Winkworth has launched a talent drive to find rising stars to build a career and a business with the franchise network.

Winkworth says its is searching for best-in-class talented, entrepreneurial individuals to offer the opportunity to earn shares based on performance, with a view to becoming a franchisee.

Dominic Agace, chief executive, Winkworth, said: “With a significant amount of consolidation in the market, this is a good time for ambitious property professionals to consider the clear career path they can enjoy with Winkworth.   Those selected for the talent programme will be fast tracked to running an office, where their performance will be rewarded with equity.

“Many agents start their careers in a corporate environment and then quickly become aware that they don’t have much control over their future progression. For those working for small independent agents, there often isn’t a clear trajectory for advancing their careers, when they are working for a business created by owner managers.

“We have already identified a number of future stars who, in return for outstanding performance, will be rewarded with shares to encourage them to build a profitable business and take charge.”

Rob Oatley, 41, who has worked for large corporates and online agents during his 20-year career in property, has joined Winkworth to run its Pimlico office, a patch he knows very well, and will receive performance related equity,

He said: “This is such a good option for me, with a super incentive of earning a share of ownership. I am an employee with the autonomy to run the business and get rewarded with the ultimate goal of owning the franchise.   Winkworth is an outstanding brand, with an exceptional digital presence and network, plus the support of head office. I have control over marketing, expenditure, fees, and recruitment. This appeals to my entrepreneurial nature. I want to build a successful business which is part of a greater entity, while being rewarded for my hard work.”

Oatley added: “Pimlico is a really interesting part of central London, close to Belgravia and Mayfair yet offering tremendous value and potential. As well as the traditional stucco Cubitt-designed garden squares and terraces, there is a huge amount of investment and development taking place, with high-end residential schemes and prime retail, offering even greater scope for expansion for the Winkworth office.”

In South-east London, 30-year-old Jake Woolford runs Winkworth’s Crystal Palace office and is another rising star who will receive performance-related shares in the business. He started his career at Winkworth doing work experience in the Notting Hill office. After university, he joined the network and rose quickly to become assistant manager at the Kennington office.

Woolford commented: “At the age of 28, I took over the Crystal Palace office. Winkworth lets me run it as though it is my own business. There is a tremendous level of trust and I have an enormous, vested interest in the office doing really well. We have a team of seven across sales, lettings and property management. In the past year, the business has grown by 35 per cent, which is great to see, considering the market conditions over the past few months.”

He added: “I love the Crystal Palace area. It has huge potential with its beautiful park and independent traders around The Triangle area, bringing a creative  vibe. The Overground rail connections are excellent, taking 15 minutes to Victoria yet it still has a certain undiscovered feel, creating enormous potential for the business.”

Lucy Britton, Head of Talent and Recruitment at Winkworth, said: ‘We will provide all the assistance and advice needed to our future franchisees to plan for the growth and success of the business. Winkworth will also consider support for existing agents by topping up their funding to ensure they can purchase their own franchise, as well as helping existing franchisees to expand by acquiring offices where the owner might be looking to retire.”