JP Downes, who operated Keller Williams Warwick between 2020 and 2022, along with Sarah Downes, penned a lengthy opinion piece on EYE last week, which you can read below, explaining the reasons why he believes the KWUK model has failed in this country.
He said: “There’s lots of talk internally about ambition and growth and everyone being wealthy soon. But the opposite outcome is true in my experience.”
“Those at the top of the UK business are astoundingly unimpressive and have presided over colossal mis-steps, errors of judgment and foolishness that has unsurprisingly led to an embarrassingly poor performance here versus KW franchises in other countries,” he added.
He also referred to the recent closure of KW market centres, but Taylor, CEO and regional operating partner, KWUK, insisted he wanted to “correct” the claim.
Taylor told EYE: “I wish to correct the statement made in this opinion piece regarding the closure of specific centres.
“It is correct that both the Bristol and Warwick Market Centres were closed in line with the performance requirements of their sub-licence agreements. In relation to the other referenced Centres these have not been closed.
“The Centres in Leeds, Weybridge, and Exeter have been aligned with other market centres to allow the agents to be supported by their well established leadership teams, agent communities and training. This is with the exception of Glasgow, which remains in operation by its existing Operating Principal who has recently purchased the additional sub licence agreement for Edinburgh.
“We remain committed throughout our current ongoing restructure, to utilising the learnings made through our investments over the last five years to focus on our primary purpose – the empowerment of agents across the UK in the running of their own real estate businesses.”
Ex-Keller Williams market center owner exposes failings at KWUK
So let me get this right Mr Fruit Cake, if I am an agent in Leeds you expect me to drive to Essex on a daily basis, and, If I am an agent in Exeter you would expect me to travel to Central London (oh wait, you dont have a central London office anymore) so to Maidenhead? (oh wait, they wont be renewing their licence) so I would have to go to Essex?
Also you didnt mention Gatwick?
So I would be better of joining eXp then? Is that what you are saying?
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And why would you drive anywhere? You wouldn’t have to!
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“I wish to correct the statement made in this opinion piece regarding the closure of specific centres. The Centres in Leeds, Weybridge, and Exeter have been aligned with other market centres to allow the agents to be supported by their well established leadership teams, agent communities and training.”
In other news: Blockbuster remains confident that, despite minor setbacks, it will continue to dominate the movie rental business.
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If the OP leaves, the market centre might be said to have closed. Transferring management to those centres that still remain open doesn’t address the failure.
When KW UK have and have had some great people, why is it still not run competently? Don’t the Americans care what happens to their brand?
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I guess Ben & Co at KWUK realise that the market centres are an unnecessary and costly overhead in a post Covid world but have their hands tied by a restrictive franchise agreement. Unfortunately the Americans always seem to know best and a local pivot to replicate the exp model would, in their minds, represent failure. They have never been a culture that appreciates irony.
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Market centre, hybrid or virtual world options aside, I may be wrong but I don’t think that EXP are currently able to provide agents a route to build out a team, whereas KW promotes business ownership and the team model. EXP seem like a great option for single agents who don’t mind having little or no say in their business branding etc. I guess EXP figured or witness from KWUK that once an agent/business gets to a certain size and can afford the associated running costs then the value proposition becomes diluted and said agent/business decide to go it alone, so they eliminate the risk by not providing the team route for the UK?
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I think its rather unprofessional that ProperytIndustryEye publish an article from Downes who clearly has a very bias agenda when there are lots of positives of KW
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Bristol and Warwick have closed – that was the choice of their respective OPs.
Glasgow and more recently Gatwick have also closed due to 6 figure debts.
Weybridge had 4 OPs in 3 years, haemorrhaged money and was closed in all but name. It has no leadership team and no premises. The same applies for Leeds.
There 2 reasons why the UK CEO will deny it, his ego and if he keeps them open on paper he can claim the royalty from a MC that doesn’t exist. Helps his bottom line but nothing else.
In addition, KW Prime is in the process of relinquishing their premises.
These are all facts and whilst the UK CEO will deny it, it’s very simple to check.
The UK CEO’s job is growth; growth in MCs (there isn’t any), growth in agents (same again) and growth in revenue (the Ltd company that owns the regional license has debts of over £2m and growing). Again all these facts are very simple to check.
In theory KW is a great model but its execution in the UK is lamentable because the UK CEO refuses to adapt it so it works in the UK.
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And Simo response is what?
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Is it possible that people still believe this?
Aligned with other struggling and/or failing Markets Centres seems to be more accurate.
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Looks like BT incorporated 2 new limited companies today inc one called Prime London Agents LTD. Interesting that the physical premises for KW Prime are also closing.
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