UniHomes announces Mark Goddard as non-executive chairman

UniHomes has appointed Mark Goddard as non-executive chairman, following investment from private equity investor LDC.

Goddard joins with immediate effect to help guide UniHomes to the next stage of its journey, bringing with him a wealth of experience and expertise in the sector, having previously been CEO of Property Software Group, CEO of Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) and more recently non-executive chairman of iamproperty.

Goddard said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here. This is a very exciting time to join a growing business that shows real promise of being synonymous with the student housing market. I can’t wait to help and explore all new areas and possibilities that will drive growth and potential even further.”

Goddard’s appointment represents a key strategic milestone for the Sheffield-based student accommodation advertising platform.

Founded in 2015, UniHomes delivers a platform and service that help hundreds of thousands of students find their all-inclusive university ‘home from home’, by connecting them with its established and ever-increasing network of letting agent partners.

Phil Greaves, co-founder of UniHomes, commented: “We’re thrilled to welcome Mark to the UniHomes family and have him alongside us on  this journey.”

He continued: “Since the very beginning, our passion has been to connect students with their ‘home from home’ by providing the marketing-leading property platform and utility bills management service.

“Our partnership with LDC combined with Mark’s experience and expertise in the sector will catapult our growth potential even further.

“This is a very strong and exciting position for UniHomes, where we can now look to intensify our ambitions to work with even more letting agents and help even more students by bringing more innovative technology and products to the market.”

The Estate Agency appoints Simon Gates as a non-exec director

Simon Gates has joined the recently launched self-employed model, The Estate Agency, as a non-executive director.

Gates, who was previously head of training and development at Homesearch, left the company seven months ago and since then has been offering consultancy to agents across the UK.

He will continue to operate his consultancy, but under the new partnership with The Estate Agency, will be fundamental in building out the marketing strategy, digital nurture campaigns and collateral for Associates who join the enterprise.

Chris Buckler, founder of The Estate Agency, said: “We are delighted to bring in Simon who many of our agents have worked with for a number of years. Simon’s reputation and genuine care for agent’s success mean the partnership was very easy for us to agree upon – culturally he’s a great fit!

“Over the next few weeks we will be announcing some other Non Executive Directors that will help us cement ourselves as a credible and forward thinking UK brokerage model, ready to rival the big boys”

Gates added: “I have been working with Chris over the past few years and he was a big supporter of mine when launching my own business earlier this year.

“I’m really looking forward to working closely with Chris and everyone at The Estate Agency in this exciting new chapter.”

Claire Tiplady joins Dacres in York 

Claire Tiplady, who has worked as an estate agent in Yorkshire for 13 years, has joined Dacre, Son & Hartley in York as office principal.

Dacre, Son & Hartley opened in York last summer and moved into its double fronted Micklegate showroom in April of this year. The office is in a prime position within the city walls, and offers highly visible display facilities, as well as valuable support for the firm’s other 19 offices across North and West Yorkshire.

Tiplady said: “I was keen to join Dacres as it’s such a respected company with a great team. The office opened just over a year ago in York and the firm has made good inroads into the market, but I plan to grow the market share and bring a wide range of city centre properties onto the market, as well as those from the surrounding villages.

“With 42 estate agents operating in York, competition is fierce, but Dacres really does stand out from the crowd as one of the best, with a long history and offices across North and West Yorkshire. The firm sells everything from modern city centre apartments through to grand historic homes in York’s rural suburbs. My plan is to continue building up stock levels and appeal to all those buyers keen to live in the heart of York or within easy reach of this incredibly popular city.”

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley, added: “Claire is well known and respected in the marketplace and it’s a real coup to have her join our York team. We are hugely committed to the city and plan to expand and recruit further as we grow the business in York.”