Two big self-employed estate agents firms 'join forces' in UK. iad UK appears to have acquired rival Avocado Property, but both firms say deal will strengthen member agents' ability to make a good living from selling properties. Two of the UK's self-employed model estate agencies have joined forces in what both companies describe as a 'strategic alliance'. The companies - iad UK and Avocado - are tight-lipped about what this means, but its promotional material for the alliance would suggest Avocado has been bought by the larger and international firm, iad UK. But the firms do say the combined operation will create a "stronger platform for ambitious agents to grow profitable, long-term businesses". The Neg has requested clarification of the deal, but at the time of publishing had not received a reply. Avocado was launched in 2020 and last year revealed it had completed some 2,000 property sales and earned £10 million in commission for its member agents. The much larger iad is one of Europe's largest self-employed real estate networks, with 20,000 agents across Europe, as well as more in Mexico and Florida. Levelling up. Lee O'Brien (main image, centre), MD of iad UK, adds: "This is what levelling up looks like. The UK estate agency model is evolving quickly, and the agents who win over the next five years will be the ones who combine local expertise with the right platform behind them. "By joining forces with Avocado, we're bringing together proven UK performance with a platform built to help agents earn more, grow faster and build something of real long-term value." Right things. Ian Macbeth (main image, left), one of the two co-founders of Avocado Property Agents alongside Mike Robson (right), adds: "The Negotiator has built Avocado on putting people before property, creating a strong team culture and doing the right things brilliantly every day. "What I'm excited about is keeping the heart of what makes Avocado different, while adding the scale and network power to take its standards further and faster. "This partnership will no doubt mean we can all support more quality agents and help more homeowners truly enjoy moving house in the UK." What's your opinion? 31st Mar 2026 Nigel Lewis

iad Real Estate has appointed veteran broker Dave Courtney as Managing Director to lead its US expansion, beginning with entry into the Texas market. Courtney, who has 25 years of experience as a broker and owner, previously sold his multi-state brokerage to iad in 2023, providing the company's initial US foothold. Under Courtney's leadership, iad's revenue share structure enables agents in any of its eight operating countries to build teams in other iad markets without holding licences in those regions. The company describes this as creating a "borderless growth engine" for agents. iad Real Estate operates a cloud-based, agent-centric model globally. Courtney emphasised the company's focus on helping agents build transferable business assets rather than simply growing someone else's brokerage. The company has raised $295 million to date.