New branch signals regional firm’s plan to expand across county
Miles & Barr is to open a new office in Ashford next month as its breaks out of its East Kent market's boundaries.
Leading East Kent estate agency Miles & Barr is to open its 13th branch next month, the Neg can report, as the company launches its bid to become a county-wide operator.
The agency, which is on a growth drive and has previously revealed its plans to offer clients coverage across southern England, is busy fitting out the branch on Kings Parade (pictured) in Ashford on the site of a former jewellery shop for a 2rd of July official launch.
The company had a branch in the town until 2008 when the site was shuttered as it battened down the hatches following the global financial crisis.
Miles & Barr’s new branch will offer vendors and landlords a 0% commission for instructions but will be providing a multi-disciplinary service including land and new homes, commercial sales and lettings, estate and block management as well as financial services.
Estate agency
“It’s a big market there with some 49,000 chimney pots within Ashford’s post code districts so it’s a huge opportunity, says the firm’s sales director Rob Sabin.
“We have recruited internally to create an ‘Elite Team’ of four people initially who will be working across multiple levels and expertise to maximise every opportunity Ashford presents, whilst providing homeowners and landlords within the area with the highest level of customer service.
Sabin says Miles & Barr is still totally committed to the high street estate agency model and that this approach has been vindicated by online agencies such as Purplebricks struggling to gain more market share and that “consumers want to feel that an agency is real and the only way to do that for them to see that you are by having a branch”, he adds.
The team will be led by Senior Branch Manager Joe Bull.
It is an interesting concept to state that the only way to show that “an agency is real” is to have a physical branch.
My customers in Ashford believe I too am real, and have no branch now (used to have two) and look fwd to M & B coming into the town – a very good agency, raising the standard and those with branches who are not on their game will be the ones to struggle, I believe.
Good luck M & B and look forward to working with you in many sales chains in the future.