The Guild's National Advisory Council

Chris Sawyer
Agency: Sawyer & Co

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

We have had some amazing success over the years with The Guild Awards, which are heavily influenced by customer service and reviews. We have won Guild Awards for both sales and lettings and are very proud of those achievements.

What do you like most about The Guild?

There are a number of things, such as the training, compliance and marketing. It is also great to attend the regional meetings where we get to share great ideas and elements of best practice that help our business a lot. 

Simon Hughes
Agency: Conran Estates

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

In terms of recent success we have increased our year-to-date sales figure by 32%, which I think is a great achievement considering the current climate we as estate agents find ourselves in.  Our lettings have also increased, and we have a very good managed to lettings ratio, so all in all we are a growing business which is great. We have big aspirations for the future of our brand.

What do you like most about The Guild?

What I have always loved about it is forming part of a bigger network. It is also great to have a menu-based system of products and services that we as Guild Members can choose from. While we have a number of elements that we already do in-house, the additional services that we receive from The Guild fill in gaps and help us to market our business effectively.

Justin Flanagan
Agency: Charles Eden

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

I have been in the industry for 35 years and have run my own estate agency for the past 25 years.

What do you like most about The Guild?

We have been with The Guild since the second year it started and have grown with it, so I live and breathe The Guild from that point of view. I like the fact that as a single office, we are part of a large group that can share information and work together. I also like the buyer power it brings us in terms of training and marketing. We can position ourselves in the market as the local agent with a national network.

Simon Miller
Agency: Holroyd Miller

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

We just launched a Holroyd Miller community film that covers the whole of Wakefield, selling the lifestyle of why you would want to live in Wakefield. Within the first week of the film being on Facebook it has had over 10,000 views.  It has been great exposure for both the local area and our business. We have had an amazing response to the film and have a number of businesses contacting us wanting to be involved in the next project.

What do you like most about The Guild?

The camaraderie. Certainly, within the NAC we all have a great working relationship, we get on well and we are very honest with each other about our businesses. On a regional level, it is also great to be able to confidently refer clients to other offices knowing that they take good care of them.

Tony Filice
Agency: Kelvin Francis

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

The highlight of my career was selling the first £1 million home in the capital of Wales in 1998. It was big news at the time, making headline news in both local and national publications. There was also a full hour feature on the property, which was great PR and exposure for the brand.

What do you like most about The Guild?

I refer to The Guild as a club. Our office has been Members for about eight years now and the nice thing about it is that you get to meet new Members and agents from different regions who are like-minded. We can discuss the challenges we face and learn from each other. It is a think tank where you can exchange ideas and develop key business relationships with other agents. Another benefit is the technology The Guild provides to help you stay ahead of the curve. If you are not in the club, you run the risk of getting left behind.

Melfyn N Williams
Agency: Williams & Goodwin

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

I was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from Propertymark Qualifications; added to that, in 2004 I received an Outstanding Contribution to Estate Agency Award at the Estate Agents of The Year Awards. I am also proud to have served as the President of the National Association of Estate Agents.

What do you like most about The Guild?

What’s great about The Guild is it connects us to a wider network of over 800 offices. We are very strong in our local market in North Wales but it’s great to have the link down the coast and beyond. It is also amazing to be a part of the NAC and get views from other parts of the country, so you can sort of establish what might happen in the next three to six months.

Mark O'Shea
Agency: Urban & Rural

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

One of my biggest achievements was climbing Kilimanjaro. We did it for a charity and managed to raise over £10,000 which was a great result. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced from the camaraderie you feel with the other people to facing the challenges of the climb; it was life-changing.

What do you like most about The Guild?

It positions us from a USP tech advantage. I think once you are in business, you are in it, and it’s hard to look up and see what else is going on. I like The Guild because it allows me to see what’s coming, what’s available and from a tech perspective keeps us ahead of the game.

Craig Reynolds
Agency: Urban & Rural

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

One that stands out in my mind is trekking up Kilimanjaro for a homeless charity and us being crowned as fundraising champions of the year by the agency foundation. In terms of business, we are proud of the fact that we have 12 offices within our brand and are growing from strength to strength.

What do you like most about The Guild?

We have been Members of The Guild for nine years. I can honestly say to you, for us having dragged ourselves out of the credit crunch, The Guild helped us to reshape our business and modernise at a time when it was critical to do so. It helped us to think differently and took our business in a new direction, which has been absolutely right. The Guild professionalised us further and gave us an edge in the market.

Nigel Cooke
Agency: Cooke & Co

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

I have never been to work – I go and have fun every single day. Just love selling houses. It is this passion that has helped me to build a multi-award-winning company, which has been in business for the past 27 years. We are recognised both in the industry and regionally as ‘The Coastal Experts’. I am also proud of the fact that I have helped grow the North East region for both The Guild and NAEA.

What do you like most about The Guild?

The list is endless, but there are a number of things that stand out in my mind. I am one of the first people to become a Member of The Guild and have enjoyed being among like-minded agents who strive to be the best. As a Member of a strong network of top-class agents, we are able to take on the big boys and punch well above our weight. There are several tools that The Guild provides that no other network can, and the training and compliance services have helped us take our business to the next level.

Nick Manson
Agency: Manson Property Consultants

Lifetime or recent success/achievement?

One of our biggest achievements was winning Guild Awards for lettings a few years in a row from 2014 to 2016. We also won The Sunday Times Award for North East Small Lettings Agent, which was a big deal for the company bearing in mind we are a single office lettings agency in Newcastle.

What do you like most about The Guild?

The support it gives small independent agents to compete in the competitive market against corporate and larger estate agents. It does this by giving them the tools that they could possibly not afford independently.

Malcolm Prescott
Agency: Webbers

Lifetime or recent success/achievement?

I have worked for Webbers for 32 years, joining as a junior negotiator in 1987 and working my way up to become the Managing Director of an award-winning best agent in the UK.  From a personal perspective, I would have to say my beautiful five-year-old daughter is wonderful. And, I’ll throw in meeting Vivienne Westwood, who is an icon of mine being an ageing punk. 

What do you like most about The Guild?

From a West Country point of view, it is important that we have a London base. There are people from the West Country who quite rightly believe that their buyer will come from London or the southeast. So, it is very important for us to have a presence in London, in arguably one of the busiest streets in the UK. Another hugely important aspect is the professionalism and the training we get as Guild Members. All our customer-facing staff have been through The Guild training to ensure that customers receive the best possible service and can trust and be confident in our brand.

James Du Pavey 
Agency: James Du Pavey

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

The last two years we have received a number of awards with our amazing teams, including two Guild Awards, seven awards through the Best Estate Agents Guide and a further British Property Award. However, our best achievement to date is achieving Hero status for the Donna Louise children's hospice by raising over £10,000 through our charity boards initiative and various fundraising activities.

What do you like most about The Guild?

We joined The Guild around 7 years ago. Although my business is proudly independent, it is great to be part of a prestigious network of like-minded forward-thinking businesses. The Guild allows us to stay at the forefront of the industry, both establishing policy, guiding us through legislation and sharing best practice and strategy in a non-competitive environment.

Andy Ferguson
Agency: Logic

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

Keeping it simple and straightforward has been and is our ethos. Ensuring exceptional customer service at all times is of course paramount, irrelevant of any digital technology or innovation. Logic's measure that high standards are constantly maintained is the national awards and endorsements we have managed to gain over a number of years, including The ESTAS, Sunday Times, Guild Awards and 5-star recognition from Feefo.

What do you like most about The Guild?

Numerous things, but the key ability to be a part of a 'Best in Class' organisation that wants and is always looking to move 'independent estate agency' and the recognition from UK customers to a new level. Sharing good ideas and business between Guild Associates continually raises everyone's game and benefits customers.

Nick Goldsworthy
Agency: Logic

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

Consistently delivering exceptional customer service has been the key for Logic from initial set-up, almost 10 years ago. Our measure that the highest of standards are being maintained is the national awards and endorsements gained over the last 6 years, including – ESTAS Grand Prix Award, Sunday Times – Best Single Agent in the UK and Feefo Best Agent two years running.

What do you like most about The Guild?

Many things, but the key ability to be a part of a  'Best in Class' independent estate agency network, covering the majority of the UK. A far greater force, with much more to contribute and mutually share with each agency than corporate networks. Ultimately customers and agents alike benefit from our real desire to continually improve their experience in moving home.

Simon Bentley
Agency: Mundys

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

Joining Mundys as a newly qualified surveyor to now being the senior partner at a firm I am extremely proud of.  Numerous staff have been with Mundys for over 10 years and I feel a real sense of achievement over the strong team we have built and the loyalty they show to the business.  This is my greatest business achievement.

Personally, my two children continue to be my greatest achievement and it’s amazing watching them reach their own goals as they grow up.

What do you like most about The Guild?

As an independent agent, the support The Guild can offer has been invaluable.  Having access to training and marketing advice through one point is extremely useful.  Being able to meet with like-minded business owners from other areas gives a very useful perspective and helps grow our own business.

Abigail Grey
Agency: Grey & Co

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

Lifetime success is a difficult one as I believe we set ourselves missions that we strive towards but may never attain. Plus, as I am just about to turn 40, I would hate to think that I had already attained my lifetime success! My greatest recent success is definitely balancing motherhood with running a business full time in the shadow of losing my business partner all in the same year and holding it all together. Getting a bronze ESTA last year wasn’t too bad either.
 
What do you like most about The Guild?

The Guild has made massive leaps in recent years; we have been Members for probably 10 years now and since Iain came aboard I have seen a massive shift in mentality. The Guild provides so much support from a compliance point of view, it is at the forefront of technology and aiding agents in ‘knowing their numbers’ so important in the ‘data desire age’ we find ourselves in. The Account Managers and Regional Managers are always on hand to help and advise you, I feel that I am in really good hands now. I also love ID Cards, my team use them all the time and proudly display the certificates and wear their ID Cards all of the time.

Mick Money
Agency: Moneyproperties

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?

There have been many things in my life that I am proud of and one of them was starting Moneyproperties over 15 years ago in the town I was born and bred, with no previous estate agency experience and not one property on my books to sell or let. Having worked as a manager in financial services for 22 years and knowing nothing about estate agency it was a big risk! It was not plain sailing especially in the early days and the recession in 2008. From day one it was my goal to be the number one agent in our area, after being written off by my competitors; this was achieved three years ago and we have now been the top agent for the past three years. Our mission is simply to offer a 'Better than BEST service' for our customers. We also contribute a great deal to our local community by fundraising and sponsorship of good causes and local charities.

What do you like most about The Guild?

Moneyproperties joined The Guild of Property Professionals over 15 years ago as I wanted to be part of a network for successful independent estate agents. My main objective was to benefit from the cross-fertilisation and pollination of ideas from similar like-minded estate agents from all over the UK. We also wanted our staff to be professionally trained and certified.

Scott Hailou
Agency: Drivers & Norris

Lifetime or recent success or achievement?
Winning the Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year National Gold Award (2016) for the Best Agency to work for and securing the prestigious Guild of Property Professionals overall Agent of the year for the last 3 years with two different companies.

What do you like most about The Guild?
Being part of an exclusive network of like-minded reputable independent estate agents, giving us a key differentiator against our competitors with market-leading tools, and support. Guild Agents offer fully trained, trustworthy staff with in-depth local knowledge.

Katie Griffin

Agency: Sawdye & Harris
Time in the industry: 22+ years
Time with The Guild: 8+ years

What do you value most about The Guild?

Being part of a professional organisation whilst remaining independent. The London office is also a huge benefit.

What do you think makes a home?

The people you share it with!