Pittis Estate Agents is changing the way it operates on the Isle of Wight, with its physical High Street presence set to be reduced to Newport and Ryde as Freshwater, Sandown and Shanklin move to a local manager model.
The estate agent is reaffirming its long-term commitment to the Isle of Wight as it prepares to introduce what it describes as a new way of serving buyers and sellers across the Island.
Under the new approach, High Street branches in Newport and Ryde will be supported by dedicated local managers covering Freshwater, Sandown and Shanklin.
This means the existing High Street branch model in those 3 towns is set to come to an end, although Pittis has not explicitly used the word ‘closure’ in its announcement or provided dates for when the change will take effect.
Rather than being tied to a High Street office, the local managers will spend more of their time in their communities, meeting customers, valuing homes, generating interest and personally managing sales.
They will be backed by the wider Pittis operation and specialist support teams, providing help with buyer enquiries, appointment bookings, marketing activity and sales.
Pittis says the change reflects how customers now buy, sell and communicate with their estate agent, with the company saying that far fewer customers visit branches compared with previous years.
The company says the result is intended to give customers more personal local ownership, backed by the resources of an established Island-wide estate agency.
The changes are effective from the 21st September.
Pittis have confirmed that all staff moving to new roles will remain employed by Pittis, with there set to be a large sales team in both the Ryde and Newport offices.
Emma Ohlson-Page, Pittis Business Development Director, has said:
“This is about the future of Pittis on the Island.
“Estate agency has changed considerably. Customers don’t need their estate agent sitting behind a desk in a High Street office all day. So few customers actually visit branches compared to the old days. They need someone who knows their area, takes responsibility for their move, is available when they need them and has the backing to get the job done.
“Our new approach is designed around exactly that.
“We will have dedicated local Pittis managers working in their communities, supported by our teams and by our established offices in Newport and Ryde. We believe customers that still want to come into a branch for our help or to meet their local Manager should be able to, It’s the best of both worlds.
“We are not stepping away from Freshwater, Sandown or Shanklin. We intend to continue competing for business in those areas and serving customers who are already selling their homes with us.
“Pittis has been part of Island life for generations and we remain firmly committed to the Isle of Wight. This is about changing how we operate so Pittis can continue to have a strong future here.”
Pittis says it will continue to operate across the whole of the Isle of Wight.
You can always rely on an estate agent’s wording to not give the whole picture though I am surprised they managed to resist the temptation to say that their sales services offered panoramic high street branch glimpses and benefit from excellent transport links to proper offices bordered by impressive paved areas.