Twenty new High Street branches announced by leading agency

Jackson-Stops, which currently has 42 branches across the UK, has revealed it’s going to have another 20 by the end of 2023.

The agency’s unique structure is described by the firm itself as “an exclusive group comprising 26 members and over 40 offices” covering sales, lettings, land, new homes and commercial property. 

Each business owner is responsible for a geographical area and sits on the board of directors. Support to branches includes marketing, PR, compliance, strategy and development, IT, finance, and legal support.

Now Jackson-Stops wants more members to join the group, and says: “A key benefit to new members is the ease of establishing their own business under a nationally recognised brand while contributing to carefully controlled central resources which are charged on an office-by-office basis. The brand reaches in excess of 30m people per month through strategic online exposure and print advertising.”

Jackson-Stops offers three primary routes to entry for new members:

Route 1: Opening in a new area - While Jackson-Stops has over 40 branches across the UK, there are many areas ready for a new business to be established within the Group. This is through the outright purchase of an area for a new regional business or group of offices. This route allows for membership of the group and a seat on the board of directors.

Route 2: Licensing within an existing area - This initiative allows existing Jackson-Stops businesses to licence out specific geographical areas within their control. Such licensed activities include traditional estate agency (sales, lettings and new homes), surveying, commercial and home search services. On this structure, members enjoy the benefits of the Jackson-Stops brand but without the cost of the full membership of the group.

Route 3: Purchasing an existing business in whole or part - This opportunity allows a member to buy into an existing Jackson-Stops business, either taking a minority or a controlling share. For example, a current Jackson-Stops owner looking towards retirement may seek to find a competent successor through staged payments over a given period, leading to ultimate control through management succession. Alternatively, it could be structured as an outright sale to an ambitious agent who wishes to take on an established business.

Nick Leeming, chairman at Jackson-Stops, says the next two years will be “a pivotal moment for our brand.”

“Our experience tells us that many individuals at a senior management level in large national agencies find they are restricted by a glass ceiling, while independent agents find they suffer from a lack of resource, support and advice from a wider network. 

“Our group structure provides members with the best of both worlds - the independence to make your own decisions and drive your own strategy, with the centralised resources, support and, crucially, brand visibility of an established national agency.”

Jackson-Stops is one of the UK’s oldest estate agency brands, having been founded in 1910 after Herbert Jackson-Stops opened an estate agent office in the town hall in Towcester, Northamptonshire.