"After being in the Estate Agency business for over 20 years, I felt as though I had the experience to take my career to the next level. Starting my own business felt a little too risky, but with the support and brand awareness that Century 21 provides, I knew I was in good hands. As the Century 21 network grows in the UK, so will the brand recognition. After working in estate agency in the USA for four years, I recognised the value that Century 21 has as an international brand. I then met with Rachel, the business development manager for Century 21, whose expertise and enthusiasm really inspired me, and everything grew from there. Of course, economic downturns have meant a few inconsistencies since we started our journey, but it has been exciting and if you work hard, it will certainly benefit you. We opened our Golders Green branch in July 2014 and took on Century 21 Islington in August 2015, which has become a very lucrative proposition for us. To me, the most enjoyable part of running my own Century 21 franchise, is the teamwork. I really enjoy collaborating with and motivating the team within the office – in my eyes, it’s important to build up a reliable team who you can count on to perform. Another aspect of the role that I love, is getting results! When an instruction comes in and goes through to completion, it really is a great feeling and is very satisfying. As I already had plenty of relevant experience, including in a franchise office, I did wonder what the training could teach me, but I was happily surprised. Nothing in my career, until this point, has provided the level of support that there is with Century 21. It’s been really handy being able to call on Lesley or Chris for advice, as and when it’s been needed. The managers meeting we recently held was also brilliant – there are many good things coming on the horizon, such as a new website and additional investment in technology, which is really exciting! If I could give any advice to any prospective Century 21 franchisee, it would be to find yourself a job in an estate agency business for around 6 months, so that you can really build up some understanding of what is involved and required in the industry. It is important to realise that it is an office – you have to be on hand and running the office for it to work successfully – it’s not going to just run itself! Having passion for the industry and the people is most important however, as you are the business owner, plus there is the personal incentive to drive the business forward."

Mark Pesci (Golders Green and Islington)