SME News Q4 2018

24 SME NEWS / Q4 2018 , Ascend is an award-winning, independently-run estate and lettings agency. In October, the firm was recognised among the winners of SME News Magazine’s 2018 SME Business Elite Awards programme as the ‘NorthWest’s Leading Independent Estate and Lettings Agency’. Following this win, we spoke to GedMcPartlin, Ascend’s Director, to find out more about their work in this fast-moving sector. Setting the Standard in Real Estate The team at Ascend have thrived on the back of a honed expertise for their work. Over the last two decades, the real estate industry has been subject to immense change, bought on the back of digitisation and evolving consumer expectations. Old tried and tested tactics have become thoroughly old-fashioned, and ineffective to combat the challenges of the modern age. Success in the industry requires a proactive approach and local knowledge, as it always has, alongside no small amount of skill in marketing, and technological adaptation. Above all else, today’s estate agents have to be able to connect with potential buyers, regardless of where they might be. Ascend manages to achieve all of this and much more besides, remaining – simply- one of the best estate agents that the North West has to offer. To begin, Megan offers an overview of the firm’s work, and approach to real estate. “Here at Ascend we pride ourselves on the work that we do on behalf of tenants and landlords across the north. We help landlords to find suitable tenants for their properties and assist tenants in finding their ideal affordable rental property across Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. We also specialise in the buying and selling process of a property – we know what sells and what doesn’t. We vow to our clients that we’ll get their property looking its absolute best before putting it on the market, so that they achieve the best price possible.” Megan continues, emphasising the sectors that Ascend specialises in: “Ultimately, we operate in all areas of the property market, from properties to buy, sell and let, to marketing and selling large developments on behalf of developers. We’re also a pretty dab hand at portfolio management; quite often a landlord who has a large portfolio of properties will instruct us to manage their portfolio as they know it will be completely hands-off for them. Another area we specialise in is the lettings and management of large PRS developments, along with offering first hand investment advice. Since their establishment, Ascend has grown through a dedication to doing things ‘better’. Creating a seamless, client-focused service that epitomises the industry’s best practices, going above and beyond expectations. Megan fundamentally agrees, offering that the team’s preparedness and proactive attitude have worked wonders for creating the company’s incredible reputation. “The effort and personal touches that our team provide is what makes Ascend so successful. We aim to provide a first-class service and we consistently make sure we pay attention to the finer details. The team at Ascend are tech savvy, forward thinking professionals who insist on being three steps ahead in everything we do and between us we have decades of experience under our belts.” “We approach our clients in all kinds of ways from direct, social and email marketing to people walking into one of our branches. We tend to win a lot of our business on the back of our reputation to deliver.” Megan is quick to emphasise that Ascend’s team are the drivers of the firm’s future, leading the way to further growth and expansion. “The staff play a major role; without the friendly faces that we have in our branches and the helpful teams behind the scenes, we wouldn’t be the success that we are today. We definitely have the best of the best – everyone is really clued up on the property market, and 9 times out of 10 will come to us from a property background. They really are the backbone of the brand.” In her closing comments, Megan touches on the firm’s plans for the new year, as they move from Oct18018 strength to strength. “In 2019, we plan to further expand our branch network. This year we obtained two new flagship stores in Leeds and Salford and we plan to continue this growth next year, we’re only just getting started. The pipeline also includes exciting new projects for large institutional investors entering the PRS market, watch this space…” Website: www.ascendproperties.com Telephone: 0161 637 8336