A major advantage of being part of the Winkworth franchise network is the range of opportunities to expand the breadth of business for individual offices.
The latest offering is Winkworth’s new Development and Commercial Investment department, which has launched to maximise opportunities unlocked by the latest planning reforms in the capital and across the regions.
Adam Stackhouse, a renowned London agent and expert in mixed use and planning, has joined Winkworth to spearhead the growth of the department.
The new team is looking at development and commercial opportunities created by shifts in the economic environment, the lack of footfall to high streets and changes in planning legislation to speed up the delivery of creating new homes in former office and retail spaces, with the extension of Permitted Development Rights. Zones 1-6 will be the first areas of operation, followed by further expansion into commuter areas such as Guildford and Reading.
Dominic Agace, Chief Executive of Winkworth, highlights the role of the new department, offering a professional B2B service to building owners and investor clients, advising and providing solutions in a rapidly changing residential and commercial environment.
Dominic commented: “This is a natural extension of the service-driven approach we offer our residential customers. Winkworth is particularly well placed to provide this breadth of expertise, with deep roots in local property markets established for over 40 years. This will identify opportunities across the business, complementing and growing our overall local market reach.
“In addition, we have excellent connections through our China Desk to reach international investors who want to invest in London and across the UK.”
Adam Stackhouse believes planning reforms are creating a huge opportunity to regenerate the link roads leading to the high street, where there are boarded up shops which are no longer sustainable. These buildings will be very attractive to investors for conversion into homes, revitalising the streetscape and bringing more residents into the area.
Adam commented: “This will then create more demand for a more concentrated area of retail in the high street. The demand for office buildings is also changing, as a result of Covid-19, where buildings may be suitable for residential or for reconfiguring into spaces for a new way of working, where people may not be in the office every day.”
London will be the first focus of the new department and then commuter towns such as Guildford, Godalming, Woking and Reading, where there are often beautiful period buildings being used as offices and shops, suitable for conversion into very smart homes or other uses, bringing new life into forgotten parts of these towns.
Local offices will have the opportunity to tap into the expertise in the new department, identifying development and commercial investment opportunities and offering the services of the Winkworth team to advise clients on the best way to maximise return on investment.
If you are an independent agent or part of a larger company and looking for career progression , contact Winkworth’s New Franchising team to discuss opportunities to join its nationwide franchise network of 100 offices, including 60 offices based in the capital.