Commercial property specialist, Mather Jamie, is predicting a change to town centres as more estate agents move away from the High Street and home hunters increasingly turn to the internet for their property search.
Mather Jamie has recently let an office to John German Loughborough-based estate agency with its own move away from the town centre, after the independent firm signed a 10-year deal on a 1,793 sq ft mixed purpose office.
John German Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors has relocated from its current retail fronted premises on Market Street to larger two-storey offices on Forest Road.
Scott Mellors, of John German, comments: “This is an exciting move for us – today’s dynamics in estate agency are very different to when we moved office nearly 25 years ago.
“Virtually all client services are delivered either online, via portals, telephone or dedicated handheld software.
“We are focused on fast response and a wide database circulation with our latest instructions.
“The main difference is that we go to the public now with pro-active marketing rather than wait for them to approach us.
“Floorplans, EPCs, inventories and property visits are all uploaded immediately.
“Social media via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN along with conference calls, Skype and Facetime have made the need for visiting centrally located offices, with no parking largely unnecessary.
“Our new offices will provide us with what we need to go forward, whilst having the facility of a relaxing environment for clients and customers when they need to visit us.
“With good visibility alongside other established fellow professional businesses and easy car parking to the rear, 8 Forest Road is still just a few minutes away from the town centre.”
Alex Reid of Mather Jamie comments: “Estate agency has seen a real shift in focus over the last few years, as buyers use the internet more and more in their search for a new home.
“John German is among the first of Loughborough’s estate agency firms to make a move from their prominent position on the High Street to larger office space located away from the town centre’s main footfall.
“However, the firm remains committed to Loughborough having signed a 10-year agreement on the Forest Road premises, which will offer the company more office space and more generous parking facilities.
“This move demonstrates the beginning of a trend for estate agency, with firms no longer requiring a shop front to attract their target audience, and we are seeing more considering it.
“With around 90% of homes for sale now listed on Rightmove, we predict that over the next five years a larger number of firms will opt for a similar move, allowing them to reduce outgoings and maximise office space.”