Spicerhaart is dramatically pulling its Fine brand today and replacing it with a new offering called Chewton Rose.
All 15 Fine offices are being rebranded with immediate effect, and the new Chewton Rose website is going live this morning.
Spicerhaart has not gone into significant detail as to the reasons for the move. Its heavily spun statement said: “This new brand is part of a new and exciting strategy that will enhance and expand Spicerhaart’s existing superior bespoke service to the higher end of the market.
“As part of this new strategy Spicerhaart has made the commercial decision to withdraw its Fine brand in favour of Chewton Rose which is more in keeping with the quality homes it is selling.”
However, Spicerhaart fought and, last August, lost a lengthy High Court case with Fine & Country over passing off and using similar branding. It is understood that an appeal by Spicerhaart is ongoing, but that regardless of what the final decision may be, the firm decided to rebrand away from Fine in any case.
Notably, despite threats from Fine & Country that it would seek damages, Fine advertising has continued to run in national media since last August’s court case. The now-ditched Fine was until last night promoting itself as a “distinctive national estate agency brand, created specifically to market some of the UK’s most distinctive homes”. Its clients included footballers and celebrities.
Spicerhaart says that today’s launch of Chewton Rose is “in response to the growing demand for a ‘niche’ estate agent to meet the requirements of the higher value segment of the property market”.
It says that its own market research has shown that the number of properties selling in England and Wales for over £600,000 increased last year by 12%, and that the number selling at over £1m rose by over 28%, while overall sales fell by 5%.
Chewton Rose will offer a bespoke service to the new-build market as part of its offering, says Spicerhaart, which has also been embroiled in legal proceedings with Tesco over its purchase of the supermarket giant’s former Property Market offering. The state of play of this second legal battle is unknown.
Chewton Rose will be headquartered in London’s Mayfair where its new office, located at 40 Pall Mall, will, says Spicerhaart, serve the prestigious central London market.
The new brand’s strapline is ‘selling great British homes’, with the word ‘fine’ not mentioned.
It is not known how Spicerhaart arrived at the name ‘Chewton Rose’.
Paul Smith, head of Spicerhaart, said: “Spicerhaart is about breaking the mould, driving innovation, competition and outstanding customer service in estate agency.
“Chewton Rose will deliver exceptional results for both new home developers and existing home sellers across Britain where there has been no real alternative or challenger to the old guard for many decades.”
This is how we reported the outcome of the court battle between Fine, and Fine & Country last August.
https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/oldeat_news_features/Spicerhaart-loses-court-battle-to-Fine--and--Country
Comments
Spicerhaart will never learn. They 'shoot from the hip' with little or no forward planning. They use bully boy tactics on potential clients buy employing young men to go round harassing clients on their doorstep, constantly knocking on the doors of old and vulnerable. Being bombarded with their leaflets, even more than pizza companies. They would not even understand the concept of good customer service. If after submitting to the doorstep bully you end up having one of their valuers come round watch out ! When it comes to fees, they are trying to get away with high charges for an average service at best. I think they need to get the basics of good quality inoffensive estate agency right before they try and operate in the high end markets that they clearly don't understand.
'Chewton Rose':
"You'll be delighted to hear that we sold a property within a couple of hours of launching the new brand and we've been busy over the weekend tying up more deals..."
Okay - 'get real' time here methinks. Look - you've come in for some fairly heavy flak from others in the industry here - including some wombat who either didn't like working for you or simply a competitor trying to stir the merde. Personally, I keep my opinions of previous employers to myself unless they are good at which point I tell people exactly that. Anything else comes out as sour grapes. I'd rather keep a professional silence but obviously not everyone subscribes to that idea.
That being said - and I don't know squat about your company - but I DO know that it's a little ridiculous to then come on crowing about these successes as if they are entirely attributable to your rebrand.
If you want to be believed - then offer some believability. Don't put your head in the lion's mouth!
Thanks for all the interest in the launch of Chewton Rose. I didn't realise we were so popular! You'll be delighted to hear that we sold a property within a couple of hours of launching the new brand and we've been busy over the weekend tying up more deals. The feedback to Chewton Rose has been overwhelmingly positive from the people that matter the most - our vendors.
Sharp suits, gell backed hair, white socks, and XR3i Ohhh the return of the 80s ...................yeek
One of their current employees has just posted image of his new rebranded Chewton Rose office on Facebook. When asked if it was a rebrand he has posted "no it's a brand new company and I am now a partner of it!" Shows how deep rooted the lying philosophy of this company is when their staff can't even be truthful to their friends on Facebook!
Search company number 05824234 on the link below:
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk//wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo
Naughty Russell Manning, naughty!
Hopefully this will show the arrogant senior management of 'The Spicerhaart Group' that they are no longer the playground bullies they once thought they were!
I'm real too
Excuse me, I am real!
Refreshing to see spicerhaart cave in to the pressure from their lawsuit with fine & country. They usually ignore the court ruling!
I am sure we will also see some new compliment slips from Chewton rose dropping on our mats from the likes of Lesley Miller and the other made up names they have used.
Looks to me like spicerhaart struggle to find original ideas and just resort to taking ideas from other agencies. Obviously a very unimaginative branding team.
I also agree with anonymous coward, I hope Fine & country hand spicerhaart their just desserts in court, they have been getting away with too much for too long.
They got there a*ses handed to them on a plate in court.
The presentation on their new website doesn't even come close to the way the old one looked.
I would like to feel sorry for them, but I don't ;-)
They seem to have got what was coming to them.
so they are spending money on the appeal but rebrand anyway... this is the 3rd time they have rebranded their 'high end' side of the business in 5 years... i wish i had that amount of money to waste!
A similar dispute erupted 20 years ago when Knight Frank & Rutley changed its name to simply Knght Frank. Someone opened an agency called Rutley and the row kicked off.........
Last time I looked, Pall Mall was in St James not Mayfair.
And next court case brought by owners of Chewton Glen no doubt.
http://www.chewtonrose.co.uk/404.html?aspxerrorpath=/SearchResults/tabid/4257/Default.aspx
"Paul Smith, head of Spicerhaart, said: “Spicerhaart is about breaking the mould, driving innovation, competition and outstanding customer service in estate agency. "
Not when i worked for them it wasn't!