Growth very much on the mind of new branch owner Doreen
For Doreen Rose, her first taste of Martin & Co came as an employee. But even as Lettings Manager for the Staines-upon-Thames branch, she could see the value of the franchise – and now she's experiencing it first-hand.
Doreen became the new owner of the Staines branch earlier in 2021 and has already thrown herself headfirst into life as a business owner.
The reason I got into estate agency in the first place was because owning a business was my goal. It just took me 20 years to do it!
After four years as Lettings Manager at the Staines branch between 2013 and 2017, Doreen admits that "life got in the way" of her ambitions to run her own office. But the Covid-19 lockdowns gave her time to assess and reignite her dream of being her own boss. And then, in a genuine twist of fate, the office where she'd spent four happy years came up for sale.
"I was considering starting my own independent agency," admits Doreen. "But then I saw that the Staines branch was available, so I rang the franchise team at The Property Franchise Group to enquire and it went from there."
Even though I had the experience to set up my own independent agency, as soon as I started working for Martin & Co back in 2013 I could see what the franchise does for business owners.
"It's a huge brand, for one, but also it was all the other support you get that really convinced me to go for it. I have lots of experience in sales and lettings, but it's that support that you receive as a business owner that I know I will really benefit from as that's the biggest step for me."
Doreen has hit the ground running in Staines and already has a plan in place to grow her new business.
"When I worked at the branch before, we were one of the top-three agents in Staines, but I want to improve on that," she says.
"I also want to grow the sales side of the business, too, and if the opportunity came up to consider some acquisitions, I would certainly look at that, as well, as I know The Property Franchise Group team will be on hand to help me."
