The branch, in Scotland's Kirkcaldy, is run by Chris Hollins and Anya McCormack – both of whom are Good Travel Agent homeworkers – and is dual branded with The Good Estate Agent.
Rob Bryer and Jake Cullum Hollins founded the agency brand in 2023 following the success of Bryer's estate agency business. It currently has 92 homeworking franchisees.
Founder Cullum Hollins, who is not related to franchisee Chris Hollins, described to TTG how the jump into retail had come about after the agency opened its doors last week.
"Chris was a homeworker – he approached us with a location and a good business plan and asked if they could get an Abta number," said Cullum Hollins. "We had no plans for retail sites, but we have expanded the option now.”
Cullum Hollins is a former Thomas Cook and Tui agent with 10 years’ experience. He said there was crossover between the estate agency business, owned by Bryer, and the travel business. The dual branded shop is a first, he said.
"This has never been done before, but the skills the team need go hand in hand – they are both long-term transactional relationships and there are cross selling opportunities.”
He added that while there are currently no plans for further stores this year, if existing franchisees wanted to open their own shops, the business would support them.
The Good Travel Agent offers two franchise packages. The first, Travel Influencer, comes with a £239 joining fee and an £89 monthly fee, both inclusive of VAT. The brand advertises it as an option for a “part-time side hustle to earn extra income” with a 70% commission split.
Its Travel Entrepreneur model, meanwhile, costs £5,995 to join with a £149 monthly fee, plus VAT. Both are advertised as “no experience necessary” and provide Abta and Atol protection.
The business will be Kirkcaldy's third agency, joining Tui and Travel Your World on the high street.
