Former apprentice celebrates business success
A former apprentice seized the day when the franchise of the estate agency where she worked came up for grabs. Backed by her father, Sarah Ballard was just 24 years old when she was successful in her application to run the Bingham branch for Newton Fallowell, the biggest independent estate agency network in the East Midlands. And two years after taking on the Bingham branch, she expanded to develop a second branch from scratch in nearby Mapperley.
Now, she’s celebrated her successful first year of trading in the Nottingham suburb of Mapperley and has an eye to where she can expand further.
Sarah started at Newton Fallowell Bingham as an apprentice at 18, and in just a few years was promoted to the role of office manager. So, when the opportunity came to take over the franchise, she decided she was up for running her own business – despite still being in her early twenties. With her father acting as a sleeping partner from the outset, she quickly built on her administrative and managerial experience to grow into the new role.
Said Sarah: “I put the money together through a mix of my own finances, which I’d been saving for a buy to let property, and some help from my Dad. I was fortunate to have worked in the business so I had a good knowledge to build on, and also knew that head office would take away a number of potential headaches, such as the payroll, the website, marketing and branding, leaving
me free to focus on the business.
“And when I decided to open a second branch, the head office franchise team helped with the market research, found the premises and negotiated the lease.”
In the market town of Bingham, Newton Fallowell is currently ranked in the top three estate agents in the town, and Sarah puts that down to her team’s sales skills and by aiming for outstanding customer service.
“We offer traditional estate agency services, taking the time to talk to buyers and sellers,” she explains, “but combine that with the latest technology and tools that come from being part of a major brand.”
She added: “We’re also open seven days per week, because we recognise that weekends are when people are free for house viewings, and we employ local people who understand the local market, as that helps sell properties.”
And having turned a profit in year one after taking over the Bingham branch, Sarah's aim is break-even for year one in Mapperley, and once it’s in profit, she will be looking to make further investments and expand further. She says: “Certainly, I’m looking at what happens next and I know there will be economy of scale if I can find the right spot to expand into another area of Nottingham.”
Outside the office, the staff all get involved in the local community, whether it’s sponsoring the local pork pie competition or providing sports tops for the primary school.
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Newton Fallowell’s Burton franchisee celebrates 10 year high
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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”.
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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