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This article is about the British property services company. For the American rock band, see The Connells.

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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