Dawsons pair Chris Hope (Senior Partner) and Ricky Purdy (Director of Lettings) enjoyed their time on the Swansea Bay TV sofa today talking about the esate agent’s client and staff reward card.
So far Dawsons has joined up with a wide variety of well known local Swansea firms including Exall &Jones, The Yankee Shop; Candles & Co., The Optimist, 57 Barbers, Mr Jones of Mumbles, ND John Wine Merchants, Café Play, The Rose Indianne, and The Clothes Clinic and many others soon to be confirmed.
Chris features on the whole show, while Chris and Ricky are both on in part two talking about the reward card.
Dawsons is pleased to announce they have been shortlisted by Relocation Agent Network, a national network of selected estate agents, for the 2017 Best Agent South Wales Region Award.
The winner will be announced at a gala awards dinner held at London’s Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel, on Friday, November 17 hosted by comedian and TV presenter Sue Perkins.
Dawsons’ Senior Partner Chris Hope said: “We are so proud to be shortlisted for this year’s Relocation Agent Network’s Best Agent Regional Award. It really does highlight the effort, commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by our team here at Dawsons.”
Relocation Agent Network’s 2017 Best Agent South Wales Region Award is an annual prize for the agent that has consistently made the best overall contribution to the Network throughout the year and offers nominees the chance to become the Network’s ‘Best Network Agent in the South Wales Region’.
To reach this stage of the award programme, agents must demonstrate excellent customer service, innovative business initiatives and a commitment to the Relocation Agent Network principles.
Richard Tucker, Relocation Agent Network’s Managing Director said: “Our Best Agent Regional Awards recognise those agents that go above and beyond when it comes to customer service and business innovation and network participation. Congratulations to Dawsons for their well-deserved nomination.”
Dawsons is delighted to announce the launch of its new customer and staff reward card on October 6th.
The reward cards will provide discount and offers to new customers and all staff at the local property agent – the first of its kind in the industry here in Swansea.
“We wanted to provide our customers with something a little different when collecting the keys for their new property and likewise to give our staff a little extra reward for all their hard work,” said Ricky Purdy, Dawsons’ Director of Lettings.
“So we approached several other likeminded and locally-owned companies to provide customer discount upon representation of the new card at no cost to the cardholder.”
The card can be used in local companies such as: Exall & Jones, The Yankee Shop & Candles & Co., The Optimist, 57 Barbers, Mr Jones of Mumbles, ND John Wine Merchants, Café Play, The Rose Indianne, and The Clothes Clinic and many others soon to be confirmed.
This companies on the card offer a wide range of services and will help to make life that little bit more enjoyable for Dawsons’ customers and staff. From clothes to café’s, DIY and candles for your home to food and wine, the Dawsons reward card has something for everyone.
Senior Partner at Dawsons, Chris Hope said: ‘We are delighted to be affiliated with such companies, supporting each other in keeping business local and being able to offer both ours and affiliated company staff a little thank you for their loyalty.
“We look forward to seeing the reward card grow introducing further local companies and offers to provide the customers and staff with even more choice.’ Says Chris Hope of Dawsons.)
CAPTION Tom Hole (Exall & Jones), Ricky Purdy (Dawsons), Adrian Evans (Café Play), Naomi Webborn (Dawsons), Callum and Darren Thomas (57 Barbers), Geraint Davies (ND John), Catherine Williams (The Yankee Candle Shop and Candles & Co) Lucy Hole (The Optimist).
When Andrew Davies decided to use Dawsons Estate Agent to sell his house he did not expect to be dealing with the same member of staff who he bought the property from 20 years before.
“In these days of where you see the growth of online estate agents it’s nice to see that you can still get a personal touch from a local estate agent like Dawsons,” said Andrew.
“I think it’s great that we are dealing with the same company and even the same staff we did two decades ago.”
Tracy Sturgess, an associate at Dawsons’ Morriston branch, remembered only too well handing over the keys to Andrew back in 1997.
“It is great to be dealing with Andrew again and it’s fantastic to see how the property has been transformed and developed in the past 20 years since we sold it,” said Tracy.
33 Smithfield Road 20 years ago
“Having sold the property all those years ago it really is fantastic that Andrew has come back to us after all this time. It really does go to show the local touch does count for a lot these days.”
Quite a lot has changed since Andrew and his wife Anna moved into 33 Smithfield Road in Pontardawe on the same day that newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair moved into No. 10.
The property has undergone significant development and improvement since the original purchase. It is now back on the market for £285,000 but is almost unrecognisable from the house Mr and Mrs Davies purchased 20 years ago.
“When we saw the property we fell in love with it and some 3 months later purchased from Dawsons. We saw its potential, and the space available – especially with the size of the garden,” revealed Andrew.
“Over the years we have extended the house three times in 1999, 2005, and 2012.”
In that time they have added an extra bedroom and utility room, later a new dining room and lastly a new kitchen as well as adding an office, master bedroom, playroom and lounge.
It is now an immaculate four double bedroom detached family home. The accommodation comprises a 23′ lounge, 26′ fitted ‘Cream’ kitchen/diner family room with integrated appliances, a further sitting room, utility room, ground floor cloakroom, family bathroom, master suite with bedroom, en-suite and study.
The property benefits from gas combination heating and UPVC double glazing. Externally there is a good size private mature enclosed garden together with driveway and garage.
So why are the Davies family selling?
“We have two children who have never lived anywhere else, one is starting University this year and the other is in his second year of A levels. So, both will have fled the Smithfield nest quite soon,” explained Andrew.
“And it has always been our desire to live by the sea so we are looking to move to the Gower area.”
Added Andrew: “The house in Pontardawe has been a great family home full of fantastic memories but we just feel it’s time to move on.”
We’re delighted to share the news that Relocation Agent Network – of which we are members – has been crowned the 2017 Best Estate Agency Supplier. This is a fantastic achievement for the Network and all of its members, including us!
The award was announced at the EA Masters Awards Dinner, held on Friday 22 September at the O2’s InterContinental hotel, London, organised by Property Academy and hosted by well-known TV presenter, Gabby Logan.
The Award
The 2017 Best Estate Agency Supplier is the most coveted prize that the Property Academy, the UK estate agency’s pre-eminent business improvement and events company, can give to an industry supplier. And making it even more special was the fact that the winner had to receive the highest number of votes from estate agency supplier customers via an online poll set up by Property Academy. Relocation Agent Network was awarded gold category status in the large category as well as the overall Best Estate Agency Supplier prize!
How does OUR Network membership help YOU? We have been specially selected to join Relocation Agent Network, who chose us to be the area’s Local Expert. To gain a Network invitation, estate agents must lead their local market in quality of service, local knowledge and professionalism.
Through its affiliation with Cartus, the premier provider of global relocation services, Relocation Agent Network members help Cartus move relocating families in and out of areas across England, Scotland and Wales. This offers Dawsons customers an additional channel of buyer when selling their property. Network members can also help their customers through the ‘Referral Network’, which helps those relocating, by referring them to a fellow Relocation Agent Network member in the area they are moving to.
Swansea City legend Alan Curtis is among scores of generous people who have donated unwanted boots to an African football academy.
Dawsons estate agent was among the main sponsors of this year’s inaugural Burry Port Raft Race, an event organised by Isabel and Craig Goodman to raise funds for the Burry Port RNLI and the Afia Banjul Children’s Football Academy in Gambia.
Further to the success of the raft race the organisers asked if Dawsons was able to collect any unwanted football boots, trainers or togs, and any kit for the Afia Banjul academy.
Dawsons were kindly donated buckets from another Swansea company: Exall & Jones, to collect boots in all of the sales and lettings offices throughout August.
“After having such a great day at the raft race raising funds for both the Burry Port RNLI and the Afia Banjul Children’s football academy it is great to continue our involvement in the fundraising,” said Dawsons Senior Partner Chris Hope.
“And it’s equally as great to see such amazing follow-up support after receiving the request for kit from the football academy by our staff, customers and contractors alike which included some donations from some well-known local faces such as Alan Curtis and Richie Pugh (Rugby Wales Sevens), and we look forward to seeing our donations arrive where they are much needed.”
Isabel said: “We are so grateful for this donation and it will now be shipped out to Gambia asap. The football academy is extremely grateful for all they receive, and are always needing new kit so if you anyone has any donations please feel free to drop them to Dawsons who can of course still pass them on.”
CAPTION: Swansea City legend Alan Curtis with some of the football boots being donated to Afia Banjul Children’s Football Academy in Gambia
Andrea Davies from Dawsons in Mumbles has qualified as an accredited Relocation Agent specialist.
The accreditation was awarded by Relocation Agent Network (RAN) and is achieved by completing a comprehensive online training programme: The Importance of Service.
A national network of independent estate agents (of which Dawsons is a member), RAN introduced the training programme to ensure each of their members provides the very highest customer service to those relocating around the UK.
“We take staff development very seriously and Andrea’s Relocation Agent Network accreditation is a great example of what can be achieved when staff are supported properly to improve their skill set,” said Dawsons’ Senior Partner Chris Hope.
“Of course, having a Relocation Agent Specialist in the team is also great for our relocating customers.”
To be successfully accredited, participants must complete three phases of learning, which begins with four training sessions on the importance of customer service.
This is followed by three online seminars covering the Relocation Agent Network Referral Process and how best to help customers who are relocating around the UK. Finally, participants must convert their theoretical learning into a practical skill set by delivering assistance to three relocating customers.
By working with fellow members across England, Scotland and Wales, RAN members provide an exclusive relocation referral service to customers.
For those relocating to Mumbles and Gower, Dawsons guides their customers through the daunting task of moving to an unfamiliar location. This includes local area information on schools and amenities, popular neighbourhoods and (of course) finding the right property for them. The introduction of a Relocation Agent specialist to the Dawsons team, ensures that this process is made even smoother.
Relocation Agent Network’s Managing Director, Richard Tucker said: “Selected by us as the best independent estate agent to represent the Network in Mumbles, Dawsons have proved themselves as the area’s Local Expert.
“So with the addition of an in-house Relocation Agent Specialist, they have gone one step further to provide relocating buyers and sellers with the very best customer service.”
Here’s an opprtunity to watch Dawsons Senior Partner Chris Hope’s recent appearance on Swansea Bay TV talking all things property around the south west Wales region. He even talks about Buddy Holly!
Chris features during the first 26 minutes of the show.
It’s hard to believe a home as tranquil and picturesque as 2 Pen y Waun Cottages could exist just a mile and a half from the M4 and a short drive from Swansea City Centre and other key locations including Morriston Hospital and Swansea University’s Bay Campus.
Set in pretty Felindre, the house has the added benefit of stunning reservoir walks nearby and a pub in the village – yet it feels as though it exists in its own rural idyll, with green fields all around, a pond and nearly an acre of gardens.
Sian O’Neill and her husband Hugh have helped raise ten grandchildren here, and it’s been a wonderful place for the children to play and explore. The house itself was originally a barn for the adjoining farmhouse and later became a row of miners’ cottages, before being converted into the four-bedroom family home it is today.
“It’s a wonderful home as it is but, there is potential to do so much with it,” says Sian. “We have space to add more bedrooms, and it could quite easily be converted into two properties, or into a B&B.”
In its present form, the house is a spacious and truly characterful family home that combines the charm of a cottage with the all luxury of space. From the large, light entrance hall to the vast main lounge, it really allows space to spread out and unwind. It’s also wonderful for entertaining.
“We’ve had some great parties here,” says Sian. “We can easily feed 15 in the lounge, and the garden makes it easy to hold bigger gatherings: we had our wedding reception here and Hugh, who was a member of Morriston Orpheus Choir, has hosted choir barbeques here. We have a lot of land for parking and in the evening it’s lovely to sit people around fires in the garden.”
Another huge bonus is that the property is so tranquil. A tall hedge separates it from the neighbouring house, meaning you feel entirely secluded, and the garden backs onto green fields.
“We’ve really enjoyed the peace and quiet,” says Sian. “We’ve also loved that it is such an interesting house – it has a lovely interior.”
The accommodation is highly flexible: as Hugh now has difficulty getting around, he has his own ground floor room and bathroom, and the first floor has a long walk-in attic running alongside the hallway which could easily be converted to add more bedrooms.
After spending a quarter of a century there, Sian and Hugh will be sad to leave, but the need to be closer to family is forcing the move.
“It’s been a perfect place to live, and I think it will appeal to a lot of people, from a multigenerational family to someone who wants to develop it or turn it into a business,” says Sian. “The lovely thing about it is that you have all the benefit and seclusion of living in the country but you have the city and excellent transport links nearby.”
Here’s a sneak preview of one of Dawsons’ lots ahead of our next auction at the Marriott Hotel on Wednesday, October 4 at 3pm.
The video is of an impressive lot: Shorelands situated in Penmaen, Gower with a guide price of £450,000. The property, which is a three-bedroom detached, benefits from stunning views across from Three Cliffs Bay to Oxwich Bay.
Dawsons believe the true market value of the property is between £600,000 to £650,000.
