Countrywide ‘needs to be a tenth of the size it is’ in order to survive

So what would YOU do with Countrywide?

In this interview with Christopher Watkin, Russell Quirk makes it sound very simple – consolidate the brands, and pay down debt. He thinks it should be a tenth of the size it is.

He is critical of the current management, saying they have their heads in the sand.

He criticises them for closing branches but not telling shareholders – “very, very wrong morally” and “death by a thousand cuts”.

He also accuses Countrywide of being attached to its ego, of being the UK’s largest agency by branches. But, argues Quirk, size doesn’t matter: profit does.

Quirk says he walks past local Countrywide branches and sees someone filing their nails and someone else waiting for the phone to ring.

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19 Comments

  1. GPL

    Russell Quirk….. easy to spot when walking past those Countrywide Branches ……he carries his own spotlight.

    After the Emoov debacle? …..No credibility Russell.

     

     

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    1. Moveaside01

      Quirk, Beeny, Phil Spencer, Woodford, Kevin McCloud.

      Not defaming anyone, just listing some names of Industry experts………

       

       

       

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      1. htsnom79

        Allsopp, don’t forget Allsopp, or rather The Right Honourable Allsopp, utter genius.

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        1. Moveaside01

          I knew there was another industry ‘expert’ that I missed…..thank you htsnpm79

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  2. AgencyInsider

    Countrywide attached to its ego. Says the pontificator attached to his ego.

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  3. TOZ4

    This joke shop will not survive. It will fold, eventually.

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  4. Andy Halstead

     

    Countrywide ‘needs to be a tenth of the size it is’ in order to survive; well just appoint Quirk, from what I have read, that will do it………

     

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    1. NewsBoy

      Ha, ha, ha. The perfect solution. Just appoint Querk, stand back and wait to see your business disappear up its own…..

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  5. Hillofwad71

    Priceless

    There are times in life when you just need to keep your head below the parapet but not so for Headphones Quirk

    As a self -appointed property  guru  his   fall from grace has been played out in the public arena yet still he pops up

    In 2015 he boasts
    Can he see Countrywide acquiring eMoov? “If they can afford me,” he says. “And there’s some truth in that. As online becomes more and more mainstream, purchases will become more expensive, so they had better get in quickly.
    I can quite see that eMoov will have a valuation soon of £100m and if that sounds cocky, I apologise.
    “By 2020 – less than five years away – he believes online agents will account for half of all property transactions in the UK.”

     

    Within 3 years investors suckeredin by his PR left with life changing debts and now a franchisee at Keller Williams with 0 instructions

    he has the neck to tell CWD how to run their business

     

    The irony is not lost that the newly formulated   Emoov (sans Quirk) who kicked off at the start of the year have 200 instructions whilst Keller Wiliams have 234 having arrived in 2015

     

     

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    1. GPL

      As good a summary as one will read, of….

       

      The Legend in his own Lunchtime that is…..

       

      Russell “MeMeMeeeeee” Quirk!

       

       

       

       

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  6. downdoobydodowndowndubaduba

    Russell Quirk giving advice on how to run / sustain / control a business – really? more help for Countrywide to fast-track to the bottom

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  7. smile please

    The hypocrisy this individual spews is sickening.

    Talking about ego, about duty to shareholders, debt, profit warning, ALL of this he was ignoring when at the helm of Emoov.

    This is a guy that boasted he got employees and friends and family to invest in his company which then went bust leaving those same employees without pay for work done.

    He has now taken a franchise at KW where he will not be listing properties himself but taken a slice from self employed agents.

    Shows how bad KW must be doing to want to be associated with this toxic individual.

    In my opinion he has no place in our industry.

     

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  8. J1

    And how much smaller is Eemooooov now than it was???????

    He’ll be giving advice to Keller Williams’ hierarchy next……..don’t listen, don’t listen, whatever you do, put your hands over your ears……..

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  9. padymagic

    do what ever quirk says……………… but in the opposite direction !

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  10. Probably Pork in the Pie

    What RQ knows about successful estate agency you could write on the back of a stamp.  What he knows about running a successful business you could write on a grain of rice!  Maybe leave the headphones on Russell, keep the real world out.

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  11. Snyper

    Any normal person after the embarrassment and failure of emoov would lie low for a while… not so Mr Q! Why anyone would consider his advice is beyond me.

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  12. Commentator91

    …just stay at home Russell, as nobody wants your opinion on anything. It’s obvious from ALL the posts above!

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  13. watchdog13

    Why does PIE give this guy so much coverage. I guess its to wind up agents if there isn’t a good angry at PB or RM story. Quirk is like a bad shock jock on a minor radio station.

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  14. houseseller

    Who is this Chris Watkin and why does he think this guy knows anything ? Why not ask some successful senior company figures tht are running successful businesses today how they would sort it out -after all most of posts are critical of the lack of high quality experienced EA management at the top -or are they just too busy ?

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