Belvoir: Room to let
They may be new in town but Belvoir is the UK’s biggest independent letting chain
When Belvoir approached Latest Homes to become an advertiser we were surprised. Not for any negative reason, but simply because as the UK’s largest independent letting business, it had not happened sooner. Travel northward and Belvoir is the most prominent name in lettings across the country with around 150 branches. It was only a matter of time before they arrived here in Brighton and Hove.
Belvoir started in Grantham in 1994 and rapidly became a leader in the lettings field and over the years the franchised brand has gone from strength to strength.
Now open in Church Road Hove but offering their services across the city, this new branch of Belvoir has plenty to offer. Starting with clean and prominent branding that is already catching people’s attention, I asked Paul Foley what it was that he thought he and his partners could bring to the business.
‘‘Well, we are a more mature team than you might usually expect to find in the lettings business, and we are all bringing to this new opportunity a wealth of experience that we have gained in running our own very successful businesses before. I certainly believe that as a team we are not here today and gone tomorrow – we plan to stay.’’
Paul Foley may be new to the industry but as a successful businessman with a portfolio of investment properties already he is very aware of landlords’ expectations.
Graham Osborne will act as the company’s property manager. His background with a major national company gives him a wealth of management experience. The final partner Vicki Nightingale worked as an interior designer and will bring that experience to the business, advising landlords on how to maximise the potential of their properties.
In terms of credibility, Belvoir have an excellent reputation and it is not one that the parent company will allow to be damaged. All members are Belvoir trained and Belvoir act as business mentors throughout. They also operate a legal helpline from their UK based central office and are accredited by NALS.
The Belvoir brand is able to offer good insurance policies to both landlords and tenants. As the UK’s largest independent chain, they are proud of their independent spirit but also that it is backed up by the scale of the parent company.
When Paul decided to look into lettings, he went to 55 letting agents to see what the approach was. ‘‘Of the 55 I investigated as a prospective tenant, only two offered me a seat. As a landlord it was marginally better, but I felt like I was being a nuisance.
‘‘At Belvoir we offer a service that gives peace of mind to both landlords and tenants. We currently charge £99 a year for full rent and legal protection for landlords, but as an introductory offer we will give free rent and legal action protection to all new landlords up until November.’’
Belvoir, 177 Church Road, Hove
www.belvoirlettings.com/brightonandhove
01273 719260
