PROPERTY EXPERT SCORES TOP INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

 L-R: Katie Macdonald and Louisa Raistrick (Director of Property Sales)

An upmarket residential property specialist is celebrating after securing a triple whammy of industry accolades underlining its market leader status.

Simpson & Marwick has been named top performing firm in the ESPC’s annual, Independent Mystery Shopper of the year award.

Meanwhile, latest stats from property website Rightmove showed that Simpson & Marwick was number one for the sale of properties worth more that £250,000 across Edinburgh and East Lothian in April and May. The firm was also number one for listing of properties in that price bracket during March and April.

Katie Macdonald, Director of Property Sales at Simpson & Marwick, said: “These three accolades are a testament to the team for their hard work and continually going over and above for our clients. We expect big things in the next year as we build on this success. 

Now more than ever, we know that clients have high expectations. At Simpson & Marwick, we strive to make sure that every one of our clients receives first-class service. There are few things more important in life than buying and selling a home and we know this is of paramount importance to our customers – so we put it at the heart of everything we do.”

She added: That makes it especially gratifying that the team’s hard work, commitment and effort have now been recognised by two of the biggest names in the world of property – ESPC and Rightmove.”

The ESPC mystery shopper award saw Simpson & Marwick praised for providing the best customer service out of 140 solicitors and estate agents involved – after the firm secured an impressive 94 points out of a possible 95, well ahead of the overall average of 75.

ESPC commissioned an independent agency to review the home selling process offered by multiple firms through the eyes of a consumer. That involved scoring each firm’s performance across various aspects of the customer experience.

Louisa Raistrick, who is also a Director of Property Sales with the firm, said: “Within a competitive market, the need for great service has never been more important, so we’re delighted the mystery shopper was able to witness our high standards first-hand and based on the excellent level of service received, award our firm first place.

The mystery shopper was impressed at every touch point, which is amazing to hear. From our website having informative and expert advice, to the standard of the knowledge and the follow up communication – a testament to our hard-working professional team.”

As part of the programme, factors such as first impressions, visibility and online presence, marketing of the property, establishing consumer needs, fee structure and transparency were all taken into account to calculate an overall score for each business.  

Simpson & Marwick received top marks of 20 out of 20 for its website and 25 out of 25 for its follow-up dialogue with customers.  The firm also achieved an impressive 49 out of 50 for the way in which its team handled the enquiry call, which involved establishing the client’s needs and marketing of the property.

In terms of property sales and listings, the recent Rightmove stats show the firm is continuing its long domination of the higher end of the property market, where homes fetch at least quarter of a million pounds.

 In 2021, Rightmove figures show Simpson & Marwick sold more property over £300,000 than any other agent in Edinburgh and East Lothian excluding new builds. Meanwhile, for the past 13 years, the firm has been the Number 1 ESPC agent for total sales of property over £250,000 in Edinburgh in East Lothian.

In 2021 they sold more than £236 million of residential property, achieving an average of 8% above the Home Report valuations, with properties selling in 15 days in Edinburgh and 21 days in East Lothian on average.

Simpson & Marwick traces its roots back to 1886 making it one of the best-known and most trusted names in the Edinburgh property market. With 30 staff, the firm has offices in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Glasgow with over 135 years’ worth of experience. In 2020 it became part of Moray Group.