How marginal gains created major change at Ashtons
From replacing spreadsheets to automating client journeys, Ashtons show how small innovations, layered over time, can transform an agency.
Innovation driving a 50% growth ambition
When Ashtons set themselves the challenge of increasing turnover by 50% within five years, they knew growth wouldn’t come from opening more branches. With six locations, 130 employees, and the largest transaction volume in the county, the opportunity lay elsewhere: maximising the potential of what they already had.
Technology would be the key. First, they had to break free from the systems holding them back.
Frustrated with restrictive tech
Like many estate agencies, Ashtons found themselves tied to a “supplier’s way” of working. Their CRM functioned as a database, but nothing more. Whenever they tried to push it further, the result was a jumble of bolt-on applications and sprawling spreadsheets.
The limitations weren’t just inconvenient. They were blocking the team from working efficiently and stopping the business from moving forward.
“There was one way, and it was the supplier’s way, which wasn’t always our way.”
Karl Judd
Managing Director, Ashtons
Creating a dynamic business
Karl’s vision was to create a business that could evolve as quickly as the market. That meant technology that was flexible, responsive, and - above all - theirs to shape.
That search led them to Greenhouse OS.
Within three months, Ashtons moved from a standardised database to a bespoke operating system designed around their business. For the first time, everything was in one place - processes, data, and communications - ready to evolve with their needs.
Marginal gains for a lasting impact
At Ashtons, innovation isn’t about chasing the latest “game-changing” feature. It’s about continuous improvement - layering small, meaningful innovations on top of a solid foundation.
With Greenhouse OS, the team now has the freedom to make those changes themselves. A form that once lived in a spreadsheet becomes an automated workflow. A client update that used to take a phone call can now be delivered by SMS. Feedback that was once buried in emails is instantly captured and reported on.
Each of these improvements might feel marginal on its own. But together, they free up time, reduce frustration, and give staff more space to focus on what really matters: their clients.
Confidence in the future
Six months into their journey with Greenhouse OS, Ashtons are already seeing results: more properties brought to market, smoother operations, and a more confident team.
What makes the biggest difference is control. Ashtons are no longer waiting on suppliers to innovate - they’re shaping their own systems, their own processes, and their own customer journeys.
With innovation back in their hands, Ashtons have the freedom to pursue their ambitious growth target - not by doing more of the same, but by working smarter, evolving faster, and building technology that’s truly their own.