Up to 25 agents could join 'market centre agency' each month in 2019

Keller Williams, which yesterday revealed two new market centres in the south of England, says up to 25 agents in the UK could join its team in some months this year.

In October Keller Williams’ UK agent total was 116; by the end of November this rose to 152; now managing director Ben Taylor - who last year joined Keller Williams from the Countrywide brand John D Wood - says more are expected to join his new firm this year.

“A lot of agents are finding out about us now” says Taylor. “Although there are a lot of hubs about these days with agencies regenerating their ways of operating - and we wish them good luck - no one is doing quite what Keller Williams is doing.”

KW says it offers freelance agents the opportunity to operate a model under which they individually retain 63 per cent of their commissions, with the rest covering the costs of market centres - serviced offices used as a base by clusters of agents.

Once individual agents reach a ‘cap’ (£60,000 in London, less in other parts of the UK) the agent then retains 90 per cent of their commission with the remainder going to cover the centre costs.

“The calibre and number of agents is increasing - I spend a lot of my day talking with potential joiners. All those joining now are full-time agents but the model works for those who want to work part time too.”

The company’s new market centres now opening are in Bromley and Kingston-upon-Thames; there are two other centres in London and one in each of Leeds and Glasgow.