Countrywide
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Property services |
| Predecessor | Hambro Countrywide plc |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Hambros plc (through acquisition) |
| Headquarters | Chelmsford , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Products | Residential surveying, estate agency, corporate property solutions |
| Owner | Connells Group |
Number of employees | 8,500 |
| Parent | Connells Group |
| Website | countrywide |
Countrywide ranks among the largest integrated property service providers in the UK, offering residential surveying, a broad estate agency network, and corporate solutions. The group employs roughly 8,500 individuals across over 650 estate agency and lettings offices, operating under more than 50 distinct brand names. Countrywide functions as a fully owned subsidiary of Connells Group.
History
The company originated in 1986 when financial institution Hambros plc acquired the estate agencies Bairstow Eves and Mann & Co, creating Hambro Countrywide plc, which was subsequently listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its growth strategy involved multiple acquisitions, including the Nationwide estate agents from Nationwide Building Society in 1994, Spencers from National and Provincial Building Society in 1995, and several London-based firms such as Faron Sutaria, PKL, and John D Wood & Co. in 1997.
Following a demerger from Hambros, the business was renamed Countrywide Assured plc in 1998. It then introduced a Bairstow Eves franchise model and expanded by purchasing Friends Provident’s estate agents and surveyors in 2002, adding 104 offices throughout Southern England. The life assurance division was separated into Chesnara plc in 2004.
Further expansion occurred in 2004 with the acquisition of the Freeman Foreman group and Bradford and Bingley Building Society’s estate agency operations. This included established brands such as Slater Hogg & Howison, which had been founded in 1975.
In 2007, private equity firm Apollo Management took Countrywide private through a purchase exceeding £1 billion. After reorganizing its debt structure, ownership was shared between Apollo, Oaktree Capital Management, and Alchemy Partners. The company returned to the public market with a London Stock Exchange listing in March 2013.
Countrywide continued to grow by acquiring Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), a national commercial property consultancy, in 2013, followed by southwest Wales estate agent John Francis in 2015.
A profit warning issued in January 2018 triggered a nearly 19% drop in share price and led to CEO Alison Platt stepping down. Executive chairman Peter Long assumed leadership temporarily until a new CEO was appointed. By August of that year, share value had declined by approximately 60% after a rights issue and several profit warnings.
In December 2020, Connells Group reached an agreement to purchase Countrywide for around £82 million, finalizing the acquisition on 8 March 2021.
Brands
- Abbotts
- Accord Lets
- Alan de Maid
- Andrew Reeves
- Ashby Lowery
- Ashton Burkinshaw
- Austin & Wyatt
- Bairstow Eves
- Beresford Adams
- Bridgfords
- Blundells
- Carson & Co.
- Chappell & Matthews
- CityLets York
- Clive Watkin Partnership
- Country & Waterside Prestige
- Countrywide North
- Cryers
- Dixons
- Entwistle Green
- Finders Keepers
- Frank Innes
- Freeman Foreman
- Fulfords
- Gascoigne-Pees
- Geering & Colyer
- Hamptons International
- John Francis
- John D Wood & Co.
- King & Chasemore
- Lambert Smith Hampton
- Lighthouse Property Services
- Mann
- Miller Countrywide
- Morris Dibben
- Palmer Snell
- R.A. Bennett & Partners
- Regal Residential Lettings
- Slater Hogg & Howison
- Spencers
- Stratton Creber
- Sutton Kersh
- Taylors
- Tucker Gardner
- Urban Spaces
- Watson Bull & Porter
- Wilson Peacock
- Woods