The UK’s largest property franchise is celebrating the opening of its northernmost office this month, as Martin & Co Inverness arrives.
The latest franchise owners to join the team are husband and wife duo, Tony and Karen MacIver, who both have a strong business background having previously owned a teddy bear franchise and their own property and letting sales business in the city. Although they enjoyed running their own property business, Tony and Karen were keen to join a nationally-recognised brand and to benefit from faster income growth, so they made the move to rebrand their business as Martin & Co.
With strong high street and online presence, the secret of Martin & Co’s franchise owners success is that they can provide local property knowledge whilst being backed by a national brand. It’s no wonder Martin & Co has been recognised for its award-winning service by its clients winning Gold for Best Large Letting Chain at the ESTAS (Estate and Letting Agent awards) in 2009 and 2012, as well as Silver in 2010 & 2011 and most recently in 2013.
“We chose Martin & Co because we wanted to be part of a growing and successful business. The brand is recognisable nationwide, so we were keen to adopt the reputation of excellence in the business and credibility of being part of a public limited company. We also felt comforted by the continuous support and guidance that is on offer,” explains Tony.
Franchise owners like Tony and Karen take market share in their dedicated franchise territories using Martin & Co’s support, sales training and understanding of best practice in the property industry. On lettings income alone, on average, Martin & Co’s franchise owners who are high-street based turnover £245k in year 3 and you can expect to build your business value to in excess of £380k in just 5 years.
Tony’s background in sales and Karen’s experience in the financial industry provided the skills and experience they needed to run their own Martin & Co franchise. As property investors themselves, Karen and Tony are aware of the high standards expected in the industry and are confident that they can achieve this. As locals to the area, they felt Inverness would be the perfect location for a lettings and estate agency franchise.
Now couldn’t be a better time to invest with Martin & Co. The property market is thriving, with research indicating that the private rental market will continue to expand by 50% in the next decade. By 2016, it is estimated that one in five households will be renting in the private sector. It is not just the lettings market that is booming. The current demand for sales property is insatiable with an estimated 12 prospective buyers to every new property on the market. With no end to this boom in sight, Martin & Co franchise owners look set to have a bright future in the property industry.
