Countrywide has re-affirmed that it wants to buy more letting businesses, promising that it will look after staff.
The firm – which has seen a string of key head office departures over the last year, including this week of Andrew Pennells who had been appointed to oversee the transformation – says Countrywide is “passionate about our people”.
The firm has seen a revolving door of departures of key people.
The latest, announced this week, is that of Andrew Pennells, its head of transformation, whose departure is being seen as a bellwether.
However Countrywide appears to want to reassure independents wanting to sell their businesses which are keen to ensure their staff will be safe in Countrywide’s hands.
The UK’s largest agent acquired 30 lettings businesses in 2015, and has made it clear it wants to buy more.
Last year, Countrywide bought Property Links in Plymouth; JK Lettings in Cornwall, Wyse Lettings in Torquay: HE Lettings and Ian Peat in Lincoln: and the large portfolio of Woods Estate Agents in Bristol and north Somerset.
Further acquisitions included the portfolio of Vanet Property Asset Management in Docklands and Canary Wharf; Letters of Distinction and Bulmers Letting in Yorkshire; QMH in Croydon; and JP & Brimelow in Didsbury, Witherington and Chorlton.
In November, Countrywide also acquired John Francis, one of Wales’s largest property agent networks, and Liverpool firms Clive Watkin and Sutton Kersh.
Those three businesses alone introduced over 300 employees and 39 branch locations to Countrywide’s “Retail” business unit, which is said to “bring together sales and lettings businesses to create a seamless customer facing experience”.
Commenting on the acquisitions Sam Tyrer, managing director for Retail at Countrywide, said: “The businesses that we bought in 2015 fit perfectly within our selective acquisitions retail strategy, which focuses on expanding our regional footprint across the UK.
“In 2014, Countrywide acquired 29 retail businesses and I am delighted that during 2015 we surpassed this challenging figure.
“However, these investments are about more than increasing our footprint, we are also passionate about our people.
“These acquisitions have brought over 600 employees into the Countrywide group and we can now offer them greater opportunities to develop their career ambitions.”
She added: “At Countrywide we are very interested in talking to professional agents with single or multi-branch businesses almost anywhere in the UK.”
Is there any Senior people left at Countrywide? My thoughts go out to the guys on the front line wondering if this cull / slaughter will ever end .. it must be disconcerting for them .. not matter what anyone says
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I wonder what the stats are for CW retaining staff? I know when they took over our agency that 50% of the staff left within 6 months.
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Not in my experience…. Maybe things have changed in those three years, but it would appear, as landlords leave in droves, it has not, on the lettings side, the staff are trying to offer the best service possible with their arms tied behind their back thanks to massive departments based in other offices, the answer is ‘No’. That coupled with all these people exiting stage left and the huge amount of stress there is does not make for high staff moral. Add in a computer system that cannot cope with the volume of usage which is only added to by their acquisitions and their huge list of ‘retail’ fees for landlords and tenants which they might be able to pull off in large cities, but simply does not work in small towns and villages and you are heading only one way! Each acquisition plugs the leaky bucket for the next round of figures and allows a play with figures that looks profitable for shareholders, but a real time view would make it look quite different. They need to understand that when they buy these businesses if it isn’t broken they shouldn’t fix it, if they make money, why do you need to upset the apple cart? Trouble is it isn’t technically ‘owned’ by anyone and it’s been taken over at the point where it’s hard to turn the titanic around!
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If they cared so much about their staff they wouldn’t employ little hitlers as middle managers who don’t care about front line staff.
I have worked for three different Countrywide brands, including one which was taken over by Countrywide whilst I worked there and their attitude towards staff is shocking. Who cares if you sell lots of houses, if you don’t get a mortgage lead on ‘Focus Thursday’ or whatever they call it then you’re hauled in front of the bosses.
I’m currently working for a fantastic family owned multi office independent who have given me the chance to progress into management and give me plenty of licence to do what I see fit to get business.
Countrywide take note.
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