Customer service, social media and community celebrated in awards

The regional agency group Experts In Property is back in business with an online awards event. 

Majoring on training, online marketing and community involvement, the Experts in Property 2021 awards ceremony was attended by principals and staff from member agencies across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Bristol.

Steve Moir, chairman of the Experts in Property, says: “We decided to focus on the more personable, community and people-led aspects of agency for the awards this year …  Agency is about people and trust, and just lately the use of technology and automisation has been leading the industry to becoming less about people and more about just getting homes sold and let.

“The last 18 months or so in particular have reinforced to us the values of community, people and trust and our most successful agencies are those which play an integral part within their local communities, engaging with neighbours, community groups and generally being ingrained in society – not even necessarily as estate agents, but as people. 

“And this is greatly influencing the way we engage with our audiences on social media too. We have some real community champions within the membership and we are extremely proud to recognise that.”

There were seven awards categories, and the winners were:

Best Trained Agency Staff – Joint Gold winners: Westcoast Properties (five branches across Bristol & Somerset), and Woods Bryce Baker in Paignton;

Customer Service – Joint Gold winners: Whitton & Laing in Exeter and Exmouth; and Falcon Properties in Plymouth;

Best Use of Social Media – Gold winner: View Property in Launceston and Tavistock;

Most Improved Use of Social Media – Gold winner: Parkers’ Estate Agents in Backwell, Bristol;

Charity Award – Joint Gold Winners: Alex Hill, director of Meyers’ Poole branch, who trekked 100k across the Sahara and took part in the Bournemouth Half Marathon in aid of Dorset’s disability charity, Diverse Abilities. And James Jackson and David Giles, directors of Meyers in Bournemouth, who have raised up to £3,000 every year since 2017 for two local Cancer charities, Macmillan Caring Locally and The Isabel Baker Foundation.

Community Award – Gold winner: Stevens’ Estate Agents in Okehampton; 

Special Charity Award - Joseph Jordan, negotiator at Woods Bryce Baker in Paignton. Last year Joseph lost a friend, who was just 21 years old, to suicide. Joseph and other friends and family of his friend, formed a team to join the fight for suicide prevention.