43. Haus Properties

Founders: Jamie Lester and Amin Omidi
Founded: June 2011 (launched November 2011)
Website: www.hausproperties.co.uk

Co-founder Jamie Lester has come a long way since appearing in the 2010 series of The Apprentice. With 16 years of experience in property he was all too aware of the negative stereotypes dominating the industry and was embarrassed by a lack of ‘sophisticated marketing techniques, offices and technology’. Out of this frustration, he joined with co-founder Amin Omidi to launch an agency that would fill a gap in the market for an ‘open and candid’ service and look to alter the reputation of estate agents. Just two years on and it appears that West London-based Haus Properties has achieved its founder’s goals and was this year voted one of the UK’s top 20 best small estate agents after being secretly shopped by The Daily Telegraph. The company has already helped over 129 people to sell or rent homes and is on target to secure revenue figures of £1.3m this year. Not only is the business focused on being ‘customer-led’ but it is also community-minded and has so far donated approximately £14,000 to local schools and charities. With plans to open a fourth agency later this year Haus Properties, listed as ‘Best Innovation’ agency by the Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year Awards, is gradually on its way to transforming the property sector.