Gary Barker, a widely respected figure in the property industry, has agreed to join TM Group’s leadership team, it has just been announced.

Barker, a seasoned expert in property technology with over 20 years of experience, will join the business as chief operating and technology officer, effective April 2024.

In this newly created role, Barker will spearhead a robust technology and innovation strategy for TM Group.

His extensive background includes tech transformation roles as executive and non-executive director across several well-known industry brands, including Countrywide, Connells, Reapit, COHO, Property Circle, and Nurtur.

Thomas Maerz, CEO of TM Group, commented: “This is a major strategic appointment for the business, and we are delighted to have Gary joining us. His knowledge, skills, and experiences will help further cement our position as an innovative, market-leading technology provider, delivering the very best platforms and services to the Commercial and Residential property sectors.”

Barker will now drive TM Group’s innovation and digitisation strategies to the property sector.

Under his leadership, Reapit experienced 5 times growth in 4 years, after he pioneered the creation of the first Platform as a Service (PaaS) marketplace.

Barker said: “I strongly believe TM Group is in a unique position to deliver huge value to the industry by ensuring that the process of buying and selling a house becomes easier, faster, and more transparent for everyone. I have been hugely impressed by the quality of the team, their ideas, passion, knowledge, and skills, all of which will be key to delivering the very best platforms and services to our customers.”