Winkworth opens in south west for first time

Winkworth has continued its expansion with the opening of its first franchised office in the west country. A niche business, it will specialise in waterside properties throughout the south west.

The franchisee of Winkworth Waterfront (Devon & Cornwall), based in Exeter, is Simon Scott-Nelson.

The venture marks a positive new start for Scott-Nelson, who previously worked for Knight Frank in the city, where he also sold waterside homes. His redundancy – the result of the market crash – came not long after he joined the company and was the subject of a sympathetic article in The Times last summer.

Scott-Nelson said of his new challenge: “There is a gap in the market for an up-market agent to specialise solely in the sale of high-end coastal properties throughout the south west both, to local buyers and to those from out of the area looking for second homes.

“Having worked in this field for many years, I recognise how fashionable fine waterfront properties in this area have become, both new developments and resale, for buyers from around the world.”

Dominic Agace, managing director of Winkworth,said: “We decided to open in Exeter to satisfy the demand from the continuing large number of buyers moving from London to the South West, and also to further develop the Winkworth country network.

“In recent years, we have noticed that many high net-worth individuals are seeking a retreat in Devon and Cornwall, either as a new start or seaside retreat to accompany their London pad.”