A new portal for commercial property has appointed Rightmove founder Harry Hill as its chairman.
Hill, who was boss of Countrywide for 20 years, joins Movehut in a non-executive capacity.
He founded Rightmove during his highly successful tenure at Countrywide, and was a director of the portal. He is currently director of In-Deed Online, a conveyancing business.
At the same time as his appointment, Movehut, which launched quietly last year, has also announced former investment banker Justin Bates as its first chief executive.
Commenting on his appointment, Harry Hill said: “The team has established an excellent business, already counting some of the UK’s leading commercial agents as clients.
“It is my strong belief that Movehut is quickly becoming recognised as the go-to website for commercial property.
“I look forward to working closely with the company and its customers and ensuring all stakeholders can benefit from my experience with Rightmove.”
Comments
“We created the country’s leading conveyancing business”. Only because estate agent employees are told to recommend CPL. I have yet to find one of those agent employees who actually instruct CPL themselves when buying or selling or recommend CPL to their family and friends.
In fact, I have yet to find anyone who has a good word to say about CPL.
I don't usually comment on this site, however Harry Hill was a fantastic businessman. If you were prepared to work hard, listen and learn you were set on a lucrative career path with him.
Dissenters who did not achieve at Countrywide only have themselves to blame.
That's all fine, Harry. What I object to is my small business, which will typically list between one and five properties at any one time (and sometimes no properties at all for up to 3 months) having to pay the same rates as the bigger companies who are perhaps listing 30 properties, perhaps more. At least with local newspapers I don't have to carry on paying when I have nothing to advertise. And if I only have one property to advertise, then one property is what I pay for. Truth is, if I hadn't stopped marketing my properties on Rightmove some ears ago, I would actually be paying more than in years gone by, not less.
I do wish I hadn't sold my Rightmove shares though. I only doubled my money, I could of quadrupled it! Yes, the shareholders are the winners.
Oh wind your neck in Harry. Let me tell you, working for you pre Apollo was no fun whatsoever.
Seeing as you mentioned conveyancing, CPL was and still is the biggest joke within the industry.
I'm always amused but slightly saddened and perplexed by the banter from some people on this site! The Countrywide team, of which I was honoured to be captain for 20 years, created and sold a business to Apollo for £1bn+, created and floated Rightmove (the best resi portal in the world in my view, which short of "shafting estate agents" still saves most huge amounts compared with what they were spending years ago, almost totally ineffectively, with local newspapers)-current value £1.7bn. We created and floated off a valuable life company - now renamed Chesnara and in-house created (not without difficulty) the country's leading conveyancing business and residential lettings business. Thousands of Countrywide staff received excellent training (very many now hold very senior positions in other agencies or have their own practices), financial rewards from share option schemes, which benefited hundreds of people not a select few. Post Countrywide many of the senior management team have, as I have, gone on to join other major companies in and out of property with varying degrees of success-but during the worst economic climate since the 2nd world war. I don't mind personal attacks at all if the're accurate-but come on guys, grow up and get on with your own business careers! Personally I'm content with my lot!
Harry Hill is a one-hit wonder.
Harry Hill, Justin BATES, former BANKER.
shall we just do our own jokes?
@commercial agent - exactly what I was thinking.
“I look forward to working closely with the company and its customers and ensuring all stakeholders can benefit from my experience with Rightmove.”
..shafting all the agents once they are dominant?