BUSINESS PROFILE
Simon Shinerock, Chairman of The Choices Group
PLENTY OF CHOICE The Choices Group is an award winning, multidisciplinary high-street agency based in London and the South East, covering all aspects of sales, lettings and management from its 14 highly-rated branches, as well as operating a nationwide service. Founded in 1989 by Chairman Simon Shinerock, with whom innovation has become synonymous; the business’
primary area of focus in 2022 is to continue improving upon the success of the Advanced Rent Option (ARO™), which is the flagship of the company’s unique proprietary Primary Tenancy™ business model. ARO™ quite simply affords landlords the option of taking a year’s worth of guaranteed rent upfront, included within the service, at no extra cost.
❛❛ As well as being innovators, Choices has always taken property beyond a transaction ❜❜
OVERCOMING INITIAL HURDLES AND A MOMENT THAT SHAPED THE FUTURE With the start of the business having coincided with the worst housing market recession since the war, the initial six years were inevitably a fight for survival. In 1995 however, which marked the start of the buy-to-letboom, a pivotal moment took place in the form of a simple special offer, which not only opened a floodgate of landlord leads but resulted in spectacular growth across the following years. THE BIRTH OF THE PRIMARY TENANCY ™ AND HOW IT LED TO ARO™ 2008 marked the beginning of the next crash, and competition was inevitably beginning to catch up. Once again, the founder’s entrepreneurial instincts came into force. What could Choices offer that other agencies couldn’t’? Whilst his initial thoughts were forming in relation to offering a no-strings-attached rent guarantee (minus the need for complicated insurance), the idea then occurred to him, that if Choices were to become the tenant, then that kind of guarantee could be offered. This then led to the birth of The Primary Tenancy. The Primary Tenancy™ turned out (and continues to be) a much better business model for everyone. Tenants get a professional landlord and a rent guarantee of their own, giving them up to a year’s rent free if they go off sick or have an accident. Landlords are relieved of their regulatory obligations (as well as maintaining anonymity) – and as an agency, if anything goes wrong; things can get sorted out more quickly and more efficiently.
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