John Paul Downes – reputed to have been the most successful Territory Owner at Purplebricks – has joined Keller Williams.
He is opening a new market centre, Keller Williams Phoenix, in his previous stamping ground, the midlands.
Always known as JP, he was a founding Territory Owner, and grew the Leicester, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Coventry, Rugby and Rutland region into the largest territory within Purplebricks.
He is said to have closed 1,950 transactions last year.
He was with Purplebricks for five years, and was among the departures last month when the business scaled down the number of Territory Owners by about 60.
His departure in particular sent shock waves through the Purplebricks community.
Before joining Purplebricks, JP was with Countrywide brand John D Wood in central London.
An unusual estate agency figure, he trained at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, and spent six months on an expedition to the North Pole.
At Keller Williams, he is now operating principal of Keller Williams Phoenix which will be covering Coventry and Warwickshire.
Ben Taylor, CEO of Keller Williams in the UK and who was managing director at John D Wood, said: “JP offers a wealth of experience working within real estate, his knowledge, enthusiasm and winning attitude makes him a truly exciting addition to our team.”
JP, now recruiting self-employed agents in the region, said: “The Keller Williams values really fit what I believe is at the heart of estate agency – delivering exceptional customer experience, with great results, through building personal relationships.
“For our agents, the level of training, systems and support here is incredible and unlike any other offer in the industry.
“I am genuinely excited to be working with the agents that join me on this journey at KW Phoenix.”
Colleagues: JP is pictured on the right, with Ben Taylor
Comments (45)
The gentleman in question is an excellent estate agent who was frustrated massively with the incompetence that are now running Purplebricks.
Vic Darvey is naively being advised by people not qualified to give advice in matters of agency.
Senior management are out of their depth lets look at the facts:
Head of lettings: Never done a day of lettings in her life and dictates to the DLD’s what to do without even listening to their ideas or direction.
CEO: Alison Platt in the making this one. He’s a good guy but the people he is surrounding himself with are utterly abysmal.
MD: Absolute loves the sound of his own voice has no experience whatsoever in the industry and his people management is nothing but bullying. Nobody disagrees and everyone sings his praises right up until he’s left the room. He will be a huge part of the downfall of Purplebricks.
JP Downes left the business because:
1. He got a huge payout which was even huger due to the incompetence in senior management and their inability to control situations. His silence about certain things was bought.
2. He is better, more intelligent and questioned senior management. They didn’t like this so they wanted the threat removed.
Look at the remaining TO’s… You only have to look at Linkedin to see why they remained. They all talk everything up and yet one phone call to those same people they are sat there moaning about the business that contracts them.
The new Territory Operators have already had promises broken in terms of earnings and what they are inheriting and these lies are filtering downwards. Due to the inability to recruit they are pushing inexperienced agents through the academy to fill the gaps.
It most definitely is not about the customer anymore. It is about the shareholders and the board. Incidentally todays close 78p. I expect shareholders are happy. Not.
Interesting points made here. I agree with a lot of it although, does sound like it may be JP who has written it though.
The PB senior management are scrapping around trying to find a new formula to work after the culture and those who genuinely bled purple have all but gone. In reality I’d say I’d actually recommend about 6 of the current 40 territory operators. Some like Tom Evans and Dean Mcluskey are great people and superb leaders where as others have just been very good at getting their faces in where they needed to be with the new senior management.
Market share is now starting to fall and it will be interesting to watch Axel Springers reaction and who they sack first?!?! Vic, Allan or Verona as seemingly its these three running the show. Get the popcorn out
I can assure you I am not JP.
I know JP very well and especially applaud him for his ballsy move from JDW to PB.
The three musketeers have fallen on their feet in roles they are vastly under experienced in.
I agree their are very few TO’s that are now acceptable in that position. In fact their are some really questionable decisions.
Axel Springer have likely accepted that they have blown their investment by now.
Two things are for sure:
1. 10% market share is delusional it’s gone backwards not forwards.
2. £10 share price the Bruce’s vision saw will never happen with just the UK market as a focus.
You mention Verona – Jack of all trades master of none.
They tried to shift the Lettings business in Q4 2019 but were without buyers.
Mortgages haven’t taken off still. MAB are fed up with dealing with poor leads to get the odd deal they have to give away 36% of the case on, for the life of that client.
The only ancillary that’s working is conveyancing and that’s because customers are forced to use them when paying later.
Wrong people at the top but how can they throw the towel in. They are responsible for a 90% drop in market cap for the UK’s most successful estate agent. Hardly a CV highlight.
Christian Howes is good because he is cut from the Bruce cloth.
It dont take a genuis to figure out who you both are tbh…. neither JP 🙂
Oooooohhhh Cloak and Dagger!
Being cut from either of the “Bruce” brother’s cloth is no accolade. They set this turkey up to line their pockets with as much gold as possible and bail out. Thinking they gave a **** about the business being stable or able to achieve long term success or that they were even interested in leaving a legacy is quite naive and very delusional.
You are assuming they left by choice?
Your also assuming they made a fortune. They didn’t. Certainly not in Michaels eyes.
Have to say that personally I have benefited greatly from their leadership and indeed financially from them.
They looked after the people and had they remained the business would be in a much better place.
The board prevented them from correcting their own errors.
Their big mistakes were:
IPO
America
Recruiting backstabbers
Industry will go in a cycle for a few years of agents going between these various ‘franchise’ agencies before the individuals realise or at least have to publically admit – through leaving – that they are not making any money and would have been better staying or building an independent brand that they own and operate and control the database.
Or jumping from ship to ship as its easier (lazy)
They are shedding talent and share value…………..
They dont want talent. They want yes men.
The DSD’s were that cowardly they didn’t even have the courage to meet with their own Territory Owners to advise them of what was going to happen.
They wouldn’t last two seconds in a traditional agency Directorship role. The machine that the field built is being annihilated by suits.
Christian Howes is the only DSD who has any salt about him. The others are laughable! One is an ex Connels Bully who still thinks he is in the military, one is kennys ex brother in law. How any of these other lit can think they’ll do a good when they’ve never been in a TO or LPEs shoes baffles me!
Christian Howes… Yes man! the pinnacle of a yes man actually. The DSDs have pointless job and they know it so best to leave them to it. No one takes any note and there the subject of a lot of memes and jokes in groups behind their backs.
Allan Warren is just another fall guy. Were never hear of him again in few years.
Knowitall makes a valid point. The need for DSD is even less than the RD. Ultimately if these Territory Operaters are really running their own business why do they need superiors. Especially ones that are not as good as them in a lot of cases.
The only fathomable reason for the DSD I can see is because the three musketeers above them don’t have the foggiest about estate agency so they need the DSD’s to help them. In which case why would you knowing the clowns above you are being paid double if not triple the money to impart no knowledge upon the business.
It is a very peculiar situation.
PB ….Why get rid of your best hitter??????????????????
Knowitall …. thumbs up.
They kept those that had little spine in fairness. Some are good agents and Territory owners but i’m adamant that wasn’t considered in the process, more of who can be manipulated and take all our risks! Either way Mr JP was neither a big hitter nor spineless from what i hear, see and know.
Because their best hitter had an opinion and a voice.
Mr Warren doesn’t like voices except for the sound of his own. Its a shame that most of the words leaving his lips are of the brown variety.
First post deleted so will try be a bit nicer…. He certainly was not a big hitter nor even close and had a mentality of his way was the only way to be right. That said all the best to him and anyone trying something. (can i keep this post now?)
Did you work for him?
Close enough. i certainly had my interactions with him over mine and his career.
Seems this bloke has broken the cardinal rule – never believe your own PR. Definitely an ‘S’ missing in that headline.
“For our agents, the level of training, systems and support here is incredible and unlike any other offer in the industry.”
This platitude bears closer scrutiny. What if the ‘training’ results in an ever lower public mistrust of agents? Overkill over time is one of KW’s straplines. Said differently, interrupt, annoy and hustle the public for your worth.
Systems that encourage the agent not to think for themselves, but to adopt the boiler room tactics epitomised in The Wolf of Wall Street and a recruitment process that has all the hallmarks of Scientology.
There are agents, of course, that perfectly fit this profile, but it’s wise to consider whether door-knocking and cold calling on steroids is really in one’s nature before being seduced by the hype.
“through great relationships” might be somewhat a misnomer. KW is all about transactions.
Two types of estate agent in the industry at the moment.
1. 85% of agents are what I call ‘Listers’ they collect property and put it on the internet this figure will grow where the likes of PB who have been paid for failure now go onto the likes of KW, it’s all about listing not selling. Same way KW is all about recruitment not selling.
2. 15% of agents are full service, invested in getting people moved, getting the marketing price right with a fee that befits them. Sadly a dying breed.
Spot on sp
Agree it is a dying breed.
They’re all searching for something they believe the market wants. The general market doesn’t really care about agents fees if they are getting a service. It’s been proven time after time since onliners/hybrids came on the scene.
Admire your energy and enthusiasm KW, but it will have to be some pretty clever marketing to support the swashbuckling individuals you are picking up from other failed or failing businesses.
Having known the gentleman in question [part of sentence removed by moderator as in breach of guidelines].
Burned through staff and was a particularly full of his own self importance. Strange as he seems perfect for the current stream of Purplebricks TO’s.
seems my post is heavily edited ! Nice to see free speech is not allowed here either …
But he was very very passionate about what was needed and often frustrated about not being able to fix it. I say good for JP and I hope KW is the fit for him.
no free speech on pie? shocked! thats why its only the smae 20/30 people who comment on posts and it never gets any differnet views or opinions!
“… its only the smae 20/30 people who comment on posts and it never gets any differnet views or opinions!”
…of which you are one, it would appear – with your “differnet” views or opinions!
You really couldn’t make this up if you tried…
I’m not disputing that….
I am saying to get more engagement let people comment what they within guidelines.
Apologies for the spelling, sometimes i have to type quicker then my sausage fingers can due to a heavy workload!
Knowitall
When you consider the number of comments posed, the team at EYE delete posts quite rarely.
A few of mine have been pulled from time to time – but when they has happened and I have queried why, it has always been for reason which, when explained to me, made perfect sense.
Free speech is one of the rights that we enjoy today thanks to the actions of our predecessors. That being said, the team at EYE have to consider many things in relation to comments posted on their website, and will make whatever decision they feel to be in the best interests of the poster making the comment; the subject of the comment; those reading the comment; and of course the site itself.
‘New’ commentators are as welcome here as old – possibly more welcome, even! We were all newbies once. But every opinion will have an opposite – plus all the degrees of agreement/disagreement between the two poles of thought. And certain subjects naturally attract stronger opinions than others – leading to the polar opposites being greater.
Some may well feel a bit daunted by posting – but we are also meant to be an industry of strong characters with incredible resilience.
I can’t believe that this is limited to 23-30 people – and that you and I are two of them!
If that’s the case – the industry IS doomed!!
Always a good sign when you are known by your initials alone as the other JP ,JP Mcmanus is known who will be looking to come away next week at Cheltenham with a host of winners
1,950 sales is beyond impressive and I should imagine his departure arose from some fraught negotiations with the hapless Bricks management attempting to renegotiate a new remuneration package.
Lookss like Bricks are very much losing their best players .Noticeable that their instruction levels are on the wane again .too .Cavalry needed
Good luck to him. He will have it all to do to get anywhere remotely close to those numbers with KW who currently have a more modest number of 417 instructions nationwide on their books
Nope there are three JP’s, the third being the recently promoted police officer on ” Death in Paradise” one of my wife’s weekly highlights on the telly.
It actually says 1,950 ‘transactions’ which in PB world is an instruction and not a sale.
PB numbers down cause they cant recruit! Areas the size of counties with 3 or 4 lpes!!! And with all that inherited stock!
Even when they do recruit it’s a nobody on last legs or someone so naive they done agency 6 months!
Lets look at the facts about instruction levels:
Oct 2018: 6689
Oct 2019: 5151
Nov 2018: 4823
Nov 2019: 3917
Dec 2018: 2937
Dec 2019: 2543
Jan 2020: 5403
Jan 2019: 6790
Its all in the public domain for investors to find out via Rightmove and the like.
The solution to this for the current MD is remove a load of their best people, watch further people leave because of it. Offer a worse service and focus on increasing fees.
They believe the way forward is to offer a split fee with a larger chunk upfront and the brand can survive this. It wont. They think they are Amazon or Apple.
Still you could always ask Alexa or indeed see if anyone at Team GB wants to move house.
“therealpropertyexpert”
Not sure where your monthly “instruction levels” figures come from – but some of them appear to be from the pages of a Jackanory script!
They were from an internal spreadsheet. Whether they are accurate who knows but I would hope that their internal reports are accurate.
“They were from an internal spreadsheet.”
So – not “…all in the public domain for investors to find out via Rightmove and the like.”?
Well all the stats should match up. Instruction numbers aren’t exactly hard to come by.
Perhaps the senior manager who leaked them should speak out.
“Well all the stats should match up.”
AMEN TO THAT! But they don’t. Ever.
“Instruction numbers aren’t exactly hard to come by.”
Actually, instruction numbers are extremely hard to come by! At least, accurate ones are.
PB now quote “listings” figures in their Half & Year-end reports but they are for the respective periods and not broken down further.
Rightmove is less than useless – if you ask it for the “Added to site” properties for the last 24 hours/3/7/14 days, not only do you have to remove all the reduced properties to have a chance – but still don’t know which are being #RElisted – and you need to do that 20-odd times for each of the “regions”!
And Zoopla’s “Just added” properties include all #RElistings – so how does the average Joe start to work out which are genuine and which have been on display more often than a Page Three model’s chesticles?
I think there’s an awful lot of people that would like to discuss PBs ‘listings’ figures with someone – no-one more than me.
But that’s never gonna happen… is it?
I have the spreadsheet and it is clearly a PB reporting system spreadsheet.
I am awaiting the up to date for Feb 2020.
They leak information like a sieve!
I can give you February’s if you like?
Yes please 🙂
Which figure would you like?