Choices Estate Agents
Choices Estate Agents is a privately held UK estate agency founded in 1989, operating 10 branches across South East England and South London to serve landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers through sales, lettings, and property management services backed by proprietary products like ARO and Primary Tenancy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSutton, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Choices Estate Agents does
Choices Estate Agents is a privately held UK estate agency founded in 1989 by Simon Shinerock, headquartered in Crawley with a registered office in Redhill, and operating 10 physical branches across South East England and South London. The business serves landlords, tenants, sellers, buyers, and property investors through three core service lines: sales, lettings, and property management, with additional offerings in property investment advisory and below-market-value property sourcing via the Choices Acquisitions service. The Choices Group of Companies encompasses wholly-owned subsidiaries including Daniels Real Estate (Bromley), Sinclair Hammelton, Choices Maintenance Services, Choices Financial Services, Advanced Rent Option Ltd, and Insight Lettings Limited.
The company's core product portfolio is differentiated by three proprietary constructs: the Advanced Rent Option (ARO), a managed product that delivers up to a year's rent upfront to qualifying landlords at no extra cost; Primary Tenancy, a model in which Choices becomes the primary tenant and sublets for profit rather than earning commission; and the Buyer Pays the Fee (TBPTF) sales strategy, which shifts the agent fee from seller to buyer. The underlying technology stack is conventional UK estate agency infrastructure — Reapit CRM as the operational backbone, WordPress/Elementor website with online valuation, rent-in-advance calculator, payments, and maintenance reporting modules, plus integrations with Viewber (viewings), BLINC (tenant referencing), DocuSign/Adobe Sign, and the three major property portals (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket). No AI/ML capabilities are evident.
The revenue model is a hybrid of recurring subscription-style management income (6-14.4% inc VAT of rent, with 18-month minimum commitments) and transactional fees (sales commissions of 2.4-3% inc VAT paid by the buyer, plus tenancy setup and admin fees). Ancillary revenue is captured through formal referral partnerships with conveyancing, surveying, and mortgage broker partners (£66-£300 per referral, up to 30% of mortgage commissions), an in-house maintenance subsidiary, and customer financial services. Customer concentration is low to moderate given the multi-thousand landlord base and the long-tail residential property market, though the London and South East focus and selective enterprise landlord relationships (e.g., multi-property landlords with 300+ properties) create some concentration in higher-value accounts.
Choices Estate Agents firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Choices Estate Agents
- Legal name
- Choices Estate Agents Limited
- Website
- https://choices.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Choices Estate Agents is a privately held UK estate agency founded in 1989, operating 10 branches across South East England and South London to serve landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers through sales, lettings, and property management services backed by proprietary products like ARO and Primary Tenancy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Choices Estate Agents industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Real Estate Services
- NAICS
- Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Residential Property Managers (531311), Lessors of Real Estate (5311)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Real Estate Brokerage (Buy/Sell) (FSAEAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily) (BPAJAAAE), Buyer Representation Services (BPAJAAAJ), Property Management Advisory & Leasing Administration (FSAEAJAN)
Keywords
Where Choices Estate Agents is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sutton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Choices Estate Agents business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Lettings Management Fees: Ongoing property management fees charged to landlords. Special Offer: 6% inc VAT for months 1–6 of full management tenancy plus discounted rent guarantee at 3.75% of annual rent. Standard letting and rent collection at 14.4% inc VAT of yearly rent payable annually in advance. Additional property management fee of 3.6% inc VAT of gross rental, plus £36 inc VAT monthly surcharge for changing legislation and regulations.
- Property Sales Commission: The Buyer Pays the Fee model — buyers pay the agent's fee rather than sellers. The agent charges between 2.4% incl VAT and 3% incl VAT of the net purchase price. This reduces fall-through rates and gives sellers a psychological negotiating advantage.
- Tenancy Setup and Admin Fees: Fees for tenancy agreement preparation, tenant referencing, inventory and schedule of condition, check-in services, annual tenancy agreement renewals, and deposit registration. These are charged per tenancy setup or renewal.
- Advanced Rent Option (ARO): ARO is provided at no additional cost over standard full management fees. Revenue is derived from the broader property management relationship and the volume of properties managed under this model. Void protection is included.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Special Offer Full Management: 6% inc VAT months 1–6, discounted rent guarantee at 3.75% of annual rent |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Letting & Rent Collection: 14.4% inc VAT annual rent + 3.6% inc VAT monthly property management |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Tenancy Setup Fees (Landlord) |
| Other | Monthly | Tenant Permitted Payments (compliant with Tenant Fee Act 2019) |
| Subscription | Monthly | ARO (Advanced Rent Option): included within standard full management fees at no extra cost |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time/ perpetual license | Sales: Buyer Pays the Fee — 2.4% to 3% inc VAT of net purchase price |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Choices Estate Agents product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Choices Estate Agents is a residential estate agency providing sales, lettings, and full property management services through 10 branch offices across South East England and South London. Its product portfolio includes the proprietary Advanced Rent Option (ARO) — enabling landlords to receive up to a year's rent upfront — and Primary Tenancy, where Choices itself becomes the primary tenant. The firm also operates the Buyer Pays the Fee sales model, Nationwide Portfolio Management, and Landlord Rescue Services, supported by an online platform for valuation, payments, maintenance reporting and property search.
Product overview
Choices Estate Agents is an estate agency established in 1989 offering a unified property services platform across sales, lettings, and investments. The core product portfolio includes: Advanced Rent Option (ARO™) for landlords providing rent paid upfront with full property management; Primary Tenancy™ innovative tenancy model where Choices becomes the primary tenant; and a commission-free sales model where buyers pay the fee. Supporting services include Nationwide Portfolio Management, Landlord Rescue Services, Property Search, Online Payments, Valuation Tools, and Maintenance Reporting. The agency operates 10 offices across South East and South London, managing over 2,500 properties.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Advanced Rent Option (ARO™): Unique property management product allowing landlords to receive up to a year's rent in advance at no extra cost. Not a loan and does not affect credit rating.
- Primary Tenancy™
- The Buyer Pays the Fee (TBPTF)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,500 properties under management nationwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Choices Estate Agents
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Choices Estate Agents technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature4 records
Choices Estate Agents partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SafeagentcoreClient Money Protection scheme provider. Safeagent is the UK’s leading accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents. Choices is fully bonded for lettings and management through Safeagent, ensuring all client money is protected.
- The Property Ombudsman (TPO)coreClient Redress Scheme provider. Choices is a member of The Property Ombudsman Scheme, providing consumers with access to independent dispute resolution.
- The Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS)coreOne of two government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes. Choices is a member and registers landlord deposits with DPS.
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)coreGovernment-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. Choices is a member and uses TDS for deposit registration as an alternative to DPS.
- ReapitcoreMarket-leading CRM and property management software platform. Choices uses Reapit as the foundation of all its systems, described as providing a significant operational edge over agents using inferior systems.
- Taylor RoseminorConveyancing partner. Choices refers clients to Taylor Rose for conveyancing services and receives referral fees ranging from £66 to £300 incl. VAT per referral.
- Lewis & DickminorConveyancing partner. Choices refers clients for conveyancing services and receives referral fees of £66 to £300 incl. VAT per referral.
- AVRillominorConveyancing partner. Choices refers clients for conveyancing services and receives referral fees of £66 to £300 incl. VAT per referral.
- NPS LawminorConveyancing partner. Choices refers clients for legal services and receives referral fees of £66 to £300 incl. VAT per referral.
- Countrywide Surveying ServicesminorSurveying partner. Choices refers clients for survey services and receives referral fees of £66 to £300 incl. VAT per referral.
- Arnold & Baldwin SurveyorsminorSurveying partner. Choices refers clients for survey services and receives referral fees of £66 to £300 incl. VAT per referral.
- Hawke Financial ServicesminorFinancial services / mortgage broker partner. Choices refers clients and receives up to 30% incl. VAT of the initial commission the financial advisor receives for mortgage business.
- AWS Private FinanceminorFinancial services / mortgage broker partner. Choices refers clients and receives up to 30% incl. VAT of the initial commission the financial advisor receives for mortgage business.
- Just Move InminorHome mover services partner. Choices refers clients for homemover services and receives referral fees.
- Advanced Rent Option LtdcoreA subsidiary of the Choices Group providing the ARO product. Part of the Choices Group of Companies, providing services to landlords under the Advanced Rent Option brand.
- Insight Lettings LimitedcorePart of the Choices Group of Companies, providing lettings services for landlords and tenants. Listed as a joint data controller alongside Choices Estate Agents and Daniels Property Services.
- Daniels Property ServicescorePart of the Choices Group of Companies. Trades as Daniels Property Services (Daniels Real Estate Limited, registered in England no: 4206485). Provides sales and lettings services under the Daniels brand in Bromley.
- Sinclair Hammelton LimitedcorePart of the Choices Group of Companies (registered in England 6741034). Provides lettings services under the Sinclair Hammelton brand.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Choices Estate Agents competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chancellors Estate Agents: Regional estate agency group operating multiple branches across southern England with full sales, lettings and property management services. Closely comparable in branch scale, mixed sales/lettings mix and landlord offering.
- Foxtons: London-centric UK estate agency and lettings business with a multi-branch sales, lettings and property management offering. Highly comparable in services, customer base and proprietary product focus to Choices, though more London-weighted.
- Winkworth: UK residential sales and lettings franchise network covering prime and mid-market segments. Directly comparable for branch-fee model, landlord/tenant services and franchise-style geographic reach.
Broad incumbents
- Countrywide: National UK estate agency and surveying group operating a wide portfolio of high-street brands. Comparable in core residential services but materially larger and broader than Choices.
- Connells Group: One of the UK's largest multi-brand estate agency groups. Broader and significantly larger than Choices, but operates the same residential sales, lettings and property management model across many local brands.
- Savills: Global UK-headquartered real estate services firm with residential sales, lettings and investment services. Broader and more upmarket than Choices, but services the same buyer/landlord/investor segments.
- LSL Property Services: UK listed property services group with multiple estate agency brands, surveying and financial services divisions. Comparable in product breadth and the cross-sell of surveying/mortgage services alongside agency.
Emerging players
- Purplebricks: Hybrid/online estate agency model in the UK offering fixed-fee sales services. Competes for the same sellers (TBPTF-adjacent value proposition) and increasingly for landlords, providing a different delivery model.
- OpenRent: Online self-serve letting platform in the UK that lets landlords list and manage properties directly. Competes for the same landlord segment with a much lower-cost digital channel.
Others
- Reapit: Market-leading CRM and property management software platform that underpins Choices' operations. Adjacent ecosystem provider rather than a competitor, but a key enabling technology for the sector.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Choices Estate Agents social profiles
Digital presenceChoices Estate Agents compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Choices Estate Agents financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Choices Estate Agents leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Choices Estate Agents subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Choices Estate Agents funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Choices Estate Agents M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Choices Estate Agents
What does Choices Estate Agents do?
Choices Estate Agents is a residential estate agency providing sales, lettings, and full property management services through 10 branch offices across South East England and South London. Its product portfolio includes the proprietary Advanced Rent Option (ARO) — enabling landlords to receive up to a year's rent upfront — and Primary Tenancy, where Choices itself becomes the primary tenant. The firm also operates the Buyer Pays the Fee sales model, Nationwide Portfolio Management, and Landlord Rescue Services, supported by an online platform for valuation, payments, maintenance reporting and property search.
Is Choices Estate Agents a public or private company?
Choices Estate Agents is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Choices Estate Agents founded?
Choices Estate Agents was founded in 1989. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Choices Estate Agents based?
Choices Estate Agents is headquartered in Sutton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Choices Estate Agents make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Lettings Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are property Sales Commission, tenancy Setup and Admin Fees and advanced Rent Option (ARO).
Who are Choices Estate Agents's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chancellors Estate Agents, Foxtons and Winkworth. Broad incumbents are Countrywide, Connells Group, Savills and LSL Property Services. Emerging players are Purplebricks and OpenRent. Reapit is listed as an others.
Does Choices Estate Agents have an API?
No public API is recorded for Choices Estate Agents.
What industry is Choices Estate Agents in?
Choices Estate Agents's product category is Residential Real Estate Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAJAA, Residential Real Estate Brokerage (Buy/Sell), with a secondary code of BPAJAAAE, Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily). Its NAICS code is 53131 and its SIC code is 6531.