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Agencies & People

‘Shop windows’ no longer needed claims estate agency as it closes branch

West Midlands firm Andrew Grant has closed its Redditch branch and said 'when clients need to see us we will visit them, not the other way around'.

Nigel Lewis

estate agency

An independent estate agency chain in the West Midlands has closed one of its branches and has told local media that “when clients need to see us we will visit them, not the other way around”.

Faced with changing customer requirements, Andrew Grant estate agents has decided to close its Redditch branch and says its Worcester branch team ‘are ready to service clients across Redditch and beyond’.

Andrew Grant has its headquarters in Worcester and operates 12 other branches around the region including in Solibhull, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Ludlow and Hereford.

Rationale

At the same time the branch closure was announced, the company published a blog explaining its rationale for the closure.

“Estate agency is evolving and adapting to the needs of today’s client. At Andrew Grant the most important thing about us is you,” it says.

But the old ‘shop window’ of an estate agency is no longer much needed. Committed buyers have telephone and email alerts to flag up new properties to market the moment they appear online and simply click a link to learn more and book a viewing.

“No-one is waiting for the local newspaper to arrive on a Thursday evening to see what’s available, or walk the streets peering into the half light of the estate agency window for inspiration.”

In its blog the company also predicts that the industry is likely to contract in the coming months, saying that: “There are around 20,000 branches of sales and lettings agents around the UK – and that too will certainly change”.

Read more about Andrew Grant.

September 20, 2019

One comment

  1. They are wrong! And if they really believe that they don’t need a shop window why don’t they close their other 12 branches.

    It is true that buyers now have other means to see what properties are available but the real value of having a shop window is that vendors like to see a prominent High Street location. And if you don’t have vendors you won’t sell houses!

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