Type Limited company CEO David Livesey (2008–) Parent organization Skipton Building Society | Industry Real estate Founded 1936 | |
 | ||
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) Headquarters Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom Subsidiaries Rightmove, Fox & Sons Ltd. | ||
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.
Contents
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, increasing its estate agency network to around 500 branches. In the same year, Connells acquired estate agency Sharman Quinney.
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.
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, 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. In the same year, Connells acquired independent estate agency Burchell Edwards including conveyancing firm Be Legal.
In 2012 Connells acquired a 25% strategic stake in residential property fund manager, Hearthstone Investments plc.
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.
In 2015 Connells Group acquired Hatched an online estate agency.
In 2015 Connells group acquired the Liverpool business of Farrell Heyworth an independent Estate Agent based in the North West of England.
In 2015 Connells Group acquired Gascoigne Halman estate agency.
In 2016 Connells Group acquired Rook Matthews Sayer estate agency.
In 2016 Connells Group acquired Residential Lettings agency Touchstone Residential and rebranded offices to Connells whilst inserting sales teams to all Lettings offices.
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.