Connells Limited
TypeLimited company
IndustryReal estate
Founded1936 (Luton)
HeadquartersLeighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Key people
Sarah Whitney (Non Executive Chair)
Richard Twigg (Interim Chief Executive)
ParentSkipton Building Society
Websiteconnellsgroup.co.uk

Connells Limited, trading as Connells Group, is a British estate agency and property services company headquartered in Leighton Buzzard, and a subsidiary of Skipton Building Society.

History

In 1936 the first Connells estate agency branch was opened in Luton, Bedfordshire.[1]

Connells acquired Sequence estate agency in 2003',[2] increasing its estate agency network to around 500 branches. In the same year, Connells acquired estate agency Sharman Quinney.[3]

In 2008 Connells Group sold its remaining 18% stake in Rightmove plc.[4]

In 2010 Skipton Building Society acquired nearly 100% of Connells Group. In the same year, Connells Group acquired a major shareholding in Vibrant Energy Matters.[5]

In 2011 Connells Group acquired a shareholding in the conveyancing and remortgaging panel management services provider LMS Group.[6] In the same year, Connells acquired independent estate agency Burchell Edwards including conveyancing firm Be Legal.[7]

In 2012 Connells acquired a 25% strategic stake in residential property fund manager, Hearthstone Investments plc.[8]

In 2014 Connells Group acquired the Peter Alan chain, which operates in south Wales, from the Principality Building Society for £16.4m.[9]

In 2015 Connells group acquired the Liverpool business of Farrell Heyworth an independent Estate Agent, based in the North West of England.[10]

In 2015 Connells Group acquired Gascoigne Halman estate agency, based in the North West of England.[11]

In 2015 Connells Group acquired Gilbert & Thomas, based in Rutland.[12]

In 2016 Connells Group acquired Rook Matthews Sayer estate agency, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.[13]

In 2016 Connells Group acquired Paul Dubberley, based in the West Midlands.[14]

In 2016 Connells Group acquired Touchstone Residential, operating in Kent, Buckinghamshire and the west country.[15]

In 2021, the group purchased Countrywide, with branches across the UK.[16]

Criticism

Connells Estate Agents have faced criticism on a number occasions of hard selling and pressuring clients to use the groups in-house mortgage services using tactics such as not allowing viewings or to place offers on properties before signing up to the in-house service.[17][18][19][20][21][22]

In February 2016 Connells appeared on a list of 92 companies which had in at least one instance been found to have failed to pay the minimum wage to employees.[23] In April 2018 Connells Survey and Valuation business was named in the top 10 of UK companies with the highest gender pay gap.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Celebrating 80 years in estate agency!". The Negotiator. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Connells buys Sequence – Mortgage Strategy". 22 October 2003. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "PROPERTY: Major stakehold sold to Connells". peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "Bombshell as Connells sells Rightmove holding..." Estate Agent Today. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Connells snap up national energy assessor firm..." Estate Agent Today. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "LMS strengthened by acquisition by leading estate agents – Today's Conveyancer". 17 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Connells snaps up 16-branch independent chain..." Estate Agent Today. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "Connells acquires stake in buy-to-let investment fund..." Letting Agent Today. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Connells snaps up Peter Alan agency for £16.4m". 31 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Connells firm Sequence snaps up major city business". 20 May 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  11. ↑ Ltd, Insider Media. "Connells acquires Gascoigne Halman". Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  12. ↑ Renshaw, Rosalind (1 December 2015). "Connells' firm Sharman Quinney snaps up independent agent". Property Industry Eye.
  13. ↑ "Rook Matthews Sayer acquired by Connells Group | UNW". www.unw.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Connells acquires Paul Dubberley". The Negotiator. 18 May 2016.
  15. ↑ Norwood, Graham (9 May 2016). "Another lettings acquisition for fast-growing Connells Group". Letting Agent Today.
  16. ↑ Lewis, Nigel (8 March 2021). "Connells purchase of Countrywide officially completes". The Negotiator. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Renshaw, Rosalind (13 March 2017). "Connells accused of hard-sell tactics to get buyers to use mortgage services". Property Industry Eye.
  18. ↑ "Connells under fire for 'strong arm' mortgage tactics..." Estate Agent Today.
  19. ↑ "Consumers pressured to use in-house mortgage staff by estate agents". 20 March 2018.
  20. ↑ Willis, Amy (10 March 2017). "The great mortgage fix: How estate agents are tricking buyers into spending more".
  21. ↑ Renshaw, Rosalind (15 June 2015). "Pair claim they lost chance to buy home after refusing mortgage service". Property Industry Eye.
  22. ↑ "Dodgy estate agency practices put under spotlight in ..." Estate Agent Today.
  23. ↑ Jones, Alan; Rampen, Julia (5 February 2016). "Is your boss on the list? 92 employers named for denying workers minimum wage". mirror.
  24. ↑ "The worst gender pay gap offenders in each sector have been revealed". The Independent. 9 April 2018.
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