MOVERS & SHAKERS
ACQUISITIONS
OPENINGS
LAUNCHES Who grows there?
If you’re not growing, you’re shrinking – and there’s certainly growth in estate agency, even in these tough times.
smiths gore announCes merger Smiths Gore’s Senior Partner,
Simon Knight (pictured left), said, “I am hugely excited by the proposition and look forward to working with the new team to maximise a wide range of existing and new business opportunities. We are looking forward to capitalising on Stratton & Holborow’s stronghold in the South West, which together with our national brand, will offer a more wide ranging service to all of our clients.”
Rural chartered surveyors Smiths Gore has merged with Stratton & Holborow in the South West. This merger will see Smiths Gore
reinforce its position as a national practice with 29 offices ranging from Fochabers in the North West of Scotland to Truro in Cornwall. Under the merger, the two firms
will unite under the Smiths Gore brand with 83 partners and a staff of 448. Simon Knight will remain as Senior Partner and Andrew Harle as Managing Partner and the headquarters of the firm will be those of Smiths Gore in Peterborough.
Smiths Gore has an established
estate management practice, complemented by residential and farm agency as well as other rural property consultancy service lines including a research department, while Stratton & Holborow has a dominant position in building and construction and land management in the West Country.
Connells have opened a new lettings division at their office in Wolver- hampton, West
Midlands, headed by Lee Chuter. Lee, who has 13 years experience in lettings, said,
62 JUNE 2011 PROPERTYdrum
Chairman of Stratton & Holborow, Neil Sargent (pictured left) adds, “We are thrilled to have successfully completed the merger with Smiths Gore which will
deliver an enhanced service to our client base here in the South West. We are looking forward to becoming part of a nationally recognised brand from which our clients will have access to a wider range of resources.” The new firm will operate three divisions; Agency (sale of rural property from cottages to farms and castles), Consultancy (Architecture and Building Surveying, Valuations, Planning and Development, Sustainability, Renewables and Energy, Research and Business Improvement) and Management (Estate Management, Farm Management, Forestry, Minerals, GIS Mapping).
Connells open in Wolverhampton
“I am extremely pleased to be joining such a large and successful agent like Connells. “I firmly believe in providing a personal and professional customer service, making sure that landlords and tenants are always kept up to date. “The lettings market in
Wolverhampton is very strong, so there’s massive potential to develop this division.”
northfields open in paddington
Northfields Estate Agency, named the Letting Agency of the Year at the 2010 awards, has opened a new office in Paddington. MD, Richard Palfreeman,
said, “Paddington is an area we have wanted to extend our services to for years. With consistently growing tenant demand, new developments like Paddington Basin and winning the Lettings Agency of the Year we felt this was the right time to take that step.” Silvia Eldawi, Northfields
Lettings Director, said, “We put some staff in the office in February to get a feel for how
agent goes for Web profile
Robert Williams, team estate agency in Exeter, has become
RobertWilliams.co.uk to highlight its internet presence and ability to reach more buyers. The agency has re-branded with new signage, stationery and marketing materials to reinforce the message and its monthly individual visitor statistics have risen dramatically each month since the change. This increase represents extra web traffic of 54 per cent (Google Analytics) . Steve Alford, Director, said, “With the majority of enquiries coming from the Internet, we wanted to do something to show that we are different from the others in
providing a modern, highly efficient service with what we believe is the best online coverage possible for our client’s properties. Our properties appear on the main portals and
RobertWilliams.co.uk, as well as team’s own portal,
teamprop.co.uk.”
the market would respond, investing in new branding that will be passed onto all our offices. Demand has been strong and we’ve currently got 39 properties on our books. This area is really hot at the moment, the right kinds of properties move very fast.” “Every landlord wants not only high occupancy, but good quality tenants. Our relationship with international relocation agents is so important to delivering landlords the highest calibre of tenant, which translates into better rents, longer occupancy and simply less hassle.”
MERGERS
Robert Williams staff
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66