets and emails from some Countrywide staff began circulating earlier this week, with two arriving at Estate Agent Today suggesting senior management figures were the target. 

One tweet to EAT claimed: “Countrywide have just placed every single MD under notice of threat of redundancy.”

Countrywide’s chief excutive Alison Platt told Estate Agent Today:

"We're committed to growing our business by building on the position and strengths we have and adding new capability and experience where needed.  During this time of organisational change, we are moving at pace so we can get on with driving the business forward and delivering our purpose of bringing people and property together.

“We notified those who will be directly impacted by planned changes and consultations are ongoing as we have more roles to fit within the new structure than we have people at risk. There is huge potential and opportunity for those who wish to apply and we anticipate that the vast majority of roles in our new structure will be filled by our own talented people, many of whom are excited by the opportunity to move and progress within the Group.”

In May the managing director of estate agency group, Bob Scarff, and the group commercial director, Nick Dunning, both stepped aside at short notice. 

Then in July a retail guru from Carphone Warehouse, a former Lloyds Banking Group chief and a human resources expert from private healthcare company BUPA were amongst a raft of senior new appointments made by Alison Platt, the ex-British Airways, ex-BUPA high-flier who became Countrywide chief executive late last year.