One of the area’s leading real estate agencies is setting its sights high.
Jon Millington, Luxury Property Director at Solihull-based Black and Golds Estate Agents, could have been excused if he’d been a little distracted on the day of our interview. He was moving house himself.
But ever the professional, Jon insisted on still making our pre-arranged meeting, to talk us through the strategy behind The Gold Collection, the company’s listings of prestige properties.
“It’s a very competitive market,” Jon explains. “And getting tougher. Around three years ago, we began to realise that we needed to move with the times, respond to market forces, and change perceptions.
“The whole brand has a completely different feel to other property companies in the area,” maintains Jon. “With no huge cash injections or corporate influences, the Black and Golds brand has grown organically over the last decade, with any advice handed out given from a place of authenticity, not just the standard narrative that you tend to expect from estate agents.”
As a result, the dedicated luxury division has been making significant inroads in central Solihull and outlying rural locations such as Knowle, Tidbury Green and Tanworth-in-Arden, with owners and prospective buyers of larger, more exclusive homes.
Approach
“The luxury market involves a different approach,” says Jon. “Homeowners expect a more personal, hands-on service when it comes to showcasing their properties. And buyers expect an ‘experience’ that reflects the value of the houses in this price bracket.”
The personal service comes courtesy of Jon, who acts as a single point of contact, and gets to know every detail about each individual property, which enables him to answer any questions or requests that come his way and liaise fully between buyers and sellers.
“It’s important for clients to feel that they can get hold of the person that has been appointed with the task of selling their largest and most valuable asset. It’s for this very reason that I am on the end of the phone at pretty much any time within reason.
We appreciate our clients have busy lives, and not everything falls neatly into the Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five timeframe.”
In order to present properties in their best light, and attract maximum interest from serious buyers, The Gold Collection service for owners also encompasses a full photo shoot and video presentation (fronted by Jon) together with – where relevant – advice on ‘staging’ the property for showings, a CGI presentation of possible design and furnishing options, and aerial filming by drone.
Buyers also benefit from this level of commitment.
“The Gold Collection has always been a brand with a clear and concise vision, and we are driven and fascinated by ‘aspirational branding.’ Whether it be luxury watches, luxury cars or fine jewellery, many of the world’s most recognisable exclusive brands have defined themselves in this manner, from many years of being the very best in their field. When selling your home, it is important to be represented by a brand that people associate with such qualities.
“We don’t therefore, tend to arrange ad hoc visits, or a quick show-around. Instead, we’ll organise an open day, complete with refreshments, and set up a series of appointments to enable buyers to view the property fully and take in all of its selling points. Buying a house, especially in this sector of the market, is almost always an emotional purchase. It’s about more than price, location, or an investment opportunity. You need to imagine yourself living there. And that process can’t be rushed.”
Practicalities
Of course, there are always practicalities to consider, particularly if a buyer is new to the area. Which is where Jon’s local knowledge comes to the fore.
The company (recently named as a Gold Winner Estate Agent in Solihull in the 2023 British Property Awards) was set up ten years ago by Mike Dingley. Unlike some estate agencies, they have
stayed ‘local’ and resisted the temptation to expand too fast, or too far outside of their core area. The company’s main office is on Stratford Road in Solihull, with a second office at Beckett’s Farm, which also doubles as the base for their mortgage advisory division, run by mortgage consultant Richard Spires.
“It’s all part of the added value,” explains Jon. “We have been working with Richard for some time as our recommended expert in this sector, and it eventually made sense from both our points of view for him to join us full-time, so we could offer this as one of our in-house services. We also work alongside a number of other independent specialists in their field, including architects, builders, interior designers and suppliers of furniture, fixtures and fittings, and are happy to pass on their details if any of our customers are looking for help and advice.”
It’s all part of the personal touch that the company is keen to project. “We’re not a huge, national brand,” says Jon, “but we like to think that works to our advantage. When buyers or sellers deal with us, they can always put a face to the name. Many of our
staff have been with us for a long time, and have grown with the company. We’ve put all their profiles on the website, including some fun YouTube interviews, and clients seem to appreciate that we’re approachable and friendly, as well as – if it doesn’t sound too big-headed – good at what we do!”
Mark Hamilton