Estate agent reveals £150,000 expansion plans

An estate agent with offices in Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire and Shropshire is expanding by launching in Worcestershire.

Berriman Eaton, which has completed over 400 sales worth £165m since the first lockdown, has joined forces with two local experts to invest £150,000 into setting up an office at Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club.

Debbie Fellows and Julia Simonds have joined the firm to head-up BE Worcestershire and will be responsible for selling and letting properties across the county, from Hagley in the East to Cleobury Mortimer in the West, the beautiful village of Kinver in the north and to Droitwich Spa in the South.

The duo previously ran the Bromsgrove and Kidderminster offices for Andrew Grant for the past 15 years.

“With the sad closure of the Andrew Grant offices in June, we felt there was a gap in the market for a bespoke, high-end estate agency selling the cream of the county,” said Fellows.

“The opportunity came up to join forces with Berriman Eaton, who were looking to build on demand from existing and new clients for a dedicated Worcestershire operation.”

Simonds said: “Each buyer has different needs, from being near the best schools or a railway station, to having a dedicated work-from-home space.

“Understanding buyers’ needs is paramount to ensuring a smooth sale with the best price. Every house that goes on the market is someone else’s dream home and, with our experience and expertise of the local market, we can make that dream come true. We’re like old-fashioned matchmakers, but with state-of-the-art back-up and great marketing.”

Berriman Eaton was created in 2006 following the amalgamation of David Berriman and Eaton Estates and today operates from three offices in Bridgnorth, Tettenhall and Wombourne.

The company, which employs 25 people, has seen a major increase in demand for properties following lockdown, with a combination of the stamp duty holiday and couples/families looking for more green outside spaces accelerating interest in each of its core geographic areas.

Caroline Eaton, who runs the business with Nick Berriman, said: “We had been looking at expanding into parts of Worcestershire for some time as we have seen a dramatic increase of buyers located in the South of the region. When we realised Debbie and Julia were looking for a new opportunity, it made perfect sense to combine our strengths.”