Some 150 agents and 400 branches have registered interest in joining a new trade body, the Federation of Independent Agents, when it launches next month.
The organisation, which will exploit group buying power, is the brainchild of Graham Lock, co-founder of online estate agent House Network, and now an industry consultant.
FIA’s launch comes a year after the failure of CIELA to get off the ground, which appeared to turn into a popular talking shop but failed to attract the numbers needed.
FIA promises its members franchise-grade support with a number of benefits.
As well as member-only discounts to suppliers of between 5% and 50%, agents will have access to “modern-day tools to assist in winning instructions and selling more properties”.
There will also be four conferences a year, a members’ forum and a quarterly mystery shop carried out on each branch.
Membership will not be granted to corporates, franchises or online agents, and will be exclusive to one agent per town.
Lock said: ‘It’s taken 12 months of research and investment but I’m delighted to be launching a service that adds significant educational and monetary value to independent agents.
“The corporates, franchises and other existing member organisations will no longer have it all their own way.
“It’s my opinion that independents should benefit from bulk buying power as well as a sharing economy.”
He said that membership of the FIA – whose membership is likely to cost £250 to £300 per branch, per month – will not be a given.
“We are only on-boarding like-minded agents who share the same values and can contribute significantly to the rest of the FIA family.
“We’ve already secured some incredible deals with key suppliers to the industry. Household names are keen to work with the FIA as we grow our exclusive membership.
‘The FIA can hold circa 1,000 member branches.
“We will continue to accept registrations before our official launch in April but so far I am absolutely delighted with the calibre and enthusiasm of so many quality agents that I cannot wait to work with.
“The FIA will never stand still, the list of member benefits will continue to grow, and as the independent agency landscape evolves, I see the FIA breaking away to form a formidable group of operators who will all benefit from being part of a modern and fluid organisation.”
Here we go……
”He said that membership of the FIA – whose membership is likely to cost £250 to £300 per branch, per month….”
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‘Registered interest’ (in story) is not the same as ‘Signed up’ (in headline). Which is it? And I will be staggered if it is the latter.
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Surely fia can earn its money from a % of products sold via suppliers. That way we would ensure that they are working for us and not just collecting monthly ‘rent’ in subscriptions. Products will still be cheaper on mass and fia can use the cream for their earnings. It’s called commission but then again it was the brainchild of an on line agent who probably doesn’t know what it’s like to earn commission. It’s called earnership to ownership.
Good luck as always to any new start up.
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Another day dreamer. £300 per month most likely for a free instant valuation tool and a logo to use. Perhaps 10% off printing costs if you are lucky.
Everyday another begger comes out wanting more of our hard earned money for doing very little.
Same way agents are ditching RM products they should be looking at reducing ‘fat’ elsewhere and careful what they sign up to.
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Not sure about this; but all the very best.
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I think you’ll see multiple independents in each area come together to form buying power in the future.
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Sorry gardenflat, you are more likely to see Theresa May catch a dose of humility…
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Thumbs up for the chuckle.
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How can this organisation be claimed as a “trade body” when it is limited to only one Agent per postcode area?
IT IS A MEMBERS’ CLUB.
Above, it states
“…membership of the FIA… will not be a given.”
However the website seems to indicate more of a first to the finish contest for membership than a due diligence process whereby the right Agent secures the patch:
“Membership is reviewed on a first come, first serve basis and subject to approval by The FIA.”
Be interesting to see how many ‘Founders’ of the previous attempt take the bait… or how many pass the post first, I should say.
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Membership will not be granted to corporates, franchises or online agents, and will be exclusive to one agent per town.
Not much use then to independent agents exclusive to one agent per town.
A mutli agency will stuff another independent from being allowed to join. Lifespan, very limited and could well be another failure as it has limited appeal for the number of independent it could have attracted = big mistake and makes no sense. Limited membership option.
My money is on the sign ups realising they got one on their competitors in town by getting in early and will flog the public with hype and ridicule those that are not signed up. Its not a federation, its a selected club.
A firm no from me.
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All a competitor who is not in the ‘club’ has to do is whisper the word ‘cartel’ in the appropriate ear and life could get interesting for those who are in it.
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Wont work. I think most independents switch off when there is a fee involved unless they can see real value.
I don’t see any real value in this.
Is Housenetwork the one which is showing a few million pound loss?
It seems these so called founders of online businesses like opening, shutting and moving onto another venture without working on the first venture and making it profitable and successful.
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Not heard of them until now. So good job.
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£3000 a year !!! yeah right. if it was £300 a year perhaps if there would be tangible benefits displayed in advance.
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So you are doing exactly what the Guild do, but with the Guild you get Trading Standards approval (great marketing tool), a shed load of added extras discounts and training…. so what’s different here?
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Good start to engender confidence amongst potential clients – nick someone else’s acronym! Such does tend to follow the general pattern of folk like this – little original thought but plenty of hollow chat. Still they’ll be a few who fall for it, there always is.
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I like Graham, and I love the proposition. Anyone deriding him for trying to save the industry money is being unnecessarily mean spirited.
Wish him the best of luck
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Spend £300 per month to maybe if you are lucky save £200 on extra products you do not need.
Whaley, you had an amazing product in Repit and your timing to launch and expand was spot on. And i like your whimsical nature and humour. But you seem to champion most third party providers when the offing is nothing special. Be more selective, This is yet ANOTHER industry individual by the looks tryin to set themselves up as a figurehead on the flimsiest of products / services.
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Note to Self (GPL)….
Don’t go to smile please’s door for BobaJob lol
Call it as you see it sp – can’t argue with that.
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smile please, guilty as charged, I will always give most suppliers the benefit of the doubt knowing how hard it is from the other side.
But if I say it I mean it, called Trump, Brexit and Liverpool in the final wrong so I’m as fallible as the next fella but its heartfelt. But also if they fall short and I believe a supplier to be duplicitous I will destroy them very publicly as you’ve no doubt witnessed.
I’m not judging this one because too soon, as I said I love the idea and Graham is someone i’ll always back. Its the rather tedious ‘Everything is ********, or everything is brilliant’ nature of things I was addressing.
And thanks for your kind words!
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