Wright Marshall, which has been trading in Cheshire for more than 180 years, has closed its high street office in Northwich, after branch manager, Jack Braithwaite, deemed physical branches ‘pretty irrelevant’.
The estate agency. has adopted a ‘hybrid’ model following the closure of the company’s Bull Ring office, with most staff transferring to the Knutsford office.
According to Jack Braithwaite, who has been heading up Wright Marshall’s Northwich branch for more than two years, clients will still be offered the same high-quality marketing service, but with more flexibility, and he can now be much more competitive with fees.
He told the press: “This is very much a trend in our business.
“We pride ourselves on being one of the longest-standing agents in the town, but we’re also progressive.
“If I’m honest, physical branches have become pretty irrelevant.
“Gone are the days when people walk into an estate agent’s branch to find a property.
“Nine times out of 10, you’d get in touch with an agent on the phone after looking at their website, and you’d meet them at a property.
“Even key collections are done at the property these days, more often than not.
“It was mainly just me in the building as a full-timer, with a few part-time staff.
“Most of those have moved over to our office down the road in Knutsford.”
He added: “I’ve had lots of really positive feedback so far as I can now be much more competitive with fees.
“I’ve always wanted to be that personal estate agent in Northwich, and now I have the flexibility, it can happen. I’m pretty much available six days a week.
“This won’t affect the marketing services our clients receive. It’s second to none, including full video tours, which are so important to clients nowadays.”
