What we do
Our Promise
When placing your property with Sawyer and Co. you can be assured of exemplary service by an award winning team of trained professionals who engage our philosophy of ‘Going the Extra Mile’ for every single client. You will benefit from our local knowledge of the Brighton, Hove and Sussex area, experience, expertise and contacts. You will be treated with respect and courtesy and assisted, advised and informed through each stage of the property process.
Our Service
Sawyer & Co. are proud to have created a hardworking, customer-focused estate agency serving Brighton and Hove, whose culture is to go the extra mile for our clients, both in and out of office hours, always with professionalism and a sense of fun. We offer consistent service, innovative solutions, and a deep understanding of the local market. As experts in the area, we provide accurate valuations and insights into property trends, building strong relationships with our clients and the community we serve. Our strong ties to the community and reputation for exceptional service make us the trusted choice for all your property needs.
At Sawyer & Co., we’re not just an estate agency; we’re a dedicated team striving to redefine the standard of service in real estate, ensuring that dealing with property, whether selling or buying, is a positive experience.
Our Commitment to Excellence is Driven by Our Core Values:
- Humble: At the heart of our service is a genuine respect for our clients’ needs. We listen, learn, and adapt, making sure that every interaction prioritises your experience and feedback.
- Energetic and Proactive: We infuse passion and enthusiasm into everything we do. By anticipating your needs and acting swiftly, we deliver results that are not only effective but also efficient.
- Caring: We understand that selling your home is a significant life event. Our team treats every client with empathy, making you feel valued and supported throughout your journey.
- Transparent: Honesty and clarity guide our interactions. By maintaining open communication, we ensure you remain well-informed and confident in your decisions.
- Kind: We believe in the power of kindness. It influences how we interact with clients and each other, fostering a welcoming and positive environment.
- Fiercely Determined: Our relentless pursuit of excellence means facing challenges head-on and never settling for less than the best outcomes for our clients.
- Always Doing the Right Thing: Integrity is non-negotiable. We act ethically, even when it’s not the easiest path, ensuring that our clients can always depend on us.
Endorsed by Our Community Our approach is validated by client reviews, we currently have 1000 Google reviews, property ombudsman audits, and the consistent recommendations and repeat business we receive. At Sawyer & Co., we are more than just your estate agents; we are partners in your property journey, ensuring a selling experience marked by care, professionalism, and a commitment to getting results.
First-Time Seller’s Guide
Embark on your first selling journey with confidence and ease. At Sawyer & Co., we understand that selling your home for the first time can seem daunting. That’s why we’re here to offer you step-by-step guidance and unwavering support. As a first-time seller, it’s vital to not only find your next home but also to get fully prepared to sell your current one. Becoming buyer-ready involves more than just making your property appealing; it also means being financially prepared. If you haven’t yet secured a mortgage or chosen a solicitor, our team is here to help guide you through these essential steps to ensure that once you receive an offer, you are ready to proceed without delay.
Our dedicated team will navigate you through every aspect of the process, ensuring you understand and feel comfortable with each stage. We’ll help you prepare your property, market it effectively, and secure the best possible outcome, turning complexity into clarity and stress into satisfaction.
From offer acceptance to exchange and completion, our specialist sales progression team will be by your side, adeptly handling lease complexities and other challenges to ensure a smooth and seamless journey to your sale’s conclusion.
‘Done This Before?’
If you have have sold properties before you are in a perfect place to understand that selling a property while simultaneously buying another adds significant complexity, even for those familiar with the property market. At Sawyer & Co., we understand these challenges and offer a streamlined, efficient process to navigate the pitfalls effectively, ensuring a smooth transition for seasoned sellers.
The interconnected nature of buying and selling often leads to dependent transactions forming a chain, where delays or complications in one can affect all others. Common issues include chain breaks, where a party fails to secure financing or withdraws, misaligned timelines that can delay funding for your new home, discoveries during property surveys that lead to renegotiations, and legal delays from lengthy conveyancing processes. These issues highlight the need for careful planning and coordination, and underscore the benefits of working with experienced professionals who can navigate these challenges effectively.
Our expert team recognises your familiarity with the property market while providing strategic insight and advanced marketing techniques to not only maximise your return but also manage these risks, ensuring each step from offer acceptance through to completion is handled with precision. This minimises hassle and enhances your selling experience, allowing you to focus on planning your next move. By rigorously managing each part of the process, we significantly reduce the likelihood of common obstacles, ensuring a successful transaction and your ultimate satisfaction.
Market Exposure
Our offices are situated in prime high street locations throughout Brighton and Hove, affording our clients maximum exposure for their properties. We offer properties for sale and to rent and property management across the whole of the Brighton and Hove area from Shoreham-by-sea to Peacehaven, with our Block/Estate Management department covering most of Sussex. We enjoy excellent footfall, with many clients visiting in person to undertake initial discussions and then to place their properties with us.
Our multi-departmental expertise in sales, lettings, and block management allows us to offer a more comprehensive service. ‘Buy to Let’ investors trust us due to our ability to advise on all aspects of their investments. Our Block Management knowledge also helps us to progress sales because we fully understand leasehold/freehold issues. This cross-departmental expertise enhances sales overall.
Our Staff
We are extremely proud to have assembled a superb, settled team of skilled property professionals, many having worked together for over a decade. With a genuine, friendly and pro-active approach; energetic and ambitious, loyal and dedicated, their commitment to excellence driven by our core values, they view estate agency as a rewarding career rather than just a job.
We encourage our teams to extend their industry knowledge via ongoing training and acquisition of relevant professional qualifications, all providing additional peace of mind for our customers. Each and every one of our team have spent many years living in the local area, inspiring confidence that your property will be handled by properly trained and qualified staff with excellent local knowledge.
At Sawyer & Co., every customer is treated with respect and care by our team of trained professionals, instilling an immediate sense of confidence and trust. We value transparency and consistently deliver unrivalled customer service, endorsed by our client reviews, property ombudsman audits, recommendations and repeat business. We are upheld as professionals who get results.
Supporting our community is a natural extension of who we are and what our team does. As proud members of the local area we serve, we actively engage in fundraising initiatives and participate in many community events as you will see in the Community section of the site.
Protection and Peace of Mind
Sawyer & Co. are National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) members, which are now incorporated into Propertymark. We are also members of The Property Ombudsman, Brighton and Hove Estate Agents Association (BHEAA) and the Guild of Property Professionals. We are answerable to each of these associations and uphold the strong codes of practice and ethics they enforce, providing you with protection and peace of mind.
Relocation
People come to live in the Brighton & Hove area from all over the country, but in particular from London and its suburbs. As members of the Guild of Property Professionals we have connections in over 900 towns and cities across the UK, all capable of introducing buyers to our properties. We advertise our clients’ properties in our associated Mayfair office on Park Lane together with over 100 other associated offices across Greater London. Often professionals and families relocating require rental accommodation for specific periods during satellite employment or to discover an area before they decide where to settle down thus exposure to this affluent market place is key.
If you are looking to move out of the area yourself, we can refer you to our associated offices who will help you with your property search.
Bespoke Marketing
Sawyer & Co. understand that moving home is one of the most important decisions you make; your home is both a financial and emotional investment. Our exceptional team of professional estate agents provide a bespoke service to match each client’s unique requirements. We begin by listening to your needs, priorities and aspirations, then suggest which features of our home moving package may benefit the most.
Innovative and progressive we offer bespoke marketing strategies to ensure as wide an exposure as possible for our clients’ properties. Professionally executed events such as ‘Launch Days’ are set up to create a desire from purchasers, often resulting in asking price offers on first day of viewing.
All our properties are promoted with high quality comprehensive property details. Meticulous, focusing on the most salient points and created with high quality photography and floor plans, they really work to bring homes to life. Our photography is consistently fresh, striking and innovative with expert lighting and composition bringing out the finer points of each home. We produce high quality, concise, well-crafted lifestyle copy which exposes potential buyers to the most attractive aspects of a home and the lifestyle that goes with it.
Our bespoke marketing package may also include a social media promotional video or interactive 360 immersive tours. These tours provide such a comprehensive experience of the property, we have sold or let properties without having to conduct a physical viewing!
Technology
Technology plays a vital role in Sawyer and Co.’s operations. In the current market place the internet is one of the most powerful tools and one which we exploit to the maximum. As well as the national portals including OnTheMarket.com, Zoopla, PrimeLocation and Rightmove, we also enjoy many unique visitors to our own regularly updated Sawyer & Co. website, which we are consistently developing and improving. Optimised to rank highly on search engines such as Google our website further benefits our customers by increasing the amount of traffic to their properties.
Social media is becoming more important than ever for businesses. Sawyer & Co have a strong social media presence, promoting brand awareness and important for our marketing strategies to showcase client properties expediently and to a wide audience.
Sawyer & Co. has partnered with a range of ‘proptech’ firms to provide an enhanced and efficient customer journey, for example, every enquiry from the property portals such as Rightmove is responded to automatically and tracked to ensure that our staff members contact the customer quickly and respond to their needs. Customers can also contact us 24 hours a day using our website’s ‘Livechat’ service.
And in a world where people like to do more online, buyers now have the option to book viewings straight into our diary.
Community
At Sawyer & Co. we have developed a strong connection with the local community, supporting youth groups and charities to maintain solid connections.
We get the whole team involved in a myriad of events, activities, fundraising and sponsorships.
In the last few years, we have taken part in charity bike rides, running events, mud runs, sleep outs, quiz nights, cake sales, parachute and bungee jumps and appeals for food and clothing, not to mention our annual Santa Dash.
During the pandemic we lent our vehicles to local charities and were involved in food deliveries.
Sale Ready
Sawyer & Co have partnered with a company called Gazeal to help our customers prepare their legal documents quickly and efficiently. Whilst we are busy marketing your property, Gazeal use this time to prepare the legal documents with you that you will need. We then make these available to any interested buyer BEFORE they make you an offer. This way we can be sure that the buyer is GENUINE and RELIABLE BEFORE we start the sale.
After you have accepted an offer, these documents are instantly transferred to your chosen solicitor, saving weeks off of the usual process.
FAQs:
How much does it cost? There is NO CHARGE.
What information is collected at the start? It is called the ‘Buyer Information Pack’ and is usually put together by the Sellers conveyancer when a buyer is found. Gazeal prepare this much earlier. Typically it contains:
- Property Information Form Fittings and Contents Form
- Copy of the sellers title registered at the Land Registry
- Copy of any planning permissions, guarantees etc
- Leasehold Information Pack (if applicable)
- Any other relevant documents the Seller wishes the Buyer to see, ie: copy of Broadband or Utility bill.
How long does it take to prepare? This all depends on how quickly the Seller completes this on their own. We can have the pack ready in an hour. Typically 1/2 days.
How does a potential Buyer get to see this pack? Once an interested buyer has been identified, Gazeal ask the Seller to check that the information is up to date and then the buyer is granted access to check the information online via the Gazeal platform. They are sent an email or text and can login instantly upon the Seller confirming the information is ok.
How much does it cost for the Buyer to view the information? There is NO CHARGE to the buyer to view the information.
How do I know if the Buyer has viewed the pack? When the Buyer logs in to view the information, Gazeal send the Agent an email alerting them to this. Very useful if you have had multiple requests for access.
Sawyer & Co Secure Sale
Sawyer & Co Secure Sale in association with Gazeal
This is a separate service from the ‘sale ready’ service and you can choose neither, either or both services.
Once we have found a suitable and reliable Buyer, we would like to SECURE their commitment to you further and make the move more CERTAIN.
The Buyer will no doubt expect us to remove your property from the market for them, and therefore we need to make sure they do the same. We recommend that we provide your Buyer with a Reservation Agreement to sign which will ensure that they offer a commitment to you.
FAQ:
How much does it cost? Both parties pay a Reservation Fee of £250 + vat. This secures a £2,000 commitment to you both from each other. Sawyer & Co receives no commission.
How does it work? Once the offer has been agreed, the Buyer and Seller both sign the agreement and are then bound by the terms within. If either party withdraw for any reason, other than what is agreed, then the other side is entitled to a compensation payment.
How much is the compensation payment? Whatever level of commitment that was agreed, min £2,000.
Who arranges this payment? Gazeal will be responsible to make the payment to the innocent party and then recover it from the defaulting party
How much deposit does the Buyer put down? The Buyer does NOT put down a deposit. Instead we ask for a Reservation Fee of £250 + VAT
For such a small amount why would the Buyer be committed? Although the amount of £250 + VAT is low, both parties are committed to a min of £2,000 if either breaks the agreement.
What happens if the Buyer withdraws due to a bad survey? This wouldn’t be their fault? The agreement makes provisions for various scenarios that would mean there would be no penalty for withdrawal. Such as:
- Down Valuation due to survey not re-negotiable
- Bad Title
- Chain Break Down above the Seller or Below the Buyer
- General Reasons agreed by ‘Mutual Consent’ with Seller
- Inability to get a Mortgage
How can the Seller withdraw without penalty? There are numerous reasons for the Seller to withdraw without the potential liability such as:
- Incorrect information given by the Buyer as to their position.
- Agreed timescales not met by the Buyer
- Chain Break Down below the Buyer
- General reasons agreed by ‘Mutual Consent’ with the Buyer
What are the Timescales set out in the agreement? Both Buyer and Seller are free to decide the timescales. Any time can be agreed to a maximum of 6 months.
What happens if there is a delay? There is no problem with delays as long as they are communicated to each party. The Reservation Agreement can be extended by ‘Mutual Consent’ at any stage.
Does the Buyer have to prove an issue? In all cases where the Buyer is seeking to withdraw, they will have to prove that the issue is truthful via their conveyancer.
How does the Agreement work in a Chain? The agreement can be signed BUT NO PAYMENT IS TAKEN if the chain is not complete. Once complete then the Buyer can start the agreement by making their Reservation Fee payment. If at any point the chain collapses then the agreement simply ‘PAUSES’. The agreement is NOT DEPENDENT ON ALL OF THE CHAIN having a reservation agreement.
What happens when the agreement pauses? Either party can extend the agreement by ‘Mutual Consent’. In the event that there is no ‘Mutual Consent’ then either party can walk away with no penalty.
What happens if the timescales are not met? All pre-set timescales can be extended by ‘Mutual Consent’. In the absence of ‘Mutual Consent’ either party can walk away, without penalty, if there is no extension agreed.
We are all aware of the shortfalls of the property conveyancing process in the UK and so we feel that both these services provide a great opportunity for buyers and sellers to achieve greater efficiency and certainty in this process. Not yet resolved
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU
Services we offer
We offer a comprehensive range of property solutions tailored to meet your needs. Our dedicated team of professionals is committed to delivering outstanding services, ensuring a seamless and successful experience every step of the way.
Find out how much your home is worth
Curious about the value of your property? At Sawyer & Co Estate Agents, we offer a free and no-obligation property valuation service. Our experienced valuers will assess your property’s market value based on factors such as its location, size, condition, and recent sales in the area.
