Martin & Co boss Ian Wilson has promised ‘plenty more bold moves’ by the company over the next year.
Wilson made the pledge at his company’s annual conference, attended by over 200 franchise owners.
Wilson told them: “The most extraordinary thing about our business is how it has prospered during the credit crunch and the two recessions of the past five years. When other businesses have had to cut back, we have launched 97 new businesses since 2007.”
He described 2012 as a year of re-invention – with Martin & Co launching a 0% commission sales service.
He said: “In these cash-strapped times, people are seeking exceptional value for money, and the idea of an estate agency services where you pay a monthly subscription which lets you advertise your property for sale in our shop windows and on the big internet sites including Rightmove is of interest to people serious about selling.”
He also said Martin & Co head office has bought back three of its successful franchises during the year – Worthing, Bournemouth and Birmingham Kings Heath.
“Our franchisees know that when they are ready to retire or move on, we are interested in buying them out,” added Wilson.
He said that the online agent franchise model, established 18 months ago, continues to develop and will have 17 offices trading by January.
The start of the New Year will also see a Scottish logo added to the existing Martin & Co, London and Student Homes brands.
Wilson said: “We are in an era of rental Britain where one in five households by 2016 will be privately renting and paying £70bn in rent annually.
“We are leaders in our field and winners take risks, and we have plenty more bold moves on the Martin & Co horizon.”
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Comments
Well it is the ONLY site presently out there that has the capability of providing any sort of statistics on how agents are currently performing.
hahahahaha, quoting allagents as a reliable source for statistics is no better than asking shelter to provide them
Is allagents still going? Surely we're not taking it seriously? It represents everything that's bad about this industry - zero accountability.
Belvoir - This Agent ranked 1003 out of 10287 in the UK
Martin & Co - This Agent ranked 8879 out of 10287 in the UK
Source- Allagents.co.uk
I think it is fair to say that Belvoir are beating Martin & Co by a mile
Never quite understand why any article about Belvoir or Martin descends into an argument about who's best.
I actually rent properties through both. I'll tell you now, it's about the franchisee, not the brand.
Just to clarify (since IO asked), no it wasn't me posting, I've only just seen the article.
Whilst I'm pleased that someone has taken up the cudgels on behalf of Martin & Co I'm more than a tad disappointed about the way they went about it - personal insults sent whilst hiding behind a pen-name are not the right approach (NB - I too use a pen-name but its not hard to work out who I am and I try very hard not to descend into a simple slanging match).
I'm baffled as to why IO dislikes MAC so much and feels the need to have a pop at us at every opportunity.
I love a proper debate and have enjoyed sparring with IO on other topics where even though I've disagreed with him I've had to acknowledge he's made reasonable points (sometimes I've even found myself agreeing with him).
However, where MAC is concerned IO's usually reasoned thought process deserts him. Comments such as "I dislike deviousness, disingenuity and dishonesty" implying these are typical MAC traits (as opposed to issues arising from occasional bad apples) is at best naff and at worst libellous.
Hi TOOTSIE
Goodness how pathetic - you're not Ian Wilson in disguise are you?
I have no hatred of anyone, just a dislike of deviousness, disingenuity and/or dishonesty - from anyone or anywhere.
You could try asking M&Co how many of their 186 are actually moirbund and/or actively trading (ask Belvoir too just to show impartiality), but I suggest we leave it there.
Have a nice week-end
Nuff said!
Dear Industry Observer,
Please accept this as an apology that there are 200+ Franchisees in Martin & Co (as stated in the original article). These 200+ franchisees run a total of 186 Martin & Co offices across the country. This makes them the largest Franchised letting agent in the UK. Once again apolgies for this!
Your Sincerely
The observer of the (Idiot) Industry Observer
P.S. This is abbreviated to TOOTIIO
P.P.S. Can you please explain where your hatred of Martin & Co stems from?
@OoIo (!!!)
Oh dear need to get facts right here.
First if you do a body count you'll find M&Co well ahead on points of failed franchisees, just failed or dishonest. Any failed franchisee is a shame, and dishonest ones deserve no sympathy.
Belvoir - I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about but then neither do you!!
I do consultancy work for a well known and top quality training firm that I believe provides services to Belvoir, but not through me I'm afraid. I deal with other clients for them as and when asked.
As I say get your facts right - I am not on Belvoir's payroll either as an employee or consultant, directly or indirectly, and never have been and doubt I ever will be.
No more on this it is getting tiresome. All I want is honesty, integrity and ethics in business - hence the comment on a misleading 'claim' by M&Co.
I would ask for an apology from you, but realise that would be far too much to expect.
get a room children!!!
I.O- but you failed to mention you are on the payroll of Belvoir in a consultancy role!!!
Class act...please see below link
http://www.rman.co.uk/article_letting-agent-jailed-for-theft-of-thousands-of-pounds-800242995.html
Stay classy Grantham!
Just realised @IIO that you are assuming all 186 attended, 14 with partners.
Actually mathematiclally only 100 may have attended!!
As usual statistics, damned statistics
@Observer idiot (how apt)
Point is opening comment makes it sound like 200 franchisees. Why not say how many offices were represented.
Belvoir are a class act compared to Martin & Co - and no, I am not a franchisee for either, or any other franchisor.
But I can tell you from very relevant experience which may or may not be more than you have (not my old friend Steve from Leicester are you?!!!) that Martin and Co would not have expected only 17 new franchisees after 18 months, even a net 17
If they did then they set their sights on that project far lower than Ian Wilson normally does talking such a big game - as always
Industry Observer....
Martin & Co have 186 Franchises, so not necessarily that many husband and wife teams then.
By the way how many Franchises do Belvoir have? Thats right, significantly less!
Jealous Ones Envy!!!!!
It's easy to takes risks and be bold as a franchisor, cost implications are normally minimal and the franchisee picks up the tab for the downside.
"We are in an era of rental Britain" - that's why we've launched estate agency........ I suppose that if a franchisee turned over another £50k from sales and the income was offset by the increased costs of training, staffing and advertising then there would still be a franchise fee payable on turnover. Not everyone's a loser from this risk taking then.
Actually I think 17 is pretty good, its probbaly a net 17 as well as some wont have worked.
200 franchisees attending - plenty of husband and wife partnerships then.
Only 17 online agents in 18 months does surprise me though - wasn't this predicted by er um - oh yes Ian Wilson as the way forward and next best thing?