BREAKING PROPERTY NEWS – 23/05/2022

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.

 

PRESS RELEASE: Fine & Country hosts Masterclass Series

Leaders share their strategies for success

Premium estate agency, Fine & Country are currently hosting a Masterclass Series, tapping into the expertise of the leading property professionals within the network. Held in London and in Leeds giving access to as much of the network as possible, the series focuses on sharing knowledge and ideas that can further enhance an agent’s chances of success within the upper quartile of the property market.

Simon Leadbetter, Global CEO of Fine & Country, says: “We have a wealth of expertise and experience within our network and the Masterclass Series is an opportunity for some of our leading agents to share their stories and strategies when it comes to successfully generating more leads, winning more listings and marketing high-end properties in a competitive market.”

The first instalment of the series was held on Tuesday, 17 May and saw over 50 agents attend. Some of the speakers included experienced international speaker, coach, trainer and estate agent, Jon Handford, Director at Fine & Country UK and one of the leading agents in the West Midlands. He shared his secret to consistently charging a 2.5% fee as well as an upfront marketing contribution.

Ed Casson and Simon Pelling, co-directors of Fine & Country South Essex shared their story on succeeding with the Fine & Country brand after building their business from scratch and are yet to lose a listing to a competitor.

Director of Fine & Country Turnham Green Terrace, Ben Madden discussed how he has successfully built the Fine & Country brand against strong, established competition in an extremely competitive prime London market.

And lastly, Fine & Country UK Business Development Manager, Gaven Swan covered common objectives and how best to overcome these, ensuring more listings and business growth.

Nicky Stevenson, MD of Fine & Country UK, says: “I was delighted to be able to host the event for agents across the network, coming together to learn from established Fine & Country agents who have made significant headway within the premium sector of the market. We are grateful to have the calibre of agents we have within the network, agents who are willing to give back and make a contribution to the growth and development of the network as a whole.”

“We have a remarkable depth of knowledge within our network and having a series where our agents can learn from each other and expand their scope in great,” says Leadbetter. “Our agents are bringing their experience from the coal face to assist both new and existing Fine & Country agents to maximise the opportunities in their marketplace. The proven techniques and strategies presented at the Masterclass Series will assist our agents to drive growth in their businesses and will help to position them as the premium agent of choose within the upper quartile of the market within their area. We look forward to seeing the next group of agents at our next event on 24 May in Leeds.”

PRESS RELEASE: UKAA Appoints Brendan Geraghty as New CEO

The Board of UKAA (the UK Apartment Association), the trade organisation for the UK’s Build to Rent sector, has announced the appointment of Brendan Geraghty as its new CEO.

Architect, Design and Development Strategist Geraghty comes to the role with a deep understanding of the Build to Rent sector, built on roles with Centred Architecture, Optim and Geraghty Taylor Architects. Active in the sector since 2011 and a recognised Build to Rent (BTR) thought leader, Brendan has actively championed the integration of consumer culture in BTR with a ‘brand before building’ approach.

The UKAA

Combining strong conceptual and creative intelligence with a solid practical bias, Geraghty’s strategic, analytical approach allows ‘big picture’ thinking to be supported by appropriate levels of granular detail to create inspiring and deliverable solutions. Along with his cross-sector experience and 16 years in senior project and business roles, this positions him perfectly for taking the UKAA forward.

Geraghty has already been associated with the UKAA for some time, having managed the content for the recently launched Best Practice Guide. Now, he will lead the organisation as it moves to shape the future of Build to Rent in the UK.

With over 300 members from across the sector and growing at a rate of more than 100 members per year, the UKAA serves as a single unifying and authoritative body for the urban and suburban Build to Rent sector, working with government, investors, lenders, operators, suppliers and customers to support knowledge exchange, expansion and best practice at every level.

New CEO Brendan Geraghty will be spearheading the UKAA’s leadership through high quality knowledge and research, supporting the organisation to serve as the voice of the Build to Rent sector in the UK. He will also explore new relationships with others in the residential sector with an interest in Build to Rent including housing associations, co-living investors and operators, contractors and house builders as well as pressing ESG issues such as Net Zero Carbon.

Brendan Geraghty, CEO, UKAA, said: “I’m delighted and honoured to lead the UKAA into this new chapter, working to ensure the UK and our members are at the forefront of best practice in the Build to Rent sector. The potential of Build to Rent is still far from fulfilled – there is appetite for exceptional growth in the UK, particularly at a regional level. UKAA will be at the heart of that growth.”

Lesley Roberts, President, UKAA, comments: “We are thrilled that Brendan has taken up the leadership of UKAA at this exciting time in the organisation’s development. We look forward to the organisation’s continued growth with Brendan at the helm at this pivotal time for Build to Rent in the UK.”

Andrew Stanton

CEO & Founder Proptech-PR. Proptech Real Estate Influencer, Executive Editor of Estate Agent Networking. Leading PR consultancy in Proptech & Real Estate.

You May Also Enjoy

New Build for Merseyside
Breaking News

First-time buyer demand falls sharply

First-time buyer demand falls sharply across Britain’s major cities, with Nottingham leading the decline The latest research by Yopa has shown that first-time buyer demand has dropped significantly across a number of major British cities, with Nottingham seeing the sharpest decline since the start of the year. Yopa analysed first-time buyer (FTB) demand based on…
Read More
Breaking News

Families to save hundreds of pounds through major homebuying overhaul

·        Buying or selling a home to be faster, cheaper, and easier under common-sense reforms ·        First-time buyers to save £710 on average, putting money back into people’s pockets ·        Proposals will halve number failed transactions, preventing last minute fall throughs, slashing weeks off the process and driving up standards across the board Hundreds of thousands of first-time…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Got a New Home in Nelson UK? Explore Stylish Furniture for Every Corner

Moving into a new home is always exciting, and if you’ve just settled down in Nelson, UK, now is the perfect time to furnish your space with stylish, functional, and long-lasting pieces. At AH Interiors Nelson, we bring you a wide range of modern and classic furniture that makes every corner of your home truly…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth steady in September

Annual rate of house price growth of 2.2% in September, similar to 2.1% seen in August Northern Ireland remained the top performing area with annual house price growth of 9.6% Outer South East weakest performing region, with 0.3% year-on-year rise   Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “The annual pace of…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches Online Agent Valuation to help agents connect with more vendors

Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, launches Online Agent Valuation, a new product for agents designed to give them more ways to reach prospective vendors. The consumer innovation delivers quality leads by connecting agents with home-owners who are serious about moving, but who would prefer to get a valuation from a local agent online. Rightmove…
Read More
Breaking News

September sees highest number of homes listed this year

September brings post-summer surge in home seller activity, with highest number of homes listed so far in 2025 The latest internal data from eXp UK has shown that September has delivered a notable surge in market activity, with the firm recording an average of 81 new properties listed every day over the course of the…
Read More