#chiswickhomes

With 413 years combined residence locally and 235 years property industry experience, no one knows and serves Chiswick better… According to James Matthews, co-founder of Whitman & Co estate agency, there’s no secret to the company’s consistent success in the local market: ‘Our aim has always been to build a close-knit team that focuses solely on Chiswick and, most importantly, knows the area street-by-street. It’s a simple philosophy, but it has stood us in good stead.’ Taken together, Whitman & Co’s 13-person staff has clocked up 413 years of living in the area – it helps that six of them are West London born and bred – and over 235 years experience in the property industry. ‘It was only recently that we sat down to do the maths,’ smiles Sales Director, Chris Chalmers. ‘I must admit, we were surprised by the totals.’

Chris Chalmers No one better epitomises the ‘keep it local’ philosophy than Chris himself, who joined the company in 2002. ‘My great-grandparents bought our family home in Prebend Gardens in 1926; my grandmother moved in when she was eight years-old, my mother was born there and so was I.’

James Matthews James and co-founder Russell Savage met at long-gone estate agency Tyser Greenwood and bought Whitman & Co in 1995 (the company was founded in the 1920s by Colonel Whitman, who was also a coal merchant). Today, together with Chris and Jeremy Day, the newest team member and a Grove Park resident for 29 years, they lead sales, letting and commercial departments from the same office on Turnham Green Terrace.

Russell Savage The Whitman & Co approach clearly still delivers impressive results. According to the latest verified Rightmove statistics, the company is the Chiswick market leader for sales – a position that it has held for over three years – and, since last August, it has also been number one in lettings. ‘With valuations, we are always realistic,’ says Russell. ‘Over the years, I’ve seen countless examples of properties being valued astronomically to secure an instruction. If that’s the case, we pass. We quote figures that we’re convinced we can achieve and that pays dividends in the long run. Also, we’re transparent; we don’t put clients under pressure, we flag up issues and we try to solve them without fuss. If you’re straightforward, people will come back to you.’ Since he started off in the lettings department, Chris has seen the same clients return time and again. ‘What’s fascinating is that you catch up with them at different stages of the property-buying cycle – from rentals to buying a first home and then moving into a family house. Over the last 18 years, I’ve been a part of their lives. That also epitomises what we’re about; customers know that they’ll see a familiar face and receive a friendly service.’ As a successful business, Whitman & Co has always believed in investing in the community, increasing its involvement year on year. ‘We’re always delighted to help if we can,’ says Chris. ‘Currently, we sponsor Chiswick Cricket Club and Chiswick Rugby Club juniors, support the Bedford Park Festival, school fetes and street parties, choirs and charities and, last year, we were delighted to assist Abundance London with the hugely successful Turnham Green piazza project.’

Denise White ‘The Whitman’s way is all about building relationships – that’s why people often pop into the office for a chat and advice about the market. No matter how busy we are, we keep it personal. Longevity is at the core of our business.’

Jeremy Day

Chris Chalmers Whitman & Co has again been ranked as Chiswick’s market-leader in property sales It has been another excellent year for Whitman & Co. According to the latest Rightmove figures (covering the period from 1 January to 10 November), for the third year running the company is Chiswick’s number one estate agency for sales, with 20% of the W4 market, while also being number two for lettings. With such an enviable track record, who better to peer into his property crystal ball than Sales Director and co-owner, Chris Chalmers. ‘Obviously, we’re delighted to have delivered such a consistent performance again,’ he says. ‘The local market has stabilised and, if anything, there’s been a marginal improvement in some price ranges, for example flats from £500,000-£700,000 and houses from £900,000-£1.5 million. ‘Of course, with many people simply postponing moving, there is a pent-up demand. We’re anticipating a bounce when everything is finally settled, so we’re encouraging potential sellers to have their homes valued now; the market is still very active with buyers looking and they will have a head start in the New Year.’ One of the secrets of Whitman & Co’s success is local focus. The close-knit team know the area inside and out – Chris himself is Chiswick born and bred – and believe in investing in the community. ‘It’s why we’re delighted to support Chiswick Cricket Club, the Bedford Park Festival and local school fetes and charities. ‘This is our second season sponsoring Chiswick Rugby Club Juniors, and the first time we’ve put our branding on their shirts. We’re subsidising an exchange scheme: anyone with an old shirt can exchange it for a new one. The old shirts are then sent to the RFU who distribute them to under-privileged children in the UK and abroad.’

Adrian Southwick (second left) A treasure trove of beers, wines and fantastic gifts – and there’s a 10% discount for locals ‘Many people, even those who have lived in Chiswick for a while, don’t know The Brewery Shop is here,’ says Adrian Southwick, Visitor Centre Manager at Fuller’s Griffin Brewery. ‘We want to change that, particularly since we offer “locals” a 10% discount on our stock.’ Located behind The Mawson Arms, the Brewery Shop was extensively refitted in 2018 and transformed into a stylish, more interesting space. The re-design allowed for the addition of the Pilot Brewery, where the brewing team produce small batch beers, the Growler Bar, where customers can sample barrel-fresh beers and take away a growler (a jug holding three pints approx), and the Tun Room, which is the ideal site for out-of-office meetings (these bookings are often followed by a tour and tasting session in the Hock Cellar). ‘We carry just about every Fuller’s beer (from single bottles to packs), some of our extended family, such as Cornish Orchard cider and Dark Star, the Vintage Ales and speciality beers and a good selection of our wines,’ explains Adrian. ‘In addition, we have a beer-inspired food range (sausages, bacon and breakfast packs) and an array of branded merchandise and gifts, including glassware, clothing, retro wall signs and bar runners.’ The Brewery Shop is open 10am-8pm (Mon-Fri) and 10.30am-6pm (Sat) and Adrian and his team are always happy to chat to customers about the ales. ‘We’d love everyone to come and have a look around,’ he says. ‘You could combine a visit with a brewery tour (booking via the website is best); you’ll learn about our fascinating history, see how the “magic” happens and taste and take home some of our fantastic beers.’

Jeremy Day There’s a new face – but the same tried and trusted service – at Whitman & Co’s commercial department Not only does the team at Whitman & Co specialise in Chiswick’s property market, the individual members don’t change that often. There’s always a good chance that you’ll deal with a familiar friendly face, however long it has been since you last used their services. So, the recent retirement of Commercial Director Andrew Clark after 18 years is worthy of note. His place has been taken by Jeremy Day and, in classic Whitman style, he is a W4 local, having lived in Grove Park for 29 years. A chartered surveyor, Jeremy has spent the past 30 years working with major firms. ‘I’m delighted to have joined the business. My responsibility is for all non-residential properties – shops, offices, industrial sites, new developments – and I’m looking forward to working with owners and occupiers, landlords and tenants, offering them a straightforward, market-aware service.’ The number of empty shop premises on the High Road is indicative of the challenges facing retailers. ‘We are in a period of re-adjustment and commercial rents must be reasonable,’ says Jeremy. ‘We find that our landlord clients are pragmatic – an occupied shop is better than a void one. We also work with occupier clients to ensure rents, rates and service charges are affordable. In Chiswick, we’re lucky that we still enjoy a thriving retail sector.’ The local industrial sector is performing strongly. ‘One reason for this is that many buildings have been removed from the supply chain and converted to residential properties,’ explains Jeremy. ‘Of course, in Chiswick we benefit from being close to the West End and City, Heathrow and the Thames Valley; these geographical advantages have also contributed to keeping the W4 office market healthy. ‘As a Commercial department we follow the approach that has made Whitman & Co Chiswick’s leading sales and lettings agent. We’re transparent, we don’t put clients under pressure and we try to solve problems, whether it’s a dispute with a neighbour, an issue with compulsory purchase or negotiating a lease or rent. We like to build relationships – longevity is at the core of what we do.’