From dusty paper-based to tech-enabled transactions

Digitalising the house-buying process in the UK has enabled TM Group to embark on a journey to become the number 1 solutions provider for the domestic property market. The team already achieved significant success, pivoting TM Group into a technology and data business, doubling its profitability and driving its growth through Buy & Build.

Since being acquired by AURELIUS in 2023, TM Group has embarked on a radical journey, turning a well-known name in real estate services into an industry innovator by transforming the house-buying process for its loyal customer base with time-saving, efficiency-enhancing technology and best in class customer service. The cornerstone is a build, buy or partner approach, that has already enabled the business to offer white-labelled solutions with best-in-market technology.

“Before AURELIUS bought TM Group, we hadn’t explored ways to innovate through technology and the rich data base readily at our fingertips. AURELIUS Operations Advisory has inspired us from the beginning to rethink our approach,” explains Thomas Maerz, CEO.

After being acquired, TM Group immediately started re-evaluating its business model and profitability goals, collaborating closely with AURELIUS Operations and Investment Advisory. “We tried to imagine a substantially enhanced offering which reduced costs for us and offered convenience and efficiency to our customers,” Thomas explains.

This strategic shift also added a significant proportion of recurring revenues to an otherwise somewhat lumpy, transactional revenue model. This incremental stability has allowed TM Group to reinvest into additional technologies, investments which now really help to differentiate it in the market.

Buying to build a pioneering solutions provider

In addition to advising on operations, AURELIUS also plays a significant role in guiding TM Group’s strategic journey, including acting as a sounding board on identifying acquisition targets and considering whether to build, buy, or partner.

In this context, 2024 saw the company acquire Lawtech and its Verify365 white-labelled onboarding platform. Lawtech’s leading ID & AML checks, using its own IP as well as best-in-class Source of Funds and Source of Wealth Checks, have streamlined onboarding. Today, TM Group is the only provider with proprietary technology. This is compressing the timeframe of property purchases, and helps boost completion rates. It also shifted the business’ role from the end of the journey to the beginning, digitizing and transforming the onboarding process and therefore making it simpler for users to start transactions in one place. The team also built internal and external development capacity and is working on real AI efficiencies as well as qualified electronic signatures to further lead the change.

“We’re proud to have become the trailblazer in the sector, and our customers clearly appreciate the benefits we are bringing. We have seen 100+ new customers joining us since the beginning of the year”, Thomas says.

TM Group's rapidly increasing market shares in both England and Scotland are further testament to its rapid growth. To better serve these markets, new products and services were adopted more quickly, propelling TM Group's journey forward. This has not gone unnoticed: The industry itself has since recognized TM Group with the Legal supplier of the year as well as last week the search Provider of the year awards. Through its Lawtech offerings the company won the British legal tech awards.

Growing at speed

These efforts have paved the way for fast growth, with 20 % staff added to the team, a double-digit revenue increase and profits more than doubling in the first three quarters of 2024 alone. Scaling at such speed requires agility, and Thomas credits AURELIUS’ support and bespoke advice with enabling this.

“Key to achieving this growth was AURELIUS’ support and advice to reduce complexity and pursue operational transformation. Now, we aim to be the No 1 solutions provider and offer ‘best-in-class’ service to shape the industry,” stated Thomas.

Efforts in the months ahead will focus on continuing TM Group’s transformation from a transactional to a technology and data business, with additional acquisitions being explored to further enhance TM Group’s proposition, speed up its processes and continue to improve its client offering. “We continue to build on our strong foundation, and this requires non-stop innovating”, he says.

It has been a strong first full year, and the journey ahead is equally promising, with TM Group aiming to be the number one solution provider for the whole property conveyancing process.