Staff at Insignia Richard Ellis’s Berkeley Square head office were “at the point of tears” this week.
According to a senior agent at IRE: “My guys have been coming to me looking for answers about their futures but I cannot tell them anything until details are tied up in America. They are relying on what they read on EGi for all their information and do not know whether they should laugh or cry.”
The head of one of IRE’s and CB Hillier Parker’s main competitors said he had already had calls from agents at both firms. “My phone has rung a number of times from good people trying to secure a position in case they fall victim to the long knife.”
Another predicted that a lot of agents would quit. “When rivals merge you can only see one head of each division and the one to be made number two does not usually stick around.”
But staff at CBHP seem happier. “We are going to be the biggest and the best and I can’t wait to get going,” said one.
