Estate agency group raises the bar
Stamford estate agent Jason Treadwell has been named top performing franchisee of the year in Newton Fallowell’s annual awards.
The award for best property sales performance went to Newton Fallowell’s Newark franchisees Neil and Jude Sime, with Grantham Lettings franchisees Jackie and Iain Angus securing the award for top performing lettings office; both recording their third successive win.
The announcements were made at a black tie dinner for members of the fast-growing Midlands estate agency network, which now stretches from the West Midlands to the east coast of Lincolnshire.
Staff from across the group came together to celebrate record growth across the brand, which has seen a 60% increase in the number of franchises since the last annual conference.
Speaking after the awards, top franchisee Jason Treadwell said: “From a cold start opening in Stamford in 2014, when we went head-to-head against 19 high street-based estate agents who were already selling in the town, we are now out-selling our nearest competitor by double the number of sales. Independent figures show we are now responsible for 1 in 4 property sales locally, with 28.4% of the sold market. Our nearest competitor stands at 14.2%.”
He added: “It’s been an amazing journey, and we have already opened a further franchise in nearby Oakham, also from a cold start, and after just four months we are ranked second in the town for sales and new listings. This award bears my name, but it’s not just about me, the team have been crucial, as well as the backing of my family.”
Said franchise director David Spackman: “This year was our biggest ever conference, with our newly extended family coming together for the first time since the West Midlands’ based Goodchilds chain joined us. We now have 45 branches, and the conference is a great opportunity for everyone to share and learn from what’s happening elsewhere in the group, as well as a route to setting out the strategy for the year ahead.”
Founded in 1999 by CEO Mark Newton, Newton Fallowell quickly became the largest independent estate agency across the East Midlands, providing property sales and letting, surveying, in–house conveyancing and mortgage advice. It has been part of the Belvoir Lettings PLC property group since 2015.
All the winners:
| Best New Franchise 2016 | Leicester Forest East |
| Most Improved Lettings Franchise 2016 | Retford |
| Most Improved Sales Franchise 2016 | Market Deeping |
| Lettings Franchise of the Year 2016 | Grantham |
| Sales Franchise of the Year 2016 | Newark |
| Goodchilds Lettings Franchise of the Year 2016 | Bloxwich |
| Goodchilds Sales Franchise of the Year 2016 | Stoke on Trent |
| Franchisee of the Year 2016 | Jason Treadwell |
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & MarketingDirect line: 0207 846 0096 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 now has 45 branches and is part of the Belvoir PLC property group with branches from Telford to Boston, and from Retford down to Leicester. Services include property sales and letting, surveying, in–house conveyancing and mortgage advice.
Independents show off their game-raising tactics
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Click here to download high res version from Flickr. Full caption at end of press release
Independent law firms have been showcasing their inventive side, with strategies designed to keep them out in front.
The successes were highlighted at this year’s LawNet awards, and leading the winners was Buckles Solicitors LLP with Law Firm of the Year.
Peterborough-based Buckles embarked on an ambitious development strategy, based on excellent client service and investing in their people. In the last year it has seen the firm grow to employ 57 lawyers and achieve gross fees of £6.7m, with independently assessed overall client satisfaction scores of 95%, a listing in the Best Companies to Work For and securing the elite Investors In People Gold accreditation.
Said Colleen Gostick, managing partner of Buckles: “We’re thrilled to win, particularly given the quality of the competition in LawNet. Within the business we’re always focused on the next thing, so it’s great to reflect on what’s been achieved and celebrate the success with the people who made it happen.”
Alexandra Savage of Warner Goodman LLP in Hampshire was named Young Lawyer of the Year having earned the firm’s fastest-ever promotion from trainee to Associate, in just three years.
Team of the Year went to the Later Life Team at Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP Solicitors. Their holistic approach to later life planning has created a unique team, bringing together legal services with personal care coordinators. This, combined with a research-based thought leadership campaign, has brought them to the forefront of the fast expanding care sector market in the South East.
Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP secured Best Digital Presence for a multi-channel approach including internal and external platforms, with results that included a 700% increase in visitor traffic to their website.
Best Community Contribution went to Clarkson Wright & Jakes for a bigger-picture CSR strategy that is putting them at the heart of their local community, with fundraising and skills-sharing that’s both supporting their community partners and also boosting staff morale internally. Initiatives have included making the community more dementia-friendly.
Hart Brown received the Mark of Excellence award, for outstanding performance on LawNet’s independently assessed mystery shopping and online client satisfaction measurement.
Chris Marston, chief executive of LawNet, said: “Once again, the submissions show that independent law firms are ideally placed to demonstrate what it means to be innovative in the legal sector. That, combined with a commitment to excellence, is what our awards recognise.
“Results like this give real purpose to annual awards. Our members want to benchmark themselves against other forward-thinking firms. Our awards allow us to recognise the people behind these exceptional initiatives.”
He added: “People sometimes assume that innovation starts at the top in the legal sector, amongst the major multi-national players, but our members consistently demonstrate that they can be more nimble, quicker to react and implement, and because of that they generate outstanding performance as a result.”
The award winners:
| Law Firm of the Year | Buckles Solicitors LLP : Sponsored by Wilkinson Read & Partners |
| Team of the Year | Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP : Sponsored by STL |
| Young Lawyer of the year | Alexandra Savage, Warner Goodman LLP : Sponsored by Econocom |
| Excellence in Employee Engagement |
Gardner Leader LLP : Sponsored by Tikit |
| Best Community Contribution | Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd : Sponsored by Francis Clark |
| Best Digital Presence | Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP : sponsored by Conscious Solutions |
| LawNet Mark of Excellence | Hart Brown |
| Most active member within LawNet | Gepp & Sons Solicitors |
Pictured: Front Row L – R Derek Rodgers, Gardner Leade, Alexandra Savage, Warner Goodman LLP, Colleen Gostick, Buckles Solicitors LLP, Linda Smith, Buckles Solicitors LLP, Amanda Mehlin, Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd, Angie Law, Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd Back Row L-R : Helen Hamilton-Shaw, LawNet, Nigel Maud, Hart Brown, Michael Rabbett, Buckles Solicitors LLP, Neil Crees, Buckles Solicitors LLP, Nigel Moore, Buckles Solicitors LLP, Steven Payne, Gepp & Sons Solicitors, Richard Phillips, Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP, Richard Bates, Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP, James Maxey, Buckles Solicitors LLP, Bruce Hayter, Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP, Chris Marston, LawNet, Robin Evans, Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & Marketing
Direct line: 020 7 846 0096 Mobile: 0797 3767 602 Email: maggie@primapr.co.uk
Helen Hamilton-Shaw, Director of Services, LawNet
Direct line: 01926 834622 Email: hhamilton-shaw@lawnet.co.uk
Notes to Editor:
About LawNet
LawNet was established in 1989 to enable a collaborative, mutually-owned national network where independent law firms could access big firm resources and benefit from collective purchasing, shared knowledge, best practice and expertise.
All members share a commitment to excellence and must achieve and maintain LawNet’s own ISO.9001 standard and the associated Mark of Excellence in client service.
The combined income of the 65 firms comprising LawNet is currently in excess of £250m – equivalent to a UK Top 15 law firm – with members ranging from £2m to £20m turnover.
Independent research shows LawNet is most highly valued by members for delivering in six key areas – training, networking, PII, practice development, marketing and compliance. It currently places over £1bn worth of PI cover alone for members each year, which helps stabilise premiums for firms.
Twitter: @LawNetUK