Our fabulous new venue, the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in Mayfair, London, gave a very warm welcome to 900 guests on Friday 30th November – and what a night they had!
This was the 11th Negotiator Awards and expectations were running high, so after a champagne reception our sparkling guests arrived in the aptly named ‘Great Room’ with glittering chandeliers and a stunning black and gold art deco theme.
Once settled, the evening really took off – with our dancing girls and Sinatra-style crooner, the fabulous Cabaret Femme Fatale, led by the talented Jade Phipps, creating a wonderful ‘Gatsby’ atmosphere.
With dinner underway, the temperature was rising quickly, as were the expectations of the guests, most of whom hoped to win one of the 34 Awards.
The arrival of our gorgeous host, Julian Clary, stunning in a bright pink suit, arrived ready to ‘mince’, and mince he did, off the stage into the guests with sparkling repartee and cutting comments that only he could get away with, causing hilarity all around.
After a splendid dinner, it was time for the Award presentations before the dancing began. It was truly the Property Party of the Year, ending the year on a high note of drama, excitement and celebration. Congratulations to all those who made the Shortlist, the finalists and of course, the winners!
The Negotiator Awards 2018 presentations
Rising Star of the Year
Sponsored by LCA Jobs and presented by Lynn Cannell, Director
The judges said: “What a star. If she could ‘bottle’ her ideas and enthusiasm, she could sell it for a fortune! Dedicated and successful, she has made a huge impact on this business in a short space of time and shown great business acumen as well as a finger on the pulse of the local property market, as well as the wider industry. Taking on an MD role of an agency that size is a significant step, but its clearly working!”
GOLD: Angharad Trueman, CGT Lettings
SILVER: Paul Cooney from Horton & Garten
BRONZE: Chloe Rhodes at Haus Sales & Lettings
Community Champion of the Year
Sponsored by Oracle Group, Presented by Tara Dulake, Digital Marketing Director,
The judges said: “A strong submission with a wide range of community related projects with an obvious buy-in from the leaders and an impressive amount of time invested across the team. We particularly liked the day’s paid leave to work in the community.”
GOLD: Linley & Simpson
SILVER: Thomas Morris Sales & Lettings
BRONZE: SDL Group
Marketing Campaign of the Year
The judges said: “Great to see a measured and planned approach and a campaign that goes beyond just sponsorship – the competition and engagement campaigns as a result of the football sponsorship deal are inspired. Great results, and clear objectives.”
GOLD: McEwan Fraser Legal
SILVER: Housesimple
BRONZE: James Dean
Website of the Year
The judges said: “Great use of high quality, aspirational lifestyle imagery, very brochure-esque and doesn’t feel salesy. The pictures tell and sell the story! It feels more like reading the pages of a glossy magazine. It is clear that they are catering to a very discerning customer base.”
GOLD: Charters
SILVER: Simon Brien
BRONZE: Cooper Adams
Employer of the Year
The judges said: “A comprehensive entry that clearly shows why employees like to work there. Concerns raised in staff survey were considered and actioned and the main reason for working there are ‘the people’ “it is sometimes the small things that make a difference when it comes to happy employees.”
GOLD: Encore Estate Management
SILVER: FirstPort
BRONZE: Lovelle Estate Agents
New Agency of the Year
The judges said: “This young start-up is making really good progress and has produced some outstanding results, coming across as focused and service driven business.”
GOLD: Waterhouse Estate Agents
SILVER: Kingswood Residential Investment Management
BRONZE: Benjamins Estate Agent
Residential Auction Service of the Year
The judges said: “An excellent submission, very well put together. They demonstrate a collaborative approach with their agent clients and their system is incredibly user-friendly, generating a good income for their Agents.”
GOLD: IAM Sold
SILVER: Auction House UK
BRONZE: SDL Auctions
Property Management Company of the Year
The judges said: “A beautifully presented entry with plenty of substance. This firm has worked hard to rebuild their business and now works for major clients who give very good feedback. Their Silver Investor in People award and the only 5* British Safety award given to a management firm, indicates that they are definitely moving in the right direction.”
GOLD: FirstPort
SILVER: Encore Estate Management
BRONZE: Trust Property Management
Property Management Department of the Year
The judges said: “A very slick presentation. It is great to see that such a successful company clearly retains the passion to put such effort and detail into their entry. We’re pleased to see their internal staff growth ethos and apprenticeships, other than simply graduate level. Others companies should do the same!”
GOLD: Dexters
SILVER: Maxine Lester Lettings and Property Management
BRONZE: Kay & Co.
Land & New Homes Specialist of the Year
The judges said: “A fantastic application demonstrating that this agency is truly going somewhere! Their quirky and unique customer differentiation, combined with good branding and social values made this entry unbeatable!”
GOLD: Propology
SILVER: Linley & Simpson
BRONZE: Bradleys
Supplier of the Year (Technology) – Apps
The judges said: “An excellent entry from a proptech company that modernises their clients’ businesses by simplifying and speeding up the processes to get the clients into their new homes with the least possible fuss.”
GOLD: Goodlord
SILVER: Agent Software
BRONZE: TouchRight Software
Supplier of the Year (Technology) – Agency software
The judges said: A good presentation demonstrating the benefits of this well established software. It is intuitive for agents and now offers a ‘lite’ version for smaller agency businesses.
GOLD: Reapit
SILVER: Teclet
BRONZE: Arthur Online
Supplier of the Year – Products and Services (Business)
The judges said: “A simple idea, beautifully executed by a hugely experienced team. Led by property industry professionals, this company continues to show considerable growth and is used by well known firms – which would indicate that a good service is being provided.”
GOLD: Viewber
SILVER: No Letting Go
BRONZE: Tenant Shop
Supplier of the Year – Products and Services (Marketing)
The judges said: “A very interesting entry from a specialist supplying a service with data and market analysis that appeals to small and large companies alike, creating an impressive customer base.”
GOLD: Dataloft
SILVER: IAM Sold
BRONZE: Kremer Signs
Supplier of the Year – Professional Support
The judges said: “Providing a sophisticated but user friendly product, this long established business continues to improve their services to smooth the path to completion of the property sale.”
GOLD: My Home Move
SILVER: The Lettings Hub
BRONZE: Lonsdale Insurance Brokers
Regional – North East & North West Agency of the Year
The judges said: “A well crafted entry which demonstrated growth through their clear focus on the student build to rent market.”
GOLD: X1 Lettings
SILVER: Bee My Home
BRONZE: Mint Homes
Regional – Yorkshire and The Humber Agency of the Year
The judges said: “A very strong entry showing fantastic growth over the last three years, great innovation such as the shared bill option and great service to tenants as well as landlords. An excellent win in a closely contested category.”
GOLD: Haus Sales & Lettings
SILVER: Lovelle Estate Agencies
BRONZE: Galley Properties
Regional – East Midlands & West Midlands Agency of the Year
The judges said: “A beautifully presented entry, full of real substance and innovation. A great example of what can be achieved in a tough market if you get the formula right. This agency shows a dedicated approach to helping their clients and feedback shows that it works!”
GOLD: Buckley Brown
SILVER: Pygott & Crone
BRONZE: McCartneys LLP
Regional – East of England Agency of the Year
The judges said: “This is a company with outstanding social values, it clearly knows its statistics and certainly values its people!”
GOLD: Maxine Lester
SILVER: Thomas Morris
BRONZE: Airport Lettings
Regional – London
The judges said: “The culture and underlying principles radiate from every Manager – visible throughout the entire business. At its core is the founding principle to change the public’s perception of Estate Agents. It is a simple formula; total commitment to the highest standards of customer service coupled with a hardworking and enthusiastic sales team.”
GOLD: Dexters
SILVER: Adam Hayes
BRONZE: Portico
Regional – South East Agency of the Year
The judges said: “In a relatively short time, this agency has grown to have seven branches offering service in Land & New Homes, Commercial, Lettings Administration and Property Management, Marketing, Administration and Head Office teams – yet they remain a local business, founded and run by local property experts, who understand the area and the market like no other.”
GOLD: Charters
SILVER: Brock Taylor
BRONZE: Inspire Estates
Regional – South West Agency of the Year
The judges said: They know their strategy is working when the portals confirm that they sell a greater percentage of their instructions than their competitors. It provides reassurance to those on the front line, the marketeers, the administrators and of course the Directors setting the strategy in the first place. It shows that by working in unison and providing the best possible service to their clients, that results will follow!”
GOLD: Bradleys
SILVER: Absolute Sales & Lettings
BRONZE: Property Centre
Regional – Scotland Agency of the Year
The judges said: “A very slick corporate entry from this company of lawyers and estate agents operating with smart IT and giving special care for its clients, including facilities for visually and hearing impaired people.”
GOLD: McEwan Fraser Legal
SILVER: The Property Store
BRONZE: Next Home
Regional – Wales Agency of the Year
The judges said: We were impressed with the quality of the operation and the realisation that you have to move forward. They have presented many examples of technological innovation, combining old school estate agency with modern technology such as drone videos and 3D virtual tours.
GOLD: McCartneys LLP!
SILVER: Belvoir Swansea
BRONZE: James Dean
Regional – Northern Ireland Agency of the Year
The judges said: “A very strong entry – great diversity of income and evolutionary approach. A particularly well written entry, especially with the presentation of their testimonials, and the emphasis in looking after their team.”
GOLD: CPS Property
SILVER: Rodgers & Finney
BRONZE: Simon Brien Residential
Hybrid Agency of the Year
The judges said: “Built to be bold to transform the agency world, they focus on supporting their many branches with ongoing support from their HQ team. They search for ‘ideal outcomes’ for vendors by supplying ‘factual advice’ and using digital communications and technology. This is a quality business pushing the boundaries of the new world of hybrid agency.
GOLD: EweMove Sales & Lettings
SILVER: Doorsteps
BRONZE: Nested
Single Branch Lettings Agency of the Year
The judges said: “This is a very good entry from a solid business that reports year-on-year improvement in turnover and also manages to really look after their staff. We liked the holistic approach to their team members, providing and encouraging professional training through Arla Propertymark – and they look after their landlords very well too.
GOLD: Belvoir Leamington Spa
SILVER: Maxine Lester
BRONZE: Your Nest
Lettings Agency of the Year (2-5 branches)
The judges said: A well-run business with excellent growth in the number of properties managed and resulting revenue. They also demonstrated good planning for the Tenancy Fee Ban and very good staff management and development.
GOLD: Frost’s Estate Agents
SILVER: X1 Lettings
BRONZE: Adam Hayes
Lettings Agency of the Year (6-9 branches)
The judges said: Despite a fiercely competitive rentals market with numerous new ‘online’ and ‘traditional’ entrants across their region, this agency has succeeded in growing market share; the number of properties under management and profits! Well done!
GOLD: Thomas Morris
SILVER: Charters
BRONZE: Gibbs Gillespie
Lettings Agency of the Year (10+ branches)
The judges said: An excellent submission packed with tangible information from this successful multi-office group which, in spite of it’s size, focuses on delivering personal service to some 25,000 landlords and their tenants.
GOLD: Dexters
SILVER: Portico
BRONZE: Bradleys
Single Branch Estate Agency of the Year
The judges said: An outstanding agency in every way, from their wide range of services, clever advertising in the local press, magazines and billboards to their customer reviews, which are five star all the way!
GOLD: Brock Taylor
SILVER: Inspire Estates
BRONZE: Belvoir Leamington Spa
Estate Agency of the Year (2-5 branches)
The judges said: This is a young, vibrant company that clearly cares about its customers and its reputation! They look after students exceptionally well including the use of new money saving systems for utilities.
GOLD: Haus
SILVER: Sawyer & Co
BRONZE: Adam Hayes
Estate Agency of the Year (6-9 branches)
The judges said: Led by an excellent senior management team, this entrant demonstrates all the qualities of a leading high street estate agency, keeping a delicate balance between hard nosed business and motivating and rewarding their staff!
GOLD: Thomas Morris
SILVER: The Pedder Group
BRONZE: Gibbs Gillespie
Estate Agency of the Year (10+ branches)
The judges said: With more entrants than ever before, this category was extremely difficult to judge, showing that ‘Large’ doesn’t have to mean ‘Impersonal’. This large agency demonstrates an excellent modern approach, particularly with technology and social media. They live and breathe a culture built around key principles of ‘Customers for Life’, backed up by slick marketing reinforcing their brand.
GOLD: Bradleys
SILVER: McEwan Fraser Legal
BRONZE: Dexters
The Negotiator Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
Peter Bolton King, Global Standards Director at The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
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