B4 New PLATINUM Member

Greg Barnes, Managing Director of the Letting and Property Management division of Breckon & Breckon – an independent estate agency – rejoined B4 as PLATINUM members in September.

Greg heads up a team of 22 from the company’s head office in Summertown, Oxford, out of a workforce of 75. We spoke to Greg about why he chose to return to B4, what he sees as the company’s key strengths and how it is adapting to a changing market.

What would you say are Breckon & Breckon’s key strengths?

One of our key strengths is our consistent review of our service delivery; the market we are in requires constant revision due to legislative changes and market demands and we work very hard on making sure what we deliver is the best it can be – in other words we care about what we do.

We are a creative, visual brand and invest heavily in our marketing and creativity. As an example, we have two in-house photographers and also digital content creators to ensure we are able to offer not only traditional marketing but also master the dark art of online and social media engagement across our brand: so important in today’s property market.

Our letting services are based at our head office with face-to-face services offered at traditional high street offices in seven key locations across Oxfordshire, including a new one in Bicester. This hub and spoke model provides a single point of access for all staff and managers, allowing for faster decision making, greater access to support for our teams and flexibility when required. It also allows us to retain that physical presence that some of our customers desire.

We also recruit on character and are known for being very approachable and proactive, having vast knowledge and people who understand the stresses and strains of the property business – people who like people.

What are the benefits of being an independent business?

We have retained our independence and remain privately owned and run which means that we can be versatile and adapt quickly to market changes. It also means that if we want to market a property in a different way for the benefit of the customer, we can just get on and do that without a lengthy sign off process.

What would you say are your main challenges?

We have regular changes influencing our business, most recently Selective Licensing within Oxford City and big legislative changes every three to four years. We have to assess how they will affect the business and how they will be perceived by the customer. We spend time on building awareness and preparing our customers for any change. As this is a continuous challenge for us, we find that being members of a trade body, such as Propertymark, where I was a Regional Executive and Advisory Board member, is a huge benefit in keeping abreast of key information. We are also rare in that in addition to a dedicated customer service team, we also have a member of staff whose role is solely compliance and keeping on top of legislation, which is a huge benefit to us and our clients.

Our second challenge is attracting new clients, shared with many businesses I’m sure, and how to promote that our customer service is worth exploring. We are very fortunate in having a very loyal and supportive client base and much of our business is through recommendation.

Why did you choose to return to B4?

We like being part of B4 as they are one of the few networking groups that get the right people in the room, people that simply want to engage and build relationships; it’s not about the sale but just a great local community network.

B4’s CEO, Richard Rosser added. “It’s fantastic to have Greg and the team at Breckon & Breckon back in the B4 community. Greg is a leading light in Oxfordshire’s property ecosystem and will be an invaluable addition to the fantastic organisations that are part of our growing PLATINUM group of companies.”

Visit www.breckon.co.uk to find out more