In conjunction with its official launch in the New York Designated Market Area (“DMA”) today, Purplebricks Group plc (AIM: PURP) (“Purplebricks” or “the Company”), the pioneering next-generation real estate agency, announced that Robert DiBiase, an established real estate industry executive, has joined the Company as Regional Director, Tri-State Area. In this role, DiBiase will lead the Company’s operations in the New York metropolitan region – including sales, recruitment and agent development – and will work with Purplebricks’ managing brokers to drive market share growth and strategy.

DiBiase, who is currently licensed in New York and is initiating the process to secure licenses in New Jersey and Connecticut, will report to Eric Eckardt, U.S. CEO, and will be located in the Purplebricks’ regional headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.

DiBiase joins Purplebricks from Halstead Property, where he was an Associate Broker focused on business development, particularly with respect to multifamily, new development and townhouses. During his time with Halstead, he implemented customized marketing programs, developed a systematic approach for investors, and spearheaded conversion opportunities for developers. For both 2016 and 2017, DiBiase was recognized as “Agent of the Year” in his designated market of Park Slope, Brooklyn.

“Robert is a perfect fit for our differentiated platform. With a track record of success at top, long-standing agencies in the Tri-State region, his expertise will be invaluable as we seek to ensure our New York team is fully equipped and able to deliver a best-in-class experience for home buyers and sellers,” said Eric Eckardt, U.S. CEO, Purplebricks. “Robert joins us at the start of our journey in this new and important territory. We look forward to having him serve as an ambassador on behalf of the Purplebricks brand, both locally and nationally, and we’re confident his depth and breadth of experience will be an asset for our strategic growth in New York and beyond.“

Prior to joining Halstead, DiBiase was an Executive Managing Director at Massey Knakal Realty Services, where he implemented strategy, managed the sales team’s day-to-day business activities and recruited top talent. During his time at the firm, he launched and led a Townhouse division focusing on property owners in Brownstone Brooklyn. He also held positions at LendingTree, Foxtons, Inc. and Les Friedland and Associates. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University.

“I’m very excited by the immense opportunity in front of me. Purplebricks represents the future of residential real estate, and I’m thrilled about having the chance to play a significant role in launching the New York region, as well as working with a motivated and innovative team that I expect will have a lasting impact on our industry as a whole,” said Robert DiBiase, Regional Director, Tri-State Area of Purplebricks. “The people at Purplebricks are energized about bringing forth a much-needed change to the traditional brokerage model. As home prices continue to climb, sellers deserve to retain more of the value of their homes. Purplebricks provides that without comprising outstanding customer service or the ability for agents to build thriving businesses. The model is a win-win, and I’m eager to hit the ground running.”

Since its launch in the United States via Los Angeles in September 2017, followed by its expansion into Sacramento, San Diego and Fresno in January 2018, Purplebricks has offered home buyers, home sellers and real estate agents an unparalleled value proposition that has served as the catalyst for its impressive growth. In aggregate, Purplebricks has saved home sellers in these markets thousands of dollars in commission fees.

For agents, Purplebricks utilizes a five-stage interview process to ensure its licensed real estate agents – or Local Real Estate Experts (“LREEs”) – have the experience, drive and vision to navigate its innovative platform and approach to transacting. Through this platform, the Company’s LREEs become territory “owners” empowered by geographic exclusivity, allowing them to own specific zip codes within Purplebricks’ markets – and as their business grows, they are able to bring on additional team members to support their practice. This guarantees not only that each LREE has exceptional local market knowledge and the ability to provide expert advice to all sellers and buyers, but that no other Purplebricks team can work within that geography. This contradicts the competitive culture at traditional firms, in which agents at the same company are constantly competing for business with each other as well as agents from other firms.

Purplebricks also supports its LREEs’ business growth through a comprehensive lead generation program, which provides them with a strong pipeline of opportunities and allows them to focus exclusively on helping people buy and sell homes. This is a stark departure from the traditional brokerage model, which requires agents to spend a significant amount of time sourcing and pitching new business, taking away from the time they can spend selling their existing listings. In addition, LREEs with Purplebricks do not pay any desk or franchise fees to leverage the Company’s brand or marketing.

With Purplebricks, home sellers in the U.S. only need to pay a flat fee of $3,200 to list their home and, upon closing, pay the buyer’s agent commission, which is standard in U.S. residential real estate transactions. The flat fee is the same for homes of all values. The New York DMA, which includes more than 20 million people in select counties across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, real estate commissions reach as high as seven percent. A New York DMA homeowner selling a $560,000 home would save $13,600 with Purplebricks compared to the paying the standard real estate brokerage commission.

For more information on Purplebricks’ platform, savings and services, visit www.purplebricks.com. Real estate agents interested in joining the Purplebricks team are encouraged to email their resumes to joinus@purplebricks.com.

About Purplebricks

Purplebricks, with offices in three major real estate markets including the United Kingdom, Australia and now the United States, is the pioneering next-generation real estate brokerage, combining highly experienced and professional Local Real Estate Experts with an innovative and intuitive technology platform to make the entire process of selling and buying homes much more convenient, transparent and cost effective. Purplebricks is transforming the way people perceive real estate agencies, while in the process helping sellers save thousands of dollars, affording buyers greater transactional flexibility and control and offering agents the chance to build and grow their own profitable businesses.