Ex-Purplebricks territory owner sets up latest hub for Keller Williams

Keller Williams has announced another new market centre, and this time its operating principal is a former Purplebricks territory owner. 

JP Downes is to run the KW market centre to be known as KW Pheonix, and covering the Coventry and Warwickshire counties.

A statement from Keller Williams says Downes “closed a total of 1,950 transactions last year, making him an exceptionally talented individual for our agents and leadership teams to lean into.”

Before being a founding territory manager for Purplebricks, Downes was also a sales and development manager for Countrywide’s John D Wood brand: Ben Taylor, who heads the fast-growing Keller Williams UK operation, was managing director at John D Wood until he left three years ago. 

Downes says: “I was connected with Ben Taylor and we talked about the inspirational opportunities that Keller Williams offers – I love estate agency and property is my passion, but for too many customers and agents, the industry does not work for them.”

He continues: “Working within the Keller Williams family – and it is just that – gives agents the tools and support to build incredible lives for themselves and their loved ones. The values really fit what I believe is at the heart of estate agency – delivering exceptional customer experience, with great results, through building personal relationships.

“For our agents, the level of training, systems and support here is incredible and unlike any other offer in the industry. I am genuinely excited to be working with the agents that join me on this journey at KW Phoenix.”

Keller Williams UK has enjoyed a heady start to 2020 with a string of announcements of new market centres and agents defecting from rival operations.

In January it was revealed that a senior ex-Savills figure - Tanya Blake, former head of country lettings - was setting up a a centre called KW Oxygen in Oxfordshire. A month later it was announced that she had recruited Ryan Toms, another senior lettings figure at Savills with over 16 years’ experience in the industry; he will operate for KW in Devon.

Paul Dunford-Brown, a former sales manager for Chancellors, will operate his own firm called Dunford-Brown Residential Ltd powered by Keller Williams. And in Glasgow a relocated market centre - now known as KW Evolve - has started operating under the leadership of Evelyn Foster, who has worked both in estate agency and financial services.

The KW UK model involves market centres - often serviced offices - where an operating principal is supported by a team leader and an administrator. 

Self-employed agents working for the company retain 63 per cent of their commission at first with the rest funding the overheads and support services.

Once their overall income passes a specific threshold, agents retain 90 per cent of their commission fees with the remainder going to Keller Williams.