Traditional estate agency Bramleys has made a significant investment into its Huddersfield town centre head office as it looks to modernise and adapt to the ever-changing property market.
Bramleys has transformed its HQ in St George’s Square into a modern ‘property showroom’ as it looks at future growth.
Founded in 1958 and still in its original building, Bramleys has renovated its salesroom in a lounge style, designed to look like one of the £1m+ properties it lists for sale.
A modern boardroom with video technology has been built to host meetings with commercial and developer clients.
The investment marks an intention to stay in the town centre for years to come, during a period when town centres have typically lost commercial tenants.
Commenting on their town centre presence, commercial partner Alex McNeil said: “Huddersfield centre is rising from the ashes – it just needs some good PR.
“There have been vacant properties but they’re being filled with independent businesses and national brands.
“We are the most active agent when it comes to lettings/transactions in the town centre, and we are seeing an upward trend. We’ve been based here for 65 years and hope to be here for 65 more.”
The building is also home to Bramley’s commercial team, lettings department and furniture auction house, with four further branches in Elland, Heckmondwike, Halifax and Mirfield.
Having joined business club, Empire House, Bramleys has also created a presence in Slaithwaite for the first time in its history.
With a strong network of property members, it is hoped Empire House will open the door to further opportunities for market growth.
Simultaneously, the firm has invested in new computers for staff; transitioned to Alto – a cloud-based property software solution; purchased iPads so all valuers can present without paper; invested in drone technology to improve the quality of listing images/videos; and retained virtual viewings post-Covid, for professionals who would struggle to view during the normal 9-5.
Paul Keighley, residential partner at Bramleys, said: “Bramleys was once called a comfy old armchair – a reliable place to turn when in need of a safe pair of hands.
“It was meant as a compliment – and we took it as one, because after all, reliability and trust are key in our business. But we are now making strides to become a comfy, new, modern armchair.”
Bramleys has also begun to offer more packages to sellers and buyers, including a coveted ‘Property of the month.’
“We recognise that the way people search for houses is changing,” Paul said. “Not so long ago, you could rely on Rightmove to find your dream home. But a lack of stock means that potential buyers want a closer relationship with estate agents – it’s a trend that’s come back around.
“If you want the best house in the best area, there is a lot of competition. Buyers now think outside the box, and we nurture those relationships.
“We’re becoming a forward-thinking, exciting brand that people are genuinely excited to be involved with, from staff, to our cleaners, partners and customers.”
