New top-end agency launches without any High Street presence

A new high end agency called The Country House Department is launching with an initial focus on Oxfordshire, Berkshire and The Cotswolds.

It does not describe itself as an online agency but says it has no High Street presence and its address is an office near a science park on the outskirts of Oxford.

Set up by former Strutt & Parker agents Andrew Russell and Ben Bentley, the agency has what it calls “a flatter, fairer fee structure” which is “proportionate to the sale price achieved and most importantly the same for all clients.”

Bentley says: “Traditional fee structures can be opaque and unfair with two quotes rarely being the same. So, we use a simple, transparent fee structure instead with no double standards and no hidden costs.”

Instead of the traditional percentage model, The Country House Department is to use a set, stepped rate structure linked directly to the sale price bracket achieved. The company says the fee structure is available on application and will be shared with vendors before valuation, and is the same for all vendors across the board. 

The company says it aims to use “exceptional lifestyle photography, drone footage and immersive marketing methods to showcase the entire lifestyle that a property offers allowing potential buyers to ‘live the dream’ before they have even stepped foot in the property.”

Russell says: “Technology has rapidly transformed the property market to such an extent that clients are now looking for a more bespoke, forward-thinking and expert advisory service, that will ensure they show their property in its best light and make the very best choice in their onward purchase.”

The pair say that while their business was planned before the Coronavirus outbreak, it is now well placed to tap into what it believes is a growing market for Londoners now wishing to commute from outside the capital.