Posted: Friday, August 30, 2019

An interview with Royston & Lund

This month, we caught up with Val Shakespeare, Sales Director at Royston & Lund to discuss her idea of a perfect home and top tips for working in the property sector.

Tell us about yourself

I have 38 years of experience in the property industry and I’ve worked for the company for 17 years. 

Tell us about Royston & Lund

Royston & Lund was founded in 1994 to offer a professional estate agency service in West Bridgford, Nottingham. Today, the business still operates from the same premises on Gordon Road; a prime position right in the heart of West Bridgford town centre.

In 2018, we opened a second office in Keyworth, which is also thriving. We now employ 25 staff and are ranked by Rightmove as the leading estate agent in our area.

Describe your typical day

My typical day starts with an early morning team meeting to discuss events from the previous day as well as planning for the day ahead, sharing tips, knowledge and tea with our team. My role includes managing the sales office, head of new homes, HR, compliance, maintenance and facilities manager - as you can imagine, my days are often varied!

Why do customers choose Royston & Lund?

We are extremely proud to employ the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the area. We work as a team to provide a friendly, effective service. As independent agents we rely heavily on reputation. We endeavour to always do a fantastic job so that our clients recommend us time and time again.  After 25 years of operating in West Bridgford, we feel we have gained the trust of our community. As testament to this, we were named ‘Best Estate Agent in the UK’ at the prestigious ESTA awards in 2018.

What is next for the property market in your area? 

We are seeing a lot of new developments in our area.  Period properties in close proximity to the town centre are particularly sought after. There is a definite shortage of this style of property and we hope to see more of this style coming on to the market over the coming months.  

What charities do you support in your local area?

Last Christmas, we did some fundraising for a local homeless charity, The Friary, with the amazing help of the local community we managed to raise £550. This fantastic cause helps homeless and vulnerable adults to rebuild their lives by offering practical services, advice and emotional support.  We have also supported other charities such as, Children in Need, Comic Relief and Macmillan.

We sponsor local cricket teams, West Bridgfordians Cricket Club and Keyworth Cricket Club. In addition to this, we support four of our local schools with the Royston & Lund Sporting Achievement Award; the schools include Abbey Road, Pierrepoint Gamston, Edwalton and West Bridgford Juniors.  

If you became the Housing Minister for a day, what would you change?  

I would make the house buying process much simpler; I think one way of doing this would be by reintroducing the HiP (Home Information Pack). 

Can you give six tips for anyone who wants to work in the property sector? 

Tip 1

I believe solid customer service and excellent communication are the key skills for anyone looking to start off in the industry.  

Tip 2

Having empathy and patience with people is a must and a sense of humour often helps! 

Tip 3

An understanding of the property market is essential along with knowledge of different house types/styles/periods.  

Tip 4

Having a great understanding of the local market and the wider area as well; in terms of amenities, local schools, employers and events etc are invaluable knowledge for anyone looking to move to the area. 

Tip 5

Professionalism is a key point to remember when dealing with clients, solicitors and other professionals.

Tip 6

Master multi-tasking for those particularly busy periods!

What makes the perfect home for you? 

Modern, clean lines, a spacious ground floor space, plenty of light meaning lots of glass, a nice south facing garden, good local schooling and amenities in close proximity.  Oh, and somewhere with enough space for my two chocolate Labradors.   

Do you have any news you would like to share?

We have just celebrated our 25th birthday! I am so immensely proud of the team’s hard work throughout the years, we have managed to maintain an excellent rapport within the West Bridgford and Keyworth communities. We want to say a big thank you to our customers and we look forward to continuing to offer them great advice and the best possible service.

For more information regarding membership to The Guild of Property Professionals email parklane@guildproperty.co.uk or to see more click here.

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I can't speak more highly of the team at Homesearch. When I met Michael to discuss the sale of my home instantly from that meeting, I could tell how knowledgeable they were. From that moment until closing, everything went absolutely flawless. This experience of selling went without a hitch with them giving great tips on preparing my home for viewings. Thank you. I really appreciate all your help during this process. I highly recommend Homesearch to any person who is looking to sell their home or buy a new home.

Loretta Barrett, Seller

I started with two very well known real estates, but I hated it. I was simply another number to them and I didn't feel they were honest and transparent. With HomeSearch I felt comfortable that they were on my side and they were always available to help. The process is hard enough, so having a team who supports you can make such a difference. Highly recommend.

Arian Barvarz, Seller

The reason we chose Homesearch to sell our property was that we liked the straightforward, no-nonsense approach of both Anna and Michael. They gave an honest appraisal of our property and a clear idea of what we could expect to sell it for. In fact, the offer we accepted exceeded our expectations. The sale took longer than we would have liked, due to delays caused by the buyers' solicitor, but Michael was tenacious and must have worn his phone out keeping everyone informed of progress.

Nicola Watson, Seller

Homesearch are hands down the best agent I have ever worked with ! The team helped me in an extremely complex sale. Without the knowledge and experience of the whole team, my sale would not have completed. I dont normally write reviews, only when they are truly deserved. An exceptional team! Very kind and personable, reliable & trustworthy.

Leslie John, Seller

My experience with Homesearch is that they are professional, friendly and go above and beyond to ensure that something stressful like selling a house runs as smoothly and stress free as possible. They work hard to get the results and have kept me updated throughout the process. I honestly could not recommend them enough, they are easily the best company I’ve dealt with in the buying/selling houses field. And to top it all off, they always answer the phone in the most pleasant tone and always provide service with a smile.

Chanelle Hunte, Seller

Homesearch are PROFESSIONALS. I sold my property through Homesearch and I have not dealt with a more competent agency. Every single person  dealt with knew exactly what they were talking about and I can tell that they all have knowledge in the industry and were not just picked up from the street. From the get go I was impressed and I will certainly do business with them again.

Paul Hobbs, Seller

Many thanks Homesearch for locating professional corporate tenants for my property. I am very happy with your property management service as you always ensure that the tenants give the property back in good order at check out. Five Stars!

Maria Foran, Landlord

I have been absolutely delighted with the exceptional service I have received from Homesearch. They have removed all the stress & hassle of renting my property and dealt with all manner of situations I would have struggled with in such a professional & courteous manner. They give valuable unbiased advice with such a wealth of experience. Nothing is ever too much trouble for the staff, who are always friendly & helpful. Homesearch let and managed my property and I am very happy with their property management services, they are very knowledgeable.

Paula Carter, Landlord

Homesearch always do what they say they will do. They are efficient and raise any issues early and provide options to resolve them. Homesearch is very  easy to get hold of and talk to, no matter where I am in the world! My property is well looked after, regarding tradesmen, replacement of items swiftly etc. with the minimum of fuss.

David Connells, Landlord

From our first viewing right through to the present, Home Search were brilliant. They helped make the whole process quick and stress free and even now we are in and settled, they are still happy to assist us with any queries we may have. We couldn't recommend them highly enough.

Julie Maney

Home Search helped us move into our new flat smoothly and Tim was always happy to provide help to put our nerves at ease. Arranging a viewing was easy and Home Search were happy to open after hours for us to sign the paperwork. They were very helpful and often would offer to help! Having moved in we received a lovely card and they have always been swift in communicating with Usif we have any questions. Would recommend it.

Will Houghton

Michael and his team were simply amazing!! They helped us to find the perfect house, offering a nice and attentive service from the beginning through to the end. Thank you so much!! 5 stars service. Highly recommended!!!

Giordana Sicali

Very helpful and friendly staff. Tim, Michael and the team Made the whole renting experience easier.

Amol Sinare

I had a very difficult situation as I did not have a guarantor and my dad was earning enough but was not a homeowner. It took a about 3 weeks but Michael sorted it all out in the end and my dad became my guarantor. I got a lovely home and all the staff were very helpful including Paris, Zainab and Tim. Thank you all very much! Would recommend them to anyone

Misti Chakraborty

On behalf of myself, Noa & Niamh, we would like to start off by saying a massive thank you for the amazing service Home Search Ltd provided us with, especially highlighting the work of Clorissa. Within a week we were able to sign, seal and move into the property that we looked at, all down to Clorissa's prompt and effective work ethic, which allowed us a smooth transition from one property to another, without her, this move would not of been possible to have happened within the time stamp that it did. We are very grateful for the work that was done by Home Search Ltd, highly recommend.

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