21 Dec Local estate agent and proud Burtonian celebrates 10 year high
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Simon Shilton, branch director of Newton Fallowell in Burton upon Trent, looks back at the highs and lows of the last 10 years and the importance of his local roots
The past decade has seen Newton Fallowell branch director Simon Shilton become one of the biggest agents in town, thanks to his local knowledge and contacts, combined with some bold business tactics.
With limited funds and concern about the logistics of running his own business, Simon was faced with a challenge when presented with the opportunity to set up and run the Burton upon Trent branch a decade ago.
“I’ll be honest, I was nervous about it. I had almost no savings and was worried whether I had enough business experience to make it work”, he says. In the end, it was Simon’s father, a local business man with over 50 years’ experience in haulage, who gave him the final push he needed.
The doors were opened in November 2004 and although Simon had a lot of experience in the property market, it was his knowledge of the local area that proved most valuable. A Burtonian born and bred, Simon grew up and went to school in the area. “My family has always had close ties with the area and my local roots were an important factor in my decision to take on the Burton branch”, he explains.
However, it’s not all been plain sailing for the Station Street agents. Although the branch was set up during a buoyant market, it soon experienced one of the worst property crashes in decades and Simon has had to work hard to weather the storm, although that’s been helped by being able to share and learn from his colleagues in the other 26 branches of the Newton Fallowell group, which stretch across the East Midlands.
More recently, Simon also had to contend with an unexpected fire which spread from a neighbouring building and resulted in serious damage to the Burton office. “It was obviously a shock when we heard what had happened, but head office were great and within a day we had managed to secure a short term office on New Street and we were back to business as usual” he explains.
Since opening its doors a decade ago, the branch has grown to become one of Burton on Trent’s biggest property players, with this year seeing record numbers of houses sold and record income for the Burton branch.
“It’s been a cracking year and I’m really proud of my team. They’ve all been with me from the very start and they’ve stuck with it through the good times and the challenging times”, says Simon, who attributes the branch’s continued success to a philosophy that deliberately set out to be different.
“As a team, we never over-promise and we always put customers first. We even offer special cooling off terms for new customers,” explains Simon. “Some agents may think we’re bonkers to offer this, but to us it’s all part of the service”.
Despite the branch’s recent prosperity, Simon is tentative when it comes to the strengthening property market. “I don’t think we should assume that the market is going to be fabulous from here on. I’m naturally cautious and am hoping that we can see further stability in both the economy and mortgage market going forward”.
So, what does the future hold for the Burton branch? For Simon, it’s all about staying true to his family’s roots. “Staying local is really important to me. I’d love to continue to grow the business for as long as I can and hopefully involve other family members too. The goal is to build a business that is based on integrity and longevity.”
ENDS [598 words]
For further information, please contact:
Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & Marketing
Direct line: 01400 251557 Mobile: 0797 3767602 Email: maggie@primapr.co.uk
David Newton, Director of IT & Marketing, Newton Fallowell
Direct line: 01476 584163 Mobile: 07986 555496 Email: david.newton@newtonfallowell.co.uk
Notes to Editor:
About Newton Fallowell
Founded in 1999 by CEO Mark Newton, an estate agent and industry specialist since 1976, Newton Fallowell is a family business extending to a network of 27 branches. The largest independent estate agency across the East Midlands, it has branches from Burton on Trent to Boston, and from Retford down to Bourne. Services include property sales and letting, surveying, in–house conveyancing and mortgage advice.
Twitter: @MarkOnProperty