Andrew Kay talks to Joe Wheeler about homes, Hanover & happy clients

In September of last year Wheelers hit a decade of trading in Hanover and the surrounding areas. Joe Wheeler has always had a very hands-on approach to the business and today, as in the very early days, he is still actively involved in the day to day running of the company, carrying out the valuations and viewings.

I asked Joe why he had chosen Hanover as a base for the business back in 2001 and if those factors still existed today. “ I have always loved Hanover and its surrounding areas like Queens Park; it’s quirky, and a bit different to other parts of Brighton. I saw it as a good niche market and if you want to specialise in an area, you need to based in the centre of it all, which we are.

“Hanover is perhaps the best option for people who are looking for their first Freehold purchase and who want to be close to the centre of Brighton. Hanover will always be a little gem close to the Heart of Brighton. There are some of the best infant and primary schools and it has a very strong community with lots of local initiatives and a real sense of identity. It is also well served with some of the city’s best traditional pubs. In terms of location it certainly has plenty going for it. We often sell a vendor’s home in Hanover and then we sell them a home in Queens Park or Elm Grove. A lot of the time people do not go too far!”

So how has Wheelers fared through what has been a hard time for the property industry?

“Well, by staying compact, that has certainly helped and we are a close-knit team operating far more like a family business than a corporate giant. We have also resisted diversifying into lettings, which is a specialist area that we did not want to enter. By focusing on sales we have been able to maintain a level of personal service that people really seem to appreciate. That is evident in the massive number of thank you cards that we receive from happy clients.”

Joe, who seems almost embarrassed, produces a huge stack of cards and the shelves around the office are lined with the most recent ones. It is obvious they serve their customers well.

Wheelers has won a couple of very prestigious awards in the last two years too. “We won the Gold award for the South East region in 2010 at the Estate Agent of the Year Awards, www.theestas.com, and I was lucky enough to win an individual award in 2011. They are purely based on good old fashioned customer service.

You put your company name forward and clients can vote for you if they want to. I have to say that winning both awards has been great and very heart warming but in no way could we have done that without working as a team, even my individual award. Alison Crawford and I have worked together for over 13 years. We just get on and do our jobs, we all know what is going on at all times. We also have Vicki Foley who works part time. Although the company has my name Alison probably knows more about the day to day running of the business than I do! There have only been two staff changes in ten years and both left in happy circumstances and we are still in touch with both of them. In both cases we were sad to see them go.

“Ten years have flown by and we have helped hundreds of people buy and sell and we look forward to the next ten.”
Wheelers Estate Agents, 119 Islingword Road, Brighton, BN2 9SG, 01273 606027,
www.wheelersestateagents.co.uk

Just one of the many testimonials from happy clients:
Dear Joe and Alison
Thanks again. Thank heavens for that!! That is why I went with you as agents, a well deserved reputation, to which you can add “tenacious! 🙂