We are delighted that today our growing network recieved some welcome press coverage thanks to Dan and the team at PrimeResi.com New property industry community launches to build ‘trust & collaboration’ between agents. 'Today there are an increasing number of individuals and smaller agencies who are much more willing & incentivised to collaborate,' says the real estate entrepreneur bringing independent operators together via Slack. As more and more agents and brokers strike out on their own, a new professional network is aiming to foster collaboration within the resi industry.
The rise of independent operators has been one of the big talking points in estate agency circles over the last five years; it’s been estimated that numbers are up by nearly a third in the last 12 months alone, although this is a notoriously tough sector to accurately track.
Tapping into the trend, real estate entrepreneur Rupert Collingwood has set up “Agents Only”, with a view to building the community of property specialists across London and the rest of the UK.
The website states an aim to “improve deal making, encourage collaboration and referrals, break down barriers and most importantly increase fee income for individuals and their firms”.
Hosted on Slack – now one of the world’s most popular business communication platforms – the network has picked up some “serious momentum” in recent weeks, according to Collingwood, following two well-attended launch events at the end of 2023.
The first of these gathered over 100 Foxtons alumni at an appropriately green and gold-themed venue in Soho, with sponsorship coming from Howdens Insurance, SPF Private Clients, CDS Mayfair, Accouter Group of Companies, Lucid Financial Markets – as well as Foxtons itself. The second AO outing, hosted by Korantina Homes, saw 40 brokers and professionals attend new West End eatery Bossa to network and hear about the Cypriot developer’s five-star resort, Cap St Georges.
Another six invitation-only events have already been lined up for 2024; the first of these will be taking place at the end of February.
‘For the first time, a significant proportion of the market now has the financial autonomy to make the decision to work collaboratively,’ says Rupert Collingwood
Collingwood, who set up property brokerage The London Broker in 2017, told PrimeResi the wider mission is to build collaboration “in a truly modern and targeted way…not only using cutting edge technology, but also hosting events which go beyond traditional networking to offer genuine and exclusive opportunities for them and their clients.”
He added: “Today there are an increasing number of individuals and smaller agencies who are much more willing and indeed incentivised to collaborate. For the first time, a significant proportion of the market now has the financial autonomy to make the decision to work collaboratively, knowing that they are better off making £50k today rather than waiting for £75k tomorrow. Indeed our client base being much more international than ever before expect a collaborative real estate market…They ring one person or one company with whom they develop a relationship, knowing that they will provide a solution to their property needs rather than having to contact a multitude of different people, making the process far more stressful than need be. It is with this in mind that I have created Agents Only. ’Agents Only’ is a professional community for the property industry, hosted on one of the world’s most powerful business communication platforms. Our aim is to build trust and encourage collaboration between agents, not only in London, but across the country. Of course, agents have collaborated to a greater or lesser extent over the years, however the fly in ointment has always been where the agent understandably wants to sell the listing themselves and pocket the whole fee. The emerging independent community are quickly realising that collaboration between agents and key support services offers a number of benefits, not least a potentially faster route to a successful outcome for their clients and themselves.”
To find out more and to join (free until October) visit agentson.ly
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