easyProperty says 500 new agency licences prove "naysayers" wrong

Over 500 members of the Guild of Property Professionals have requested an easyProperty licence following the merger between the two organisations.

The figure, revealed in a statement released this morning, comes from Jon Cooke, the chief executive of GPEA which is the Guild's parent company. 

In addition Cooke says there have been "many requests from non members to join to secure an easyProperty licence." 

The interest from agent came through an eight-day 10-city regional roadshow led by Cooke; its objective was to explain the merger, under which existing Guild and Fine &a Country agents can purchase licences at £500 per territory.

"Letters of intent have been sent by easyProperty to those GPEA members who attended the three hour presentation and we have already received back about 31 per cent duly signed" says Cooke.

"One message we continually repeat at easyProperty is that consumer behaviour is changing and we are offering the opportunity to cater to the Do-It-Yourself technology-enhanced preferences for home sellers and landlords without undermining their own brand.

"GPEA has always been an advocate and champion of independent agents. The easyProperty licences offer more ammunition, another string to the bow for independent agents to use to defend and increase their market share. This is about enabling members. There is no compulsory requirement from members - it's an option" insists Cooke.

And in a sharp rebuke to PropTech consultants Eddie Holmes and James Dearsley - who last week launched a blistering and detailed attack on the basis for the easy/Guild merger - Cooke says: "There has been a lot of industry speculation from naysayers who seem to have a louder voice than those in support of our licence proposition. However, a large number of members are receptive to the online proposition."

Holmes and Dearsley, writing on their consultancy's PropTechConsult website, questioned the financial underpinning of the merger and whether the Guild had indeed as many as the 800 members it claims. 

They also said the sharp contrast between the values of the easyProperty low cost brand and the Fine & Country high end brand made a successful partnership difficult to achieve.

easyProperty has one additional roadshows for Guild members, on Friday of this week.