Connells Group
Connells Limited,[1] trading as Connells Group,[2] is a British estate agency[3] and property services company headquartered in Leighton Buzzard, and a subsidiary of Skipton Building Society. HistoryIn 1936 the first Connells estate agency branch was opened in Luton, Bedfordshire.[4] Connells acquired Sequence estate agency in 2003,[5] increasing its estate agency network to around 500 branches. In the same year, Connells acquired estate agency Sharman Quinney.[6] In 2008 Connells Group sold its remaining 18% stake in Rightmove plc.[7] 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.[8] In 2011 Connells Group acquired a shareholding in the conveyancing and remortgaging panel management services provider LMS Group.[9] In the same year, Connells acquired independent estate agency Burchell Edwards including conveyancing firm Be Legal.[10] In 2012 Connells acquired a 25% strategic stake in residential property fund manager, Hearthstone Investments plc.[11] In 2014 Connells Group acquired the Peter Alan chain, which operates in south Wales, from the Principality Building Society for £16.4m.[12] In 2015 Connells group acquired the Liverpool business of Farrell Heyworth an independent Estate Agent, based in the North West of England.[13] In 2015 Connells Group acquired Gascoigne Halman estate agency, based in the North West of England.[14] In 2015 Connells Group acquired Gilbert & Thomas, based in Rutland.[15] In 2016 Connells Group acquired Rook Matthews Sayer estate agency, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.[16] In 2016 Connells Group acquired Paul Dubberley, based in the West Midlands.[17] In 2016 Connells Group acquired Touchstone Residential, operating in Kent, Buckinghamshire and the west country.[18] In 2021, the group purchased Countrywide, with branches across the UK.[19] CriticismConnells 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.[20][21][22][23][24][25] 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.[26] In April 2018 Connells Survey and Valuation business was named in the top 10 of UK companies with the highest gender pay gap.[27] References
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