LSL, the parent company of brands including Reeds Rains, Your Move and Marsh & Parsons, has announced its new executive director for estate agency.
She is Helen Buck. Although she comes from outside the industry, she has been an independent non-executive director at LSL for the last five years.
LSL emphasised that during this time “she has had close involvement with senior management within the LSL estate agency business”.
Buck comes from a predominantly retail background.
She was previously chief operating officer at wholesaler firm Palmer and Harvey, but stepped down last April after just five months with the company.
Her CV includes senior positions at Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Woolworth and Safeway.
At LSL, Buck succeeds Adrian Gill, whose departure was announced last April.
Gill – who is joining the merged firms of Romans and Leaders as group managing director of Property Services Holdings – went on to serve out his full notice.
He finally left LSL last month. He has yet to join his new employers, with a spokesperson saying that Gill is taking a period of leave and is due to join later this year.
It doesnt seem that long ago that a career path for a budding estate agent went from junior negotiater to senior partner. I am sure she is an excellent candidate and important to bring in some ideas out of the industry as part of the mix especially on the tech side
However it must be demoralising to the senior staff likewise at CWD to see all the top jobs going elsewhere and no promotion from within . Seems like the game is now get some good training/experience at the plc estate agents and look for an opportunity to jump ship as soon as you can
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M&S, Woolworths and Safeway…
Only needed Carphone Warehouse added to that there list to really impress me…
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Cries of “oh there goes another”
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She may “Buck” the trend of poor retail type choices made by the corps. Sorry it’s Friday.
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My understanding of retail is that you sell things ‘to’ people……whereas in agency my main aim is to sell things ‘for’ people. I understand that we sell ‘to’ buyers but it’s a different type of selling to retail when you often end up holding the hand of your seller and buyer for three to four months until the end product results. It’s far more a service environment rather than a ‘sell quickly and move on to the next customer as soon as possible retail strategy’. Is this the way these organisations are trying to head?
If so I would think independents are heading for a lot more business they are likely to win.
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The retail aspect does hold water in what is offered to consumer sellers and consumer buyers. From greater services to maybe better suite the customers than a one size fits all approach. Plus increasing stock levels and access to stock as to better match what the punters are looking for.
Its much easier selling something be it a service or a property, if it better matches the want. An agent with no variation on service, and small stock is carrying some heavy costs funded by limited options.
I’d rather be exploring a retail growth model than like many agents joining in the race to the bottom.
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Every decent agent on here (individual or company) will be like a chameleon in their approach to service both personal and promotional marketing! “Tell me what you need and we can deliver”
The only race to the bottom Trevor in my opinion is the race to zero fee’s.
What Helen Buck will need to get right is who is on the shop floor and will they have the ability to understand the emotion in selling and buying property is nothing like choosing a pair of shoes.
I join you in wishing her well…. but having the very best at the top in the large corps means ****** all if the message is not hitting home at the bottom and for instance the BM’s are made to run their office the way “the company” does and not in the way their local community would expect and the way which they know as local people will work.
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You can see why this appointment has been made.
Retail has worked so well for Countrywide.
The share price is ….. oh hang on a min …..
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I reckon Alton Towers needs to jump on the sponsorship bandwagon quickly and rename the world’s first ‘dive’ rollercoaster;
‘CW Oblivion’
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Come on ladies gentlemen; the lady has been a non exec for 6 years and will have an idea of what is required I’m sure. She has, at least, some experience and should have the benefit of any doubt. She has a substantial respomsibilty and cannot have failed to have recognised what has and is occurring at CWD. Having seen whats going on at your competitors and what isn’t working, allows you the luxury of being able to say to yourself ‘I won’t be doing that’ and avoiding the problems you have seen from afar! Using the experience of your most valuable assets (the people that produce the goods year in year out irrespective of market conditions) is essential to any ‘evolution’ and improvement of business performance; in my opinion, obviously.
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She looks to be a good choice and LSL havent gone the whole hog like CWD where there isnt a property professional on the board so fair comment .
Reverting back to CWD you have to ask the question that having spent hundreds of millions buying up market leading brands of what is essentially a people business that there are no individuals deemed suitable to take a seat on the on the board and run a business?
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Lets wish Helen well. Retail shouldn’t be totally written off.
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In selling houses it should.
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Debenhams and Woolworths did so so well in the house selling business !?!?
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