Century 21 UK launches new franchise packages

Century 21’s UK network has introduced new investment packages to help ambitious entrepreneurs gain access to the franchise system after a tough year.

According to the estate agent and property franchise, as many as 28 percent of agency workers were put on the furlough scheme in 2020, and many more were made redundant. To combat the financial strain preventing many would-be investors from setting up their own property businesses, Century 21 UK is rolling out three models: Solo, Flex and Max.

Century 21 Solo is characterised by “home-working and no set-up fees”. Investors can share a territory with other self-employed agents and keep up to three quarters of their own sales income.

The franchise’s Flex option involves a flexible location and fees. It’s designed to reflect the “dramatic shift in working habits over the past 12 months”, according to a spokesperson. Franchisees can choose the hours they work and avoid the expensive costs of a high street premises.

Century 21 Max is the final model, which caters for “maximum footfall and territory”. It’s already been around for half a century and investors set up an office in a “more traditional role of high street estate agency franchising”.

No matter which model investors choose, they’ll always receive the franchise’s high-quality training opportunities and access to its resources.

The business’s Head of Franchising, Chris Summers, explained,

“2020 has been a year like no other and has had a deep impact on the property sector. There haven’t just been changes to the way we as professionals are working, but what buyers and sellers expect has shifted too.

“It’s important for us to offer greater flexibility to our franchisees and their customers. We believe that the three different models do just that and we’re proud to be the one of the first international arms of Century 21 to introduce this new way of working."