Boomin names Bruce brothers’ charity chief as portal strategy leader

Sarah Edmundson, the chief executive of the Agents Together charity - set up by the Bruce brothers, Michael and Kenny - has now been named as chair of the strategic board of Boomin, the brothers’ new portal.

The appointment may be regarded as controversial by some because Agents Together, formed a year ago, stressed that it was not linked to any other Bruce brothers initiative, nor was it a way to re-introduce them into the agency industry following their activities founding and operating Purplebricks until 2019.

Plans for Boomin’s strategic board were first announced last year; a statement from the portal says its purpose is to increase the level of agent engagement and participation in the development and direction of Boomin.

Other board members include Kenny Bruce, chief product officer Tom Kirk, chief operating officer Andrew Stewart, and brand director James Kydd.

Edmundson’s first job is to start a process to appoint independent agent ‘partners’ to the board; the portal says “successful appointees will come from a broad spectrum of the agent partner community and will play a key role in assessing the programme of innovation for agents and consumers and influencing the direction of strategic travel.”

Edmundson, who is also a key figure behind the AllStars agency training operation, says: “I have worked with and supported agents for the past six years. This new role provides me with the opportunity to work even more closely with the agent community, to give them a voice, and to ensure they help to shape the future of Boomin.

“In the last year I have had the privilege of working closely with agents across the whole of the UK, building relationships and supporting them in my role as chief executive of Agents Together. 

“During this short time our committed volunteers have already supported over 300 agents and provided in excess of 7,250 hours of free help and mentoring. The work we have done and what we have achieved so far is remarkable and I am incredibly grateful to be able to continue on that journey in addition to this new role.

“The strategic board will consist of a number of great agents and some of the most talented people in their fields from Boomin. We have a broad and open remit that enables us to be relentless in the pursuit of innovation, agents interests and the advancement of the experience for everyone.”

Boomin founder and chief executive Michael Bruce adds: “The strategic board provides a direct and responsive two-way communications channel between our agent partners and Boomin’s management team, ensuring we are always listening and acting in their best interests and focusing our tech expertise on solving their main challenges. 

“Sarah is the ideal candidate to chair the strategic board, having spent the majority of her career working with and supporting the estate agent community. She has shown independence of thought, strong leadership and empathy in her ongoing role as chief executive of Agents Together, having supported hundreds of agents with both mental and business health challenges.

“With the recent appointments of [new chairman] Stephen Murphy and [new non-executive director] Richard Pennycook to the main board, and Sarah to the strategic board, it is clear that we continue to attract talent of the highest quality as we push forward with our plans to reinvent the property portal landscape and reset the balance of power in the industry for the benefit of agents.”