By the time Karl Knipe had left his hometown of Sheffield headed for London aged just 19 he could already add market trader, magician and financial adviser to his CV.
But arriving in the Capital to take a punt on a new opportunity as an estate agent, he had no idea he was about to embark on an awardwinning career that would span more than three decades.
So as the group eyes further opportunities for expansion and adapts to pandemic life, I sit down with Karl to find out how a Yorkshire lad arriving in 1980s’ London built up a network of successful estate agency branches and property service firms under the prestigious Kings Group brand.
London calls
The roots of Karl’s success lie in his upbringing. A tradition of hard work was bestowed in him at a young age, working with his dad on a market stall. By 12, he’d swapped the market for magic and set up a children’s entertainment business making £12 an hour for doing tricks. “I realised quickly I was good at presenting and entertaining people and I could earn good money doing it. Even then I was looking for opportunities and these are the skills I have carried through with me to the business.” A family funeral in London led to a chance meeting with an owner of an estate agency and Karl was offered a job. He jumped at the chance - Sheffield in the mid-1980s offered little opportunities. Money was scarce when Karl arrived in London. But those tough early months gave him the determination to work harder than his peers to succeed. By 1991, that hard work had begun to pay off and he opened the first Kings estate agency branch in Enfield with his business partner Tom Paine.
Building blocks
The hardest office to open out of Kings’ 14 branches located across east and north London, Essex and Hertfordshire, says Karl, was the second located on the other side of Enfield. “You’re splitting yourself in two at that point because there’s no one else to run the new office. We worked for 11 months straight without a day off. “But that’s what it takes to get a business off the ground. You start early, finish late and always reinvest your money.” After fearing the second office could fail, Karl and Tom threw their efforts into building a team they could trust to run the Enfield branches giving them room to focus on growing the business. The experience sparked Karl’s passion for training and empowering his staff to work and think for themselves.
People matter
“When someone comes to work with us we tell them that they work for themselves and their desk is their office. That’s the culture we instil in all our staff. “We train people hard from the beginning and once our managers have been with us for three years and they know our system we give them freedom because we trust them. We build strong relationships with our staff and that’s why they stay with us.” The ‘system’ involves sitting down with people at the start of the buying and selling process to find out exactly what they want. Then laying down plans to deliver those expectations. The old-fashioned human approach allows Kings to deliver value for money and a hassle-free service to its clients. “We spend time asking questions and every part of the process is done properly. We’d rather book five to ten serious viewings than send 50 so that means getting the buyer fully registered. And if the vendor is buying a home outside the Kings’ catchment area, we recommend the best agents that can help them with their onward purchase. We offer real value for money.”
Best laid plans
Simplify’s conveyancing support and commitment to its customers and colleagues underpins Kings’ service commitments. By connecting a vendor with a Simplify conveyancer as soon as the home is listed for sale, plans can be made to start collecting information, such as a leaseholder pack. Preparation is key, says Karl, in delivering a speedy sale. “When the vendor uses our recommended Simplify solicitor, the sale is much more likely to go through. Aside from being quicker, communication with the Simplify team is much easier, which has been a godsend over the last six months with the stamp duty holiday. And if we need to speak to a senior conveyancer – no problem. We can get straight through.” Kings has recently switched from Simplify’s self-quote sales model to its referral model where Simplify take sales responsibility. A fact which Karl says leaves the conveyancing sales responsibility in the hands of a focused negotiator committed to signing up the vendor. As communicating remotely becomes a way of life, Karl says having the right software to meet clients’ expectations is vital. “Our clients have hectic lives so being able to use a simple conveyancing portal like eWay that allows them to track the progress of their sale is important to them.”
Opportunity knocks
Brexit halted Kings’ plans to grow, but the group is once again eyeing opportunities for expansion which could involve acquiring new offices under an existing brand. But Karl says his main priority is continuing to guide the group through the pandemic in good health. He’s learned valuable lessons over the last 18 months. Always a planner – the pandemic was the biggest curve ball he’d ever been thrown. “I had to react instead of being proactive but I’m proud that I was versatile enough to switch styles.” And as we speak over Zoom while he holidays in Puerto Banús, Spain, he says he’s finally embraced the power of remote working. His advice for a young agent starting out? “You might think, what have I got that will make me a success? Well you can start earlier, finish later and work harder than everyone else. And never think you’ve made it. You’re always getting there.”
