Two founding members of the Ethical Agent Network (EAN) have acquired a majority stake in the organisation.
Nick Cheshire and Dan Kirby, who run Essex estate agency Nest, will take control of the network’s day-to-day operations and future development.
Founder Jerry Lyons will remain a shareholder and ambassador. He will also continue as head of PR and Community Consultancy.
EAN launched in March 2024 as a network for independent estate and letting agencies. Prospective members undergo an assessment before joining.
Members make commitments covering areas including client service, honesty, staff development and community involvement.
New owners step up involvement
The ownership change follows six months of increased involvement from Cheshire and Kirby.
During that period, they have helped introduce Mini Masterminds, new guides and a member app. The network has also made changes to its member content and support.
Lyons revealed that he received two offers for the business, including one worth more than the deal he ultimately accepted.
“I had two offers for the business, and, for complete transparency, one was for more money,” he said.
“But I’ve worked with Nick and Dan for years. I trust them, they understand estate agency deeply and they genuinely believe in what the EAN stands for.”
Lyons added: “I’m not disappearing. I’ll remain a shareholder and ambassador, but Nick and Dan will now be driving the network forward.”
Plans to grow network
Cheshire and Kirby have been members of EAN since its launch.
Cheshire said: “We became founding members because its values reflected how we believe estate agencies should operate.
“When the opportunity came along to invest more of our time and money in the business and help shape its future, we wanted to take it.”
Kirby said the pair would focus on making the organisation useful to agency owners while retaining its existing principles.
“We’re estate agents ourselves, so our focus is on making the EAN genuinely useful to agency owners,” he said.
“We have plenty of plans and will be introducing new aspects to the EAN over the next few months.”
