ESTATE AGENCIES
SJ BINGHAM-CHICK ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Based in Exeter, what can Savills offer the local market? With Savills, I’m the local representative of a global brand; we provide local knowledge but global reach giving us a unique advantage over national and local brands. Although I am based in our Exeter offices I spend much time in the area and I still live here in Dartmouth. I first fell in love with the South Hams after spending a long weekend here. I quickly made it my home and have been here 13 years, 10 of which were spent working in estate agents in the town. We have only two offices in the West Country so we don’t
waste time competing with ourselves. With 31 offices in London and over 500 overseas we have a very strong presence in the London market and internationally helping us to feed to our vendors’ properties an impressive array of buyers with a particularly keen interest in the South Hams. Our focus is across the full range of prices – we don’t just focus on value but are also particularly good at selling properties that are unique or unusual – from a tiny pretty cottage to a substantial coastal mansion. Our ability to sell quickly at a good price is more often than not due to how we market and present a property. We take great care in producing quality brochures for every property using the best photography we can. We get 1m visits to our website each year but also
heavily market through the Rightmove and Onthemarket web portals. Our very strong brand recognition sees us mentioned 60 times a day in UK press and media. Unlike many other agents, we can take a wider perspective of the South Hams market – if a property in Salcombe isn’t right for a buyer, it may be so in Dartmouth and vice versa.
What are the prospects for the local market? The market locally is pretty stable – we don’t see any immediate change in the current trend. Importantly, it remains an investment market with a strong focus on the 2nd home buyer. Consequently, it is dependant on what also happens in the London and Home Counties. Like other agents, we bemoan the current lack of
lls South Hams -Jane Chick
k@savills.com
48 800462 123
inventory. I don’t recall having so many buyers ready to act but with too few properties to satisfy their interest. Our skills, experience and strength in marketing means we are better placed than most to sell the right property, quickly and at the right price. In such a market where there’s not enough stock, it’s imperative that a potential buyer registers their interest and needs with us as early as possible. That way, they’re more likely to be informed about a property that matches their needs sooner and often before it appears on the websites or even a board put up outside.
TOM FREEBORN OWNER
What’s new at Freeborns? We’ve traditionally focused our attention in the last few years on the lettings market and sales of specialist property such as holiday chalets. We remain Dartmouth’s longest established independent lettings agency and, as a family business, pride ourselves on offering a very high level of service. The business was started by my father in 1992 and I’m proud to have built up the lettings side so strongly over the past 4 years since I took over. But I’ve wanted to rebuild our presence in property sales so I was delighted that, on the 1st June, Bob Hollies joined us. Bob previously managed the Charles Head agency in Dartmouth and latterly worked with Richard Blake and has extensive knowledge of the industry and the local market. We are new obviously to the sales market but we are quickly building our portfolio. Bob’s energies are being spent on walking his ‘manor’, telling prospective vendors about what we now offer them that is special. We are members of the National Association of Estate
Agents, the Association of Residential Letting Agents, The Property Ombudsman and are also accredited members of the Tenants Deposit Scheme for rental properties. We operate a modern mailing list, based on industry leading software, using emails and telephone calls to keep you up to date with the latest property coming to the market in Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and surrounding areas of the South Hams. Our properties are marketed on the Rightmove and Onthemarket websites backed up by advertising in local publications such as By The Dart and the Chronicle. We also provide specialist services such as property management, energy performance certificates, commercial sales and lettings and business sales.
What’s your view of the market? The sales market is now more stable – it’s still a buyers market but if a property is priced correctly and shows well, it will get offers. Our job is to get the best possible price for the vendor and we are very focused on that. The lettings market remains strong – tenants are
perhaps now more prepared to commit to long term tenancy agreements if the property is well presented and looked after either as an alternative to owning a property or perhaps whilst they wait for the right property to buy. We are always on the look out for good properties to let and we offer a reliable and professional service for both landlords and tenants.
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