Connells branches shut but ‘no extensive closure programme’ says firm

Connells has confirmed that it has closed two branches in Dorset in the south west of England, in addition to the recently-announced closure in East Anglia. 

But the firm has insisted to Estate Agent Today that there is no "extensive" branch closure programme and it says no plans exist for further closures.

Earlier this week we reported that the Bury St Edmunds branch shut on Wednesday December 18 with customers instead being served by the William H Brown branch - part of the Connells network - situated just next door. Most of the staff members had been redeployed within the business, the company says.

Now - in response to an enquiry by EAT after receiving a tip-off from staff members - a statement from Connells says: “We can confirm that Connells Christchurch and Verwood have closed. Both of these pre-date the closure of Connells Bury St Edmunds and, as recently mentioned, there are no further branch closures planned … We are surprised by the level of interest in a few branch closures across our network despite us having recently added further branches either via cold start openings or acquisition, and at a time when other businesses are closing multiple branches. No extensive closure programme has taken place nor is one planned and we remain committed to growing our high street network.”

According to an unsourced league table, published this week by unknown individuals, Connells has now taken over from Countrywide as the UK’s largest estate agency brand when measured  by the number of properties listed.

The EA League Tables list - which we revealed yesterday in this story - says that as of December 2019 the various brands that make up the Connells portfolio had 19,294 properties available. 

The brands that make up Countrywide - until recently regarded as the largest UK agency group by almost any measurement - had 17,143 according to EA League Tables.