Phillips & Still, new business in the heart of Brighton & Hove
Market Fresh
Richard Phillips & Chris Still bring a wealth of experience & a vibrant new enthusiasm to their new business Phillips & Still in the heart of Brighton & Hove
After several years of recession and a deflated property market, nothing marks a turn in the tide better than the launch of a new busines. Let’s face it, you would hardly be likey to open up shop if you didn’t have a confident view that your future was bright.
Chris Still and Richard Phillips are filled with enthusiasm about their new business and confident that the market has made that vital turn and that the property industry is once again on the rise.
Chris has been working in Brighton and Hove’s property industry for the last 17 years. He worked at a large corporate firm for over 14 years, running several offices across the city from Preston Park and Hove and then ran a whole area of the city. At the end of that time he decided that it was time to move on and gain further experience which he did working for two other major corporate firms. It was then that it struck him that it was time for a complete change.
“We really wanted to get back to a people based business, applying the skills that we had learnt in our early days in this industry”
“You come to the point in your career that you don’t want to work for someone else. We wanted to own our own business and make our own decisions. We wanted to make better decisions than current corporate thinking allows and we knew that to do that we would have to create a business of our own. We really want to get back to a people based business, applying the skills that we had learnt in our early days in this industry.”
“Now Richard and I get to make our own decisions which we are confident are better decisions. We give a really personal service and it doesn’t cost any more to offer that kind of improved service, we certainly don’t need to charge as much as a corporate would.
Richard adds; “We have all the tools that the corporates have, except of course the enormous overhead of a network of offices and that means that we can be leaner and keener, offering a better service without having to charge high prices. And we have great new ideas that we know will improve our customer experience. We are going to offer online feedback for vendors after viewings so that we can track potential buyer responses and our vendors at the click of a button can too.
“We are embracing modern approaches to estate agency every day and where we believe they are appropriate we are applying them to our new business. Professional photography will be a standard service that we include in our package, as are professional floor plans.”
“Open house days” adds Chris “will be part of our way of working when they seem appropriate, an opportunity for a vendor to see their property marketed in a truly modern way and to maximise on the number of buyers who actually come to see what is on offer.”
Their new office is centrally placed at the border of Brighton and Hove at a busy point on Western Road where exposure to their new brand could not be better. There is a masssive amount of footfall at that point and they will be exposed to a huge number of Brighton and Hove’s buses as they pass by on some of the city’s busiest routes. But do they have grand plans for expansion with branches across the city?
Chris is fast to reply; “I have worked for many companies where there is a rivalry to be top performers, but with no inter-office competition we will not have that problem.”
Chris and Richard are showing a refereshingly open approach to property sales and are clearly keen to emphasise that they will be selling property across the city. Their plan is to bring the best of corporate practice and apply it to an independent mentality. But one thing that they will not be bringing from the corporate world is the selling of mortgages and legal services. “Whilst we can offer other services we will not be pushing financial and legal services. We are more than aware of the fact that people will have often made their own choices in this matter and have both solicitors and mortgage lenders in place.”
So why now? Richard Phillips replies; “We negotiated for a long time with the landlord for the Western Road site because we knew it was a prime location, a great aspect, a busy junction surrounded by many successful local businesses. it was at the heart of the city and where we wanted to be. When it finally became available we knew it was time to start. I have 13 years experience working with one large corporate brand. Great experience and a solid grounding in the business that has taught me how to deal with every single aspect of estate agency. I am
confident that the time is right for Chris and I and that our way of selling property is the future.
“Right now there is a massive demand for property and a buoyant market so all we have to do is get that property to market by offering vendors an excellent service and a great deal. After the property shortage created by people sitting back and waiting for a change in the market, now the market is good. It is certainly a seller’s market. The property that we bring to market will be able to achieve the very best price and we can sell it quickly because the demand is most definitely there.” Chris adds; “We believe in realistic pricing but not without ambition, it is after all our job to do the very best we can for vendors as well as buyers.”
Chris and Richard are clearly ambitious, but do their plans go any further than property sales?
“Our ambition is to become a leading independent in the area of sales, not in lettings. That is another business and not one that interests us right now. We are far more focused on giving buyers and vendors the very best possible service, by having every tool at our fingertips, and for far less than a corporate will ask. We are determined to be seen as being up front, being honest, and managing peoples expectations. We will use our experience to our clients best advantage. There will be five of us in the team at the start, we will be joined by another senior partner and a mortgage advisor and a viewing guide. A tight ship but one that brings the very best of modern ideas and traditional values to the property industry.”
Phillips and Still will open with a public launch day on 28 February and the public are invited to pop in and find out more about this new company and the people behind it.
0% commission to sell customers properties in February and March t&cs APPLY
At the same time as launching their own company both Richard and Chris are keen to invest in the community. To do this they will be supporting Brighton’s Rockinghorse Appeal which directly benefits the local children’s hospital.
112 Western Road, BN1 2AB
01273 771 111
www.phillipsandstill.co.uk
A perfect location for a family looking to live just off Hove seafront
This fabulous five-bedroom, semi detached Edwardian property has been beautifully maintained by the current owner and has a wealth of character with its period features. You will be instantly mesmerized as you take your first steps through the front door. With its three bathrooms, (including one en-suite) it is perfect for a large family. Those morning queues for the bathroom no longer need to be a worry!
One of the properties greatest perks is its off-street parking. You can now say “adios” to those parking wardens trying to catch you out, as you drive into your own private driveway and garage, attributes that are so highly sought after in this area.
But what about its surroundings? With the lagoon and the seafront just a few minutes walk, you can relax after a hard day’s work with a chilled glass of wine and catch some summer rays.
Is that not enough for you? It doesn’t stop there. Wish Park is just around the corner, perfect for getting together with a group of friends or family and having one of those summer picnics, or even simply taking the dog for a morning stroll. Why not hop onto a bus and take a short ride into the city centre to enjoy Brighton and Hove’s cosmopolitan atmosphere, exploring the wide range of shops, bars and restaurants available to you?
If you’re a fan of sunshine and BBQ’s then you’re in luck as the rear garden is great for both! It’s perfect size makes it easy to maintain but large enough to host!
