A real estate agency that launched in 2018 saying the High Street offices were dead… has now opened its second physical branch in just three months.

In November 2018, Bob Crowley – one of the founders of Agent & Homes, which had launched six months earlier – told Estate Agent Today: “Like most agents who have worked on the high street in the past , we believe that a high street presence and a storefront are no longer necessary for a modern agency to succeed”.

The idea was to have independent agents operating either from an equipped office or from their homes.

But now Crowley’s co-founder of the agency, Rollo Miles, has announced that the two physical branches are in Ladbroke Grove and, more recently, in Islington.

According to Miles, the explanation behind the change of heart is simple: “Where we already have strong independent agents in the field working and gaining market share, we then parachute a local hub into their patch to support them. This gives them additional presence, and helps them gain more market share by tapping into potential customers who may not know them personally.They also benefit from increased marketing and brand presence by having a local brand hub in which to welcome customers.

However, the company insists these local centers are not old-fashioned High Street offices, and says their design is about the home and connecting with local suppliers and landlords.

Instead, the new hubs “add a new dimension to the platform and take advantage of changes in local habits”.

Nathan Kinder, who runs the new Islington branch, says: “Not only do we have signs or our branded classic cars driving around, but we also have a local presence to welcome residents, so they have a better and clearer idea of ​​what we are talking about.

“That bespoke local service” with all the added benefits of the best technology tools and modern thinking, it’s our turn – we are traditional agents but also very tech savvy and above all customer service focused.

Agent and Homes says it is looking for new sites across London.

Miles concludes: “As we come out of Covid and the economy starts to open up, what we all want to do is work in the new world we find ourselves in.

“More and more of us are working from home, our local main streets have been rediscovered by their locals who are spending more time in local cafes or delis and therefore have that extra local presence and can invite a customer over for a coffee and a property, catching up is more important than ever. What’s crucial is cementing us as true local agents – our agents live and work in their plot and are therefore the best people to introduce new people to the area. tenants or buyers.”