Jamie Lester, a former contestant on The Apprentice, is planning to relaunch HAUS Properties seven years after he walked away from the estate agency and sold his stake in the firm.
Lester launched HAUS Properties in 2011 following his appearance on the BBC TV show. But he quit the company in 2016, two years before it was closed with a liquidator appointed.
Lester, who has spent the past few years operating a new-build consultancy, is now hoping to revive the estate agency, which previous had four offices in west London.
He wants to focus on building a community of self-employed brokers that benefits from a wider network of shareholders and properties to market.
The first step of the launch is a fundraising round, presenting an investment opportunity only for landlords and property developers and is limited to 200 investors, all of whom must buy or sell at least ten properties annually.
Jamie Lester, founder of HAUS Properties, commented: “I aim to create a revolutionary and innovative approach by bringing the network effect to often siloed, disconnected, and disparate estate agency professionals. HAUS fosters ‘in-haus’ collaboration and cross-pollination, sharing expertise, support, and opportunities for everyone.
“HAUS brokers are set to be empowered to grow their own businesses and support the wider community simultaneously, sharing in the eventual spoils. Our culture of collaboration and innovation is infectious, drawing top-tier estate agents into our revolution.”
According to Lester, the HAUS business model will ensure that although self-employed, its brokers will benefit from a community driven company that will fully support everyone within it, with leading technology, training, a strong brand with a robust social media presence, as well as regular networking events.
Whilst brokers will be expected to bring their own contacts and generate business, the investment model means that they will potentially have access to 2,000 properties per year thanks to its shareholders, according to Lester.
The investment round is set to be complete by the end of 2023, with the HAUS Properties consumer launch to follow in January 2024, initially in London with a view to expanding to other key UK cities in future.
