John Francis

What John Francis does

John Francis Estate Agents is a Welsh residential property services firm operating as a trading name under Countrywide Estate Agents Limited (sales) and Countrywide Residential Lettings Limited (lettings), both ultimately owned by Connells Group via Countrywide Group — the UK's largest estate agency network. Founded in 1873, the company operates 22 physical branches concentrated across West Wales (Swansea, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and West Glamorgan) and serves home buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants through a sales-led, branch-based go-to-market model complemented by listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, and PrimeLocation.

The core product portfolio comprises residential property sales and lettings, augmented by a Premium Marketing Pack (professional photography, video, premium portal promotion), Property Auctions, and a New Homes division serving developers. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based commission on sales (on a "no sale, no fee" basis), recurring lettings and property management fees, and referral income from cross-sold Countrywide Group services including FCA-regulated mortgage broking, RICS-approved surveying, fixed-fee residential conveyancing, and insurance products. A 60,000-strong active buyer database and a 24/7 landlord web portal support lead generation and customer retention.

The technology stack is largely off-the-shelf, built on the Homeflow property website platform with integrations for LiveChat (customer service), Fixflo (tenant repair reporting), and Stripe (auction payments). The company holds industry accreditations from NAEA Propertymark, ARLA Propertymark, The Property Ombudsman, and the Propertymark Client Money Protection Scheme. John Francis has won "Best Large Estate Agent" at the ESTAs Awards for nine consecutive years and operates as part of Countrywide Group's broader network of over 200 award recognitions.

Name

John Francis

Legal name

Countrywide Estate Agents Limited

Website

https://johnfrancis.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

John Francis Estate Agents is a Welsh residential property services firm operating 22 branches across West Wales, offering sales, lettings, auctions, and related services as a trading subsidiary of Countrywide Group (Connells Group). It serves home buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Estate Agency

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily) (BPAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Investment Sales Brokerage (BPAJABAI)

Keywords

• Residential property sales
• Property lettings services
• Estate agency Wales
• Property management
• Mortgage broking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmarthen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property Sales Commission: Commission-based fees charged to sellers upon successful property sale completion.
2. Lettings Fees: Fees charged to landlords for tenant finding, property management, and lettings services.
3. Ancillary Property Services: Referral fees and partnerships from related services including mortgages, surveying, conveyancing, insurance, and auctions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

John Francis is a traditional estate and letting agency selling residential property sales, lettings, and full property management services through 22 branches across Wales. Its portfolio extends to mortgage broking, surveying, conveyancing, insurance, new homes, commercial property, and online property auctions, supported by a Premium Marketing Pack add-on and a Zero Deposit Guarantee product for tenants.

Product overview

John Francis is a traditional estate and letting agent offering a comprehensive property services portfolio. The core offering consists of property sales and lettings services across 22 branches in Wales, supported by integrated add-on modules including Premium Marketing Pack (enhanced photography, video, and premium portal listings), Property Valuations (instant online and expert in-person), and Zero Deposit Guarantee (tenant deposit replacement). Partner services are delivered through Countrywide: Mortgage Services (mortgage broking), Surveying Services (RICS surveys), Home Conveyancing (legal services), and Insurance (homeowner, landlord, and tenant coverage). Specialized divisions include New Homes (developer sales and marketing for ~4000 new homes annually), Property Auctions (online auction platform), and Commercial Sales & Lettings. The company operates as part of the Countrywide Group, the UK's largest estate agency network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Sales Residential property sales services including property valuation, marketing, access to a 60,000 active buyer database, premium marketing options, and sales progression support, delivered through 22 branches across Wales.
• Property Lettings Rental property services for landlords including tenant sourcing, tenant referencing, property management, rent collection, and dedicated landlord support, with services ranging from let-only to full management.
• Property Valuation Free property valuation service offering instant online estimates based on Land Registry data and expert in-person valuations by local branch agents.
• Premium Marketing Pack Enhanced property marketing add-on for sellers including professional photography, floor plans, premium listings on Rightmove/Zoopla/OnTheMarket, showcase video, and social media advertising.
• Countrywide Mortgage Services Mortgage broking and protection services comparing thousands of deals from high street and specialist lenders, offered through in-branch consultants and an online calculator. Regulated by the FCA (FRN 301684).
• Countrywide Surveying Services RICS-approved property surveys including RICS Home Survey Level 2 (with or without valuation) and comprehensive Level 3 surveys for older or complex properties.
• Home Conveyancing Property law services handling all legal aspects of sale or purchase transactions, with fixed legal fees, 7-day office availability, and 24/7 online case tracking.
• Insurance Services Insurance products for homeowners, buy-to-let investors, and tenants offered through Countrywide Mortgage and Insurance Services, with customizable options for tenant cover.
• New Homes New build property sales for buyers, including shared ownership and Help to Buy schemes, supported by a dedicated new homes team working with developers across Wales.
• Property Auctions Online property auction service for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural properties and land, offering transparent sales with certainty of completion. Online bidder security deposits processed via Stripe.
• Zero Deposit Guarantee Deposit replacement product allowing tenants to pay a lower upfront fee instead of a traditional 5-week security deposit, protected by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and regulated by the FCA.
• Land & New Homes Developer Services Comprehensive services for residential property developers including market research, development appraisals, bespoke marketing strategies, site staffing, and sales management for residential developments of all sizes.
• Commercial Sales & Lettings Commercial property services including sales and lettings for commercial premises, managed through the dedicated Commercial West branch covering Wales.
• Property Management Comprehensive lettings and full property management service for residential and commercial property portfolios, accessible via landlord web portal 24/7.
• Land Sales Buying and selling land services for residential development and investment purposes.
• Energy Performance Certificates EPC services required for selling or letting properties, fulfilling legal obligations under UK regulations.
• Removals Removals services via Countrywide Relocation Solutions connecting customers with local trustworthy removal companies.
• Tenant Insurance Insurance coverage for tenants offered exclusively through Countrywide, providing extensive cover with customizable options to protect tenants' belongings and liability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won 'Best Large Estate Agent' at ESTAs Awards 9 consecutive years

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Countrywide GroupcoreOthersJohn Francis is a trading name and subsidiary of Countrywide Estate Agents Limited and Countrywide Residential Lettings Limited. The parent company is the UK's largest estate agency network, providing centralized support, systems, and brand backing.
• RightmovecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperties are advertised on Rightmove, one of the UK's major property portals, providing exposure to millions of property seekers.
• ZooplacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperties are advertised on Zoopla, a major UK property portal providing additional market exposure.
• OnTheMarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium listings are promoted on OnTheMarket as part of the Premium Marketing Pack offering.
• PrimeLocationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperties are advertised on PrimeLocation as part of comprehensive property marketing.
• Propertywide.co.ukcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperties benefit from immediate coverage through Countrywide's own property portal Propertywide.co.uk.
• Countrywide Mortgage ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-branch mortgage consultants comparing thousands of deals from a panel of high street and specialist lenders, regulated by the FCA.
• Countrywide Surveying ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRICS approved surveying services offering property surveys including RICS Home Survey Level 2 and Level 3, as well as survey and valuation packages.
• Countrywide Home ConveyancingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional conveyancing services with offices open 7 days a week, fixed legal fees, and 24-hour online case tracking.
• Countrywide Mortgage and Insurance ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance policies for property owners, buy-to-let investors, and tenants through Countrywide's insurance partners.
• Zero Deposit (Global Property Ventures Limited)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZero Deposit Guarantee scheme allowing tenants to pay a low upfront payment instead of traditional security deposit, regulated by FCA.
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTenancy deposit protection scheme providing dispute resolution and protection for landlords and tenants.
• Propertymark (ARLA/NAEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Francis is a member of Propertymark (NAEA Propertymark for sales, ARLA Propertymark for lettings) and covered by the Client Money Protection Scheme.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Connells Group: Ultimate parent company of John Francis (via Countrywide). UK's largest estate agency group with multiple high-street brand subsidiaries, providing shared services, mortgage broking, surveying and conveyancing. Directly comparable multi-brand residential strategy.
• Savills: Global real estate services firm with significant UK residential agency, lettings, and mortgage advisory operations. Comparable as a full-service residential agency with premium positioning, though operating at a larger and more international scale.
• Knight Frank: Global real estate consultancy with substantial UK residential sales, lettings, and new homes operations. Comparable as a premium full-service residential agency with a strong branch network and complementary surveying/mortgage services.

Direct peers

• Countrywide: Direct sibling brand and parent entity of John Francis. Operates a similar network of regional trading brands across England and Wales, offering residential sales, lettings, mortgages and conveyancing under the Countrywide umbrella.
• Foxtons: London-centric UK estate agency with a branch-led sales and lettings model, similar revenue mix (sales commissions plus recurring lettings management). Comparable business model and commission-based pricing, although concentrated in Greater London rather than Wales.
• Hunters Property Group: UK-wide franchised estate agency network offering residential sales, lettings, and mortgage services. Highly comparable as a branch-based residential agency with similar product breadth (sales, lettings, mortgages) and a comparable regional brand strategy.
• Belvoir Group: UK-franchised lettings-focused agency group with managed and let-only services. Comparable as a multi-branch residential agency with a heavier weighting to lettings revenue, complementary to John Francis's lettings offering.
• Winkworth: UK-franchised residential sales and lettings network with a strong London and southern presence. Comparable as a multi-branch residential agency combining sales, lettings, and property management under a network/franchise model.

Emerging players

• Purplebricks: UK online/hybrid estate agent offering fixed-fee sales. Comparable as a competitor for residential sales instructions in the same UK market, with a contrasting low-overhead, no-branch model that pressures traditional commission pricing.
• Yopa: UK online/hybrid estate agency with a local-agent model. Comparable as a competitor in the residential sales space, offering an alternative commission structure to traditional agents like John Francis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JohnFrancisEstateAgents
• Xx.com/johnfrancisea

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John Francis