Proptech pioneer joins Worcestershire firm
Gary Barker – one of the biggest names in propTech and former CEO of Reapit and CTO of Connells Group – has joined COHO – an HMO-focussed property management platform.
The appointment comes as COHO, which is based at Worcestershire technology accelerator BetaDen and offers an all-in-one HMO and property management platform, continues rapid scaling and turns its attention towards agents.
Barker said: “I’m a techie and solutions person at heart, and when Vann demonstrated COHO to me I was immediately working through how it offered agents a way to take advantage of a new part of the lettings sector and to increase their revenues and services.
“I believe that the HMO sector will see a significant explosion and without any stigma attached to it. It won’t just be young individuals that look to take advantage of shared living, but also those mid-age homeowners with a room that they want to offer out, for financial and social benefits.”
COHO founder Vann Vogstad added: “Gary has spent years in senior finance and IT roles at Countrywide, working with some of the most talented agents solving their problems – people including Grenville Turner, Bob Scarff, Ben Taylor, and Lee Wainwright.
“He then spent 15 years at Reapit as CEO, building it to be the biggest property management service, before joining Connells/Countrywide as CTO of the biggest estate agency group in the UK. He is also a director at epropservices.”
