Breaking Property News 27/02/25

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

 

New top appointment strengthens tenant referencing company

Adam Pigott Co-founder & CEO of Openbrix a company which bought FCC Paragon three months ago, announces that,

‘Bekki Leaves has taken up the reigns as MD and is doing a fantastic job that draws on her many years of frontline experience. Her knowledge and deep oversight of FCC Paragon will ensure the continuity of the highest levels of service to clients and stakeholders, and we are really excited at the new opportunities that are now opening up.’

‘At a pivotal time where Landlord’s need certainty we know that FCC Paragon will continue to be a leading torchbearer in the lettings sector, and just to reiterate that FCC Paragon are the only UK reference provider that backs its own references with a Warranty. We have a 17 year track record of this amazing product. Basically, we are that confident in the quality and depth of our references, which is why OpenBrix acquired the company.’

Adam has also previously at the time of the acquisition of the company that Bekki Leaves is now heading up stated that, ‘They’ve always been a strategic partner in our plans, so this feels more like the alignment of shared goals. FCC Paragon’s references and customer service are second to none and this is an opportunity to further build and expand on this strong foundation.’

Having spoken to Bekki, it is clear she has a very strong focus to both maintain the 23 year reputation of the company and to look to push it to further heights, and she was especially at pains to point out that the highly experienced team which is the backbone of the service has many individuals who have been with the company for many years, another reason for their trusted position.

Bekki Leads new Managing Director comments,

“It is a privilege to lead FCC Paragon Group through this exciting period. Having worked for the company for over 16 years the recent acquisition brings many opportunities for growth. Our well established top quality referencing and rental protection products can only be enhanced by Openbrix/tlyfe experience, technology and forward thinking.

The industry is facing many challenges with the Renters’ Rights reform bill imminent but we are confident that we can help our agents navigate this by providing complete peace of mind with our robust referencing. In fact we are so confident that we offer our own rental protection warranties so we really are putting our money where our mouth is”

Some of the services provided by the company are: Know Your Customer Checks – Available 24/7, a cost-effective Anti-Money Laundering and Facial ID Verification check helps clients ensure that they meet their  Know Your Customer obligations. Anti-Money Laundering checks help prove customers identification and that they’re not involved in any recorded suspicious activity

Facial ID Verification – Provided by a certified IDSP, the Facial ID service offers the ability to verify a client’s ID. Rental Warranties – safely and securely de-risking Landlord’s and make them feel confident that their rented property is covered for any unexpected events including non-payment of rent.

 

Andrew Stanton Executive Editor – moving property and proptech forward. PropTech-X

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

Estate Agent Talk

Half of Brits would retrofit their property to make it more appealing to future buyers

The government is funding £13.2 billion in retrofitting properties Two-thirds (61%) of homeowners state that upfront cost is the biggest barrier to retrofitting Younger homeowners are more open to green improvements in their homes Over half of Brits think retrofitting would make their property more appealing to future buyers Over half  (59%) of homeowners would…
Read More
Breaking News

Buyers hit pause: Housing market records first annual fall in new sales in two years as more buyers adopt ‘wait and see’ strategy

House price growth has slowed over 2025, currently standing at 1.3 per cent which is broadly in line with the level a year ago Uncertainty over the November Budget has driven a growing ‘wait and see’ attitude amongst home buyers, leading to the first annual fall in new sales agreed in two years The usual…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rents hit new record as pace of new rental homes coming onto the market slows

The average advertised rent of homes outside of London rises again in Q3 2025 to a new record of £1,385 per calendar month (pcm). Average rents outside of London are now 3.1% higher than a year ago Average advertised rents in London also reach a new record of £2,736, however rents in the capital are…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

The ‘Rentvesting’ Strategy: Owning a Home Where You Can’t Afford to Live

Oh, the ever-evolving property market. Keeps us wondering: how will I keep my head above water? And this is how a war-like property strategist is born. One of these savvy strategies is called: rentvesting. This is the art of renting where you want to live and buying where it fits your wallet.  Getting your foot…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Momentum gathers for retail investment as Bank Rate cut again

Demand to invest in retail property was up by 30% in Q3 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 The office market is also continuing to recover, with investment demand up by 31% over the same period, and leasing demand up by 7% Overall demand to invest in commercial property was up by 11%…
Read More
Breaking News

Surge in first-time buyers’ preference for cheaper homes subsides as market adjusts to April’s stamp duty changes

Proportion of first-time buyers purchasing properties under £300k decreased to 64.3 per cent in September, following a peak of 72.0 per cent in May after changes to stamp duty thresholds Detached and semi-detached homes now make up nearly two-thirds of non-first-time buyer purchases, as ‘second-steppers’ look for long-term security Spending on mortgage and rental payments…
Read More