Our 2023 Round Up

SHIRLEY OFFICE 2023

After a year filled with negative media speculation, high interest rates, the energy crisis, and a higher cost of living, we could not have predicted that we would be up on residential sales. In the last quarter, we saw an increase of 35 sales when compared to the same time in 2022, and instructions were also up from 141 to 157.

Whilst we were delighted with the end-of-year figures, the year did prove to be tougher than the previous. We put this down to several factors that affected the timescales and effectiveness of the sales, such as increased fallthroughs due to changes in circumstances, the general legal process taking a lot longer than in previous years and many needing to be cautious when buying.

The allAgent’s awards were also well received, with us winning four awards for the branch, including three Gold awards for Best Branch B90, Solihull & West Midlands, and a Bronze for Best Sales Branch in Midlands.

• Jamie Smart ran/hobbled the full Manchester Marathon on Sunday 16^th April and also managed a full day of valuations on the following Monday, although he requested these to be bungalows, if possible. He raised £6000 for Help Harry Help Others and presented the cheque to Georgina Mosely, who came into the office to thank him personally. She also presented Jamie with a medal of appreciation, which is now on display in the office.

• Rory Powell joined the sales team after completing his apprenticeship in New Homes, during which he gained a full understanding of the business, opening up new opportunities for his career development.

• Rory along with Gin, Josh, Tom, and Rory all moved home in 2023 and Gemma will be moving early in the New Year.

As we reach 12 months since we moved into our new offices, we are looking forward to what 2024 has to bring. The Smart Homes team is ready and, following a positive start already, we have a lot of activity giving us hope for another great year.

NEW HOMES 2023

New Homes faced similar challenges to the residential team, but also with a decrease in the first-time buyers market, contributed to by the considerably high mortgage rates and lack of first-time buyer schemes. Therefore, we relied heavily on investors and home movers and had to target our market accordingly.

The end of 2023 brought the early completion of Imperial House (Homer Road, Solihull). With over 65% reserved off-plan before completion, it kept the team busy towards the end of the year, with many handovers. It also led to a great start in 2024, with 2 sales in as many days, and with the great rentals that are being achieved, the site has proved to be very popular with investors.

In 2022, we introduced our Portfolio Collection, which has brought an increase in instructions on our high-end new-build properties, while offering the same professional service as we do with New Homes. We also offer an elevated marketing package to assist with these properties.

Overall, 2024 is looking very bright, with several new build developments coming to market. Also, after we collaborated with Brookvale Land, many off-market sites, that have been sold, are now starting to come to fruition. We will be announcing these in the months to come!