46 commercial property


Diversification: our best kept secret


Despite the dynamic nature of our recent growth, the culture and ethos of our multidisciplinary business continues to drive our success, write Peter Coles and Peter Kavanagh, directors at the Romans Group


... the Group broke through the significant milestones of £40m revenue and 600 personnel


Peter Coles Group managing director


Following a £50 mllion-plus management buyout in 2013, led by Coles and Kavanagh, the Romans Group has just completed what has been an exceptional fourth consecutive year of record breaking success.


We provide our customers with a comprehensive range of property services, with departments specialising in; sales, lettings, new homes, auctions, surveying, mortgages, conveyancing, commercial property, land and town planning.


Founded in 1987, many of our divisions had their best year ever in 2015 and, collectively, the Group broke through the significant milestones of £40m revenue and 600 personnel.


Seven significant acquisitions during the past 12 months have seen estate agency branch numbers grow to 27


Seven significant acquisitions during the past 12 months have seen estate agency branch numbers grow to 27; 50% up from where we were just two years ago. This is on top of our seven other offices, which house our planning division, Boyer, and surveying teams in Southampton and Twickenham.


YOY increase from 2014 to 2015 Turnover growth: 15% EBITDA growth: 27% Business revenue generation via www.romans.co.uk: 62%


Our diversification is perhaps our best kept secret; we provide our customers with a full range of property services, meaning they are safe in the knowledge that whatever their property requirements, we can deliver.


One of many highlights in 2015 was our New Homes division which experienced a remarkable 80% increase in sales YOY, thanks to its close relationship with some of the country’s leading developers, including; Berkeley, Bewley Homes and Crest Nicholson. So, in order to continue providing the high levels of customer service we’re renowned for, and to build further on this success, we have recently introduced an in-house new homes sales team based at our head office in Wokingham.


How have the company values been sustained during this growth?


From a customer-facing viewpoint it is this diversity that supports our growth. Internally, it’s our core values that enable our staff to provide exceptional levels of customer service and embrace new markets with confidence. In 2014 we revisited our Group values statement providing focus to not only the business but every single individual member. ‘Enabling the right property decisions’ is at the heart of the statement and all that Romans does.


This exponential growth is both exciting and challenging in equal measures as we hold true to ensuring that the core values and ethos that we are all so proud of, and are the foundations of our success, are maintained and perpetuated across the growing Group through 2016 and, indeed, beyond.


We are extremely proud of the innovative and engaging www.businessmag.co.uk THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – APRIL 2016


Peter Kavanagh Managing director of Romans Professional Services


workplace we’ve created, and the recognition this has received following our accreditation as a UK Best Company 2016, in association with the Sunday Times.


What’s next?


During the next 12 months we are sure to see more growth, more acquisitions and more success and, yes, no doubt some more challenges, but at Romans we face challenges with optimism, just as we say in our values statement.


Thanks to the speed of our growth we now have opportunities for us to welcome new members to the team across many of our divisions; another new focus for us throughout 2016.


Details: www.romans.co.uk


Branch network


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