December 21, 2014

Newton Fallowell’s Burton franchisee celebrates 10 year high

For franchise media:

Click here to download high res images from Flickr

Managing director Simon Shilton celebrates 10 years of trading and looks back at the highs and lows of the last decade

With minimal funds and limited knowledge of running a business, some might say that Simon Shilton was taking a gamble when he set up his Newton Fallowell estate agency franchise in Burton upon Trent a decade ago.

But his deep personal knowledge of the local area, combined with practical experience in the property market, gave him the head start he needed, combined with support from those around him, which he says has been invaluable.

“I was lucky enough to have the support of my father who had 50 years’ experience in business and I also received a huge confidence boost from the directors at Newton Fallowell, and it’s this ongoing support and drive from head office that’s been instrumental in keeping me confident, particularly during the harder times,” he explains.

Fast forward ten years, through one of the worst property crashes the country has seen, and Simon has most definitely weathered the storm. Not only has the branch grown to become one of Burton on Trent’s key property players, but this year has seen record numbers of houses sold and record income for the branch.

“It’s been a cracking year and I’m really proud of my team, all of whom have been with me since the start, but I don’t think we should all assume that the market is going to be fabulous from here on out. I’m naturally cautious and hoping that we can see further stability in both the economy and mortgage market going forward”, adds Simon.

That said, Simon is feeling largely positive about the current climate and attributes the branch’s continued success to their philosophy of offering consistent, quality service to customers and never over-promising or pushing over-zealous aspirations. “It’s all about not making promises you can’t fulfill. If I place a client’s house on the market, I make sure that I can deliver on what I’ve promised”.

Simon explains how being a part of a bigger franchise allows him to enjoy the perks of running his own business, whilst being supported by the umbrella of a larger parent company. “It’s about having the back-up – not just when you need it, but also just knowing it’s there. It’s also the practical support; not having to worry about doing the pay roll or the accounts so that you can simply focus on being an estate agent”.

Looking to the future, Simon plans to leverage the ongoing growth of the Newton Fallowell franchise across the East Midlands to strengthen the brand at a local level. “I grew up in Burton and I can trace my ancestry back around 300 years, so staying local is really important to me. I’m set on growing the business for as long as I can and hopefully involve other family members too.

“For me, the goal is to build a business that is based on both integrity and longevity”.

ENDS

471 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.

www.newtonfallowell.co.uk

Twitter: @MarkOnProperty

by admin

Local estate agent and proud Burtonian celebrates 10 year high

For Burton upon Trent media:

Click here to download high res images from Flickr

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]