Toby Howd
Head of Sales - Ravensworth
What is your career background?
I started out as an Estate Agent working firstly for a large corporate agency and then several years for a fantastic independent agency. Following that I got into auctions and then the Proptech sector
How did you come to work for Ravensworth?
The amazing Nicola Broomham was recruiting for the job and she knew I was looking for a new challenge.
What's your proudest achievement?
Building lasting business relationships and many friendships throughout the industry.
What are the top 3 challenges you believe your business solves for agents?
Helping to pick the type of marketing that is going to work for them by listening to their individual needs and recommending the right product.
Giving agents an easy to use solution with our online platforms
Standing out from the crowd with quality materials
Which industry suppliers do you admire most?
The ones that invite me to their golf days!
Which estate agencies do you admire most?
See above!!
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with estate agents so far?
Everyone's business is different and you need to understand their individual challenges.
Jordan Chadburn
Key Account Manager
What is your career background?
Estate agency for nearly 10 years with 2 different agents and now with Ravensworth
How did you come to work for Ravensworth?
I wanted a change from front line estate agency but still have involvement in property where I felt I could make a difference.
What's your proudest achievement?
In work - taking an office struggling to break even to being very profitable.
What are the top 3 challenges you believe your business solves for agents?
Business generation - various marketing tools we provide take the stress out of aspects of business generation without leaving a desk.
Presentation - This spans from helping making agents look presentable with print design and marketing tools but our photofixr tool makes their clients market ready too.
Under one roof - All print, design and marketing in one place and easy to order without the need for multiple companies for multiple services.
Which industry suppliers do you admire most?
Anyone innovative bringing new ideas to the table and moving our sector forward.
Which estate agencies do you admire most?
Having worked on the front line for such a long time I admire all agents from small independents to bigger corporate agents for the work/stress behind the scenes to guide customers through one of the biggest decisions they will make in their life.
Nikki Hamersley
Senior Key Account Manager
What is your career background?
I have worked in the property industry since leaving Uni. I have worked on several newspaper titles and run events within the property world. I then worked in-house for an estate agent handling their marketing and CSR. I moved to Ravensworth just over 4 years ago.
How did you come to work for Ravensworth?
I interviewed for another position within the company and was told I would be perfect for another role... this one!
What's your proudest achievement?
Winning the business of some big brands.
What are the top 3 challenges you believe your business solves for agents?
1. How to strategically market their brand and properties using a number of channels and products
2. Keeping everything under one roof, you will be surprised how many agents use multiple places to print and produce marketing materials and then they can't remember who they used or where certain products sit. Everything can sit with us on one of our two systems and be available for when they need to use them.
3. Ease of producing and ordering products. Using templates and Marketing Toolkit or My Ravensworth clients have the ease of creating something and then having the ease of web to print with a fast delivery.
Which industry suppliers do you admire most?
Anyone who has been around for the long haul. It means they have a good offering for the property industry and are doing something right (and well).
Which estate agencies do you admire most?
All of my clients of course!
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with estate agents so far?
How to negotiate 🙂
Phil Hawkins
Head of Studio
What is your career background?
I have been in the creative industry for nearly 20 years from humble beginnings of an artworker for a national magazine publishing company, progressing through the career ladder at a local design and publishing company in the North East to making Ravensworth my home back in 2010. I started my career here as a designer creating brochure templates to now managing our talented Design Studio.
How did you come to work for Ravensworth?
I returned from America where I had been living for a while and a friend of mine who's partner was working for Ravensworth mentioned a position was available and as they say the rest is history.
What's your proudest achievement?
Back in 2018 we won a contract to rebrand the Great North Air Ambulance which is an amazing charity here is the North East. It was a truly collaborative project from all areas of the business. We created an amazing new feel and look for the brand, we delivered a fantastic presentation to the board and it's definitely one of my career highlights.
What are the top 3 challenges you believe your business solves for agents?
Our web to print platform makes ordering printed products easier for busy agents.
Our Design Team have over 40 years combined experience in the property industry, we are the industry specialists when it comes to their creative requirements.
Which industry suppliers do you admire most?
Personally I really like what the guys over at Starberry are doing, i've been a fan of theirs for quite some time. In a world where we believe print and digital have a place to run alongside each other to maximise an agents marketing efforts, Starberry are the place for an agents digital marketing.
Which estate agencies do you admire most?
My answer to this question always comes down to an agents brand and their creative aesthetics. The likes of Hamptons, Marsh & Parsons, Jackson-Stops are just a few of many that have got their branding just right.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with estate agents so far?
When we attend the many conferences in the industry from the ESTAS to the EA Masters; the most important and fundamental aspect is to listen. Listening and understanding what agents need and what they are experiencing are the most valuable tools to improve how we operate and how Ravensworth can best support agents in their print and marketing efforts.
Paul Brooks
Key Account Manager
What is your career background?
25 years Estate Agency - corporate, independent and my own, 8 years Marketing.
How did you come to work for Ravensworth?
My first job in agency came about by accident really, I was supposed to be going to college and to play rugby in Bath but for various reasons it fell through. My "authoritarian" Dad suggested forcefully that I should get off my backside and get a job - noticed that the local Estate Agent had a nice car and smart suit, the rest, as they say, is history.
What's your proudest achievement?
Passing my Open University Business Administration course whilst managing a busy branch and having very young children - the only time I could really find time to study was at 5am!!.
What are the top 3 challenges you believe your business solves for agents?
Time - By having a very easy to use platform in either Direct MailR or Toolkit it allows busy agents to consistently market and avoid the difficult to manage peaks and troughs of the EA business.
Stock Retention - As the market changes it will become more and more difficult to retain and maintain stock levels at where they need to be to keep a healthy pipeline. Vendors will want to see their properties marketed well both digitally and traditionally - that's where we come in with quality and low minimum order numbers of sales particulars - watch this space for an even lower minimum order and eco special deal coming up.
One Stop Shop - Whatever you need, digital or print - give me a shout, in the rare event that I cant help I will point you in the right direction.
Which industry suppliers do you admire most?
FluxPro are amazing, interactive brochures with full analytics.
Which estate agencies do you admire most?
Wow so many.... always enjoy my trips to Salisbury to see James at Jordan & Mason (anything with glitter on) or Katie at Myddleton Major.... never not had a warm welcome at a Jackson Stops office
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with estate agents so far?
Ask questions and listen..... help the customer get what they want and need not what you want to sell.
Click here to find out how Ravensworth can help your agency.
