Connells Group

This article is about the British property services company. For the American rock band, see The Connells.
Connells Limited
(trading as Connells Group)
Limited company
Industry Real estate
Founded 1936 (Luton)
Headquarters Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Key people

David Livesey

(Group Chief Executive)

Stephen Shipperley

(Group Executive Chairman)

David Plumtree

(Group Chief Estate Agency Executive)

Stephen Nation

(Group Lettings Managing Director)

David Miles

(Mortgage Services Managing Director)
Parent Skipton Building Society
Website http://www.connellsgroup.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. Connells Group has around 500 branches across the UK and operates under multiple brand names including: Connells, Sequence, Allen & Harris, Bagshaws Residential, Barnard Marcus, Brown & Merry, Fox & Sons, Jones & Chapman, Manners & Harrison, Roger Platt, Shipways, Swetenhams, William H Brown, Sharman Quinney, Peter Alan, Burchell Edwards, Gascoigne Halman, Hatched and Rook Matthews Sayer.

History

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

In 1969 Connells' estate agency branch network was acquired by the Constantine Group.

Connells was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1984.

Connells was acquired by Scottish Widows in 1991. In the same year, Connells acquired the western division of Prudential Property Services, increasing its number of branches to around 150.

In 1996 Connells was acquired by Skipton Building Society which bought a major shareholding in the company alongside Connells' senior management.

In 2000 Connells played a leading role in the launch and development of Rightmove.

Connells acquired Sequence estate agency in 2003,[1] increasing its estate agency network to around 500 branches. In the same year, Connells acquired estate agency Sharman Quinney.[2]

In 2004 Connells Group wins first industry awards at Estate Agency of the Year Awards and Lettings Agency of the Year Awards.

In 2006 Rightmove plc floated on the London Stock Market valuing the business at £400m. Connells Group owned 29% immediately prior to floatation.

In 2007 Connells Group acquired shares in the Asset Management Group (AMG) and The New Homes Group.

In 2008 Connells Group sold its remaining 18% stake in Rightmove plc.[3]

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,[4] a provider of Energy Performance Certificates, formed a strategic relationship with online property services company Zoopla, and established Redstone Wills.

In 2011 Connells Group acquired a shareholding in the conveyancing and remortgaging panel management services provider LMS Group.[5] In the same year, Connells acquired independent estate agency Burchell Edwards including conveyancing firm Be Legal.[6]

In 2012 Connells acquired a 25% strategic stake in residential property fund manager, Hearthstone Investments plc.[7]

In 2013 Connells Group initiated a major expansion programme for its residential lettings business.

In 2014 Connells Group acquired the Peter Alan chain, which operates in south Wales, from the Principality Building Society for £16.4m.[8]

In 2015 Connells Group acquired Hatched an online estate agency.[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.[11]

In 2016 Connells Group acquired Rook Matthews Sayer estate agency.[12]

Operations

Connells Group provides residential property sales and lettings services, mortgage services, conveyancing, EPCs, surveying, corporate lettings, asset management, land & planning, LPA receivers, auctions, wills, insurance and relocations.

Connells Group's subsidiaries include Conveyancing Direct (property lawyers), AMG (Asset Management Group), Connells Survey & Valuation, The New Homes Group (including New Homes Mortgage Helpline, New Homes Part Exchange and IMH), TM Group, Vibrant Energy Matters (an EPC provider) Redstone Wills, Just Wills, LMS (a conveyancing and remortgaging panel management provider) and Hearthstone Investments.

References

  1. ↑ "Connells buys Sequence - Mortgage Strategy". 2003-10-22. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  2. ↑ "PROPERTY: Major stakehold sold to Connells". www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  3. ↑ "Bombshell as Connells sells Rightmove holding...". Estate Agent Today. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  4. ↑ "Connells snap up national energy assessor firm...". Estate Agent Today. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  5. ↑ "LMS strengthened by acquisition by leading estate agents - Today's Conveyancer". 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  6. ↑ "Connells snaps up 16-branch independent chain...". Estate Agent Today. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  7. ↑ "Connells acquires stake in buy-to-let investment fund...". Letting Agent Today. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  8. ↑ "Connells snaps up Peter Alan agency for £16.4m". 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  9. ↑ "National estate agent Connells snaps up online firm Hatched". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  10. ↑ "Connells firm Sequence snaps up major city business". 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  11. ↑ Ltd, Insider Media. "Connells acquires Gascoigne Halman". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  12. ↑ "Rook Matthews Sayer acquired by Connells Group | UNW". www.unw.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.