Can a veteran High Street agent make an online agency...

Peter Everett - a veteran High Street estate agent with a quarter of a century at LSL and a decade at a Countrywide agency - has joined the online firm Yopa as commercial director.

Everett has almost 40 years of experience in estate agency. Joining LSL in 1982, Everett moved to the head office in York in 1999 in a strategic marketing capacity, helping to transform GA Property Services into the Your Move brand.

He then went on to head up Your Move’s franchise operation.

At Countrywide’s Hamptons brand from 2010 to 2020, Everett was head of sales, covering 50 offices outside of London. His key achievements included managing two acquisitions, the establishment of the New Homes business and a new conveyancing brand.

He also acted as business development director at Hamptons over 2007 and 2008.

His surprise appointment by Yopa followed a year during which he worked with Irish PropTech firm Offr.

At Yopa, Everett’s role will involve overseeing sales operations - including recruitment and sales field expansion - while influencing Yopa’s future proposition as the company targets further growth.

Everett himself says: “I’m a huge believer that technology can be a force for good in the estate agency industry and this, combined with continued high levels of personalised customer service, will enable Yopa to further cement itself as one of the most trusted and recognised brands for UK home movers.”

And Freddie Cornes, Yopa’s managing director, adds: “He has a wealth of estate agency experience that will be fundamental to building on the success we have achieved to date, particularly the significant progress over the past 12 to 18 months. Yopa has continued its dramatic growth since reaching profit six months ahead of schedule last year, with revenues up over 80 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021, and up 110 per cent year to date.”

Yesterday, figures emerged of a general slump in online estate agency instructions in 2021 so far, with Yopa instructions on February 1 this year at 2,786 but falling by June 1 to just 2,130.

However, the wider market including High Street firms is reported to be around 25 per cent down on listings over the same period.

Yopa describes itself as "a full-service agency with over 150 local agents.”

It also has a mortgage division called Scout Financial Services which says it’s seen a 350 per cent increase in mortgages written and revenues in the first half of 2021 against the same period in 2020.

Michael Day
25 June 2021 08:25 AM

Murray - there is a "slump" in all agency instructions. You actually said so in your recent interview with Chris Watkin.

The recent "survey" was flawed in that it only looked at online agency numbers with no relativity to the overall market.

Without that comparison on a like for like basis it is difficult to make clear judgements as to whether a particular sector or business is performing below, in line or ahead of the market.

It could be that the online sector is doing better than the traditional "High St" sector (I doubt it but I can't be certain)

Its a bit like quoting % uplifts in press releases. In this press release - YOPA has seen a 350% increase in mortgages written and revenues in its mortgage business in a six month year on year period. Could be that it did a pound last year and three pounds fifty pence this year! Meaningless really.