Building on Success
BELFAST TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 2015
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2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Front row l-r: David Little, National House Building Council, Professor of Property Investment, Pro Vice Chancellor & Provost (Belfast & Jordanstown), Ulster University, (Chairman) and Arlene Elliott, President, NI Law Society. Back row l-r: Derek Wilson, Chair of Council of Mortgage Lenders and Ulster Bank, Nicola McCrudden, Chartered Institute of Housing, John Armstrong, CEO of Construction Employers Federation, Daryl McIntosh, National Association of Estate Agents and Dr Jenny Muir, School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at QUB
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undreds of entries flooded in for the Belfast Telegraph Property Awards and the unenviable task of selecting the winners fell to an eminent panel of judges. Chaired by Professor Alastair Adair PVC (Development) & Provost Ulster University the judging team also
included Arlene Elliott, President of the NI Law Society, John Armstrong, CEO of the Construction Employers Federation, Nicola McCrudden of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Derek Wilson, Chair of Council of Mortgage Lenders and Ulster Bank, Dr Jenny Muir, School of Planning, Architecture
and Civil Engineering at QUB, David Little, National House Building Council and Daryl McIntosh, National Association of Estate Agents. Professor Adair said: “The return of the Belfast Telegraph Property Awards heralds a further indication of the welcome recovery of the Northern
Ireland property market. “The judging panel commended the high standard of entries across each of the categories in terms of their creativity, innovation, design excellence, commitment to professional service and support for both clients and the public in the future development of the market.”
Irish comedian Neil Delamere took no prisoners when he took to the stage to entertain the audience at our property awards. The award winning Irish comic had everyone in stitches with his hilarious take on Northern Ireland politics, religion and of course the property industry itself. Delamere is no stranger to local audiences as he is a popular panel member of the hit BBC series The Blame Game hosted by Tim McGarry as well as performing regular sell out shows at venues across the province. This successful comic has just launched a new DVD and is currently working on two new TV series as well as preparing for a new tour in the New Year with a host of Northern Ireland dates.
PROPERTY INDUSTRY OUT IN FORCE
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he property industry turned out in force to celebrate its stars and successes at the Belfast Telegraph Property Awards 2015 in association with propertynews.com Hundreds of people from right across the industry enjoyed an afternoon of fine dining, entertainment and the chance to toast our finalists and winners who were honoured for their outstanding work. Wendy Austin hosted the gala event in the Culloden Hotel where everyone got to relax and enjoy a hilarious performance by award winning top Irish comedian Neil Delamere. Local estate agents, architects, interior designers, builders and fit-out
specialists were among the many industry professionals whose stellar work came under the spotlight. In 10 hotly contested categories we had a number of worthy runners up but only one company in each could take the top prize. Belfast Telegraph editor Gail Walker welcomed everyone to the event and said: “It is great that our property awards are back after a seven year break. “It’s a sign of the growing confidence into the market again and of a return to a more positive time. “It’s also wonderful to get the chance to acknowledge the growth, talent and success in the industry here.”
IT’S A SIGN OF THE GROWING CONFIDENCE INTO THE MARKET AGAIN AND OF A RETURN TO A MORE POSITIVE TIME.
Emma McNally, commercial manager of propertynews.com and Belfast Telegraph editor Gail Walker pictured at the Belfast Telegraph Property Awards 2015 in association with propertynews.com. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
BELFAST TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 2015
2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
COMMERCIAL FIT-OUT OF THE YEAR
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Professor Alastair Adair, Professor of Property Investment, Pro Vice Chancellor & Provost (Belfast & Jordanstown), Ulster University, (Chairman) of the Judging Panel presents David Hamilton of Martin and Hamilton with their award.
BEST INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE YEAR
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ris Turnbull the winner of the Best Interior Design of the Year Award is renowned for creating indulgent, stylish spaces. That is exactly what he and his team delivered when commissioned to work on the prestigious Royal Wharf development in London. Royal Wharf is a huge mixed development in East London’s Royal Docks covering 40 acres and which will eventually see 3,385 homes built as well as commercial, retail, and leisure and education facilities. The ambition is to create London’s next great estate and securing the contract for the interiors was a massive coup for the local designer. Kris who works from a stunning lifestyle showroom in the former Ulsterville Presbyterian Church – a Grade B listed building on Belfast’s Lisburn Road – was tasked with a challenging design brief to stylise the interiors to reflect a broad range of client with a focus on the international professional as well as the settled client, couple or young family. Along with his team, he was given the shell of a building and had to turn it into something clients could imagine living in. The result was stunning, cutting-edge interior design, using its portfolio of over 200 worldwide suppliers. The project is now one of the most successful and fastest selling developments in the UK. Kris was thrilled to be singled out for his work on the project at our awards. He said: “Awards are something new to me and it was a brilliant outcome and brilliant for the company to win. “For us all of the people in the room at the Culloden are people we would hope to work with in the future and so it was a fantastic opportunity for the company and for the industry as a whole to get together. “The Royal Wharf contract was the result of
he award for Commercial Fit-Out of the Year went to Martin & Hamilton in recognition of the superb quality of work completed in the fit-out of the Great Hall at Galgorm Resort and Spa. Managing Director David Hamilton picked up the award on behalf of the family run building and Civil Engineering Company which has been based in Ballymena since its formation in 1967. The scheme was part of a £10million investment for Galgorm and had a particularly high specification. Martin & Hamilton was responsible for building an extension to the first floor which included a new entrance lobby, ladies toilets and an external reception area. The results were beautifully designed, dramatic and decadent spaces and the project was completed on budget, on time and also provided value-for-money solutions for the client. David Hamilton said: “The project had a particularly high specification which involved importing the best of materials from throughout Europe including Italian marble. “We are also proud to have used local craftsman with traditional building skills. The work was conducted within a restricted timescale while the hotel remained fully operational. “We are delighted to have won the award and would like to thank our client Galgorm Resort and Spa as well as the consultants, our dedicated staff and supply chain members who all contributed to the success of the project”. Martin and Hamilton have built its reputation on the quality of its construction. Renowned for delivering a number of prestigious projects across Northern Ireland the company has the expertise to successfully deliver across all industries including building, civil
engineering, minor works and maintenance and repair. These range from bespoke homes and social housing to large scale building and civil engineering works across the construction spectrum from education to healthcare, to places of worship, to food manufacturing and industry. Recent successes particularly in the areas of conservation, restoration, and construction for the food manufacturing industry have earned the company special recognition and a number of prestigious awards and commendations.
FINALISTS CBRE was responsible this year for the office move and fit-out of internationally renowned drinks company Diageo. CBRE’s brief was simple: create a modern, energising and exciting work environment that would have universal access and be suitable for everyone. And CBRE, working with Mac Interiors, did just that – impressive, considering the tight budget. The result was a visually striking and highly functional office space. The company also demonstrated excellent use of in-depth local knowledge and market rates which ensured value for money for the client. Interiors and Floor Design is based in County Down and directed by Amanda Ramsey. The company was tasked with the design and project management for the fit-out of four large suites in the 5 star Culloden Estate and Spa. The brief was to create a ‘wow’ factor whilst ensuring all finishes were hard-wearing and met the criteria of hotel use. Interiors and Floor Design successfully worked with a number of local companies to achieve an opulent 5 star look while working to budget and timeframe. Todd Architects were the architects, workplace and interior designers for the fit-out of Pinsent Mason’s new offices at the iconic Soloist building in Lanyon Place. The company’s previous offices were tired and this move afforded the opportunity to create a workspace which would properly project Pinsent Mason’s corporate identity. The design team’s careful, considered, thorough and proactive approach ensured the build quality of the finished interior was visually outstanding and functionally excellent.
two years of meetings and planning and it was fantastic to work on such a prestigious scheme which has opened up so many doors for us.” Kris also has a second office in London and prestigious clients across the world, from America and Europe to the Middle East. He has worked on royal palaces, super yachts and presidential homes. In addition to the design consultancy’s premises in Belfast, he has his own manufacturing facility in Lisburn.
FINALISTS Designer Kitchen By Morgan created a bespoke kitchen to meet their client’s brief for a timeless kitchen. They certainly achieved this with an elaborate mix of textures, layers and curves. A wow factor was further created with a state-of-the-art automated table. Lighting was effectively used to create an additional sensory layer within the design. The quality design also included 30mm thick in-frame tulipwood doors and hand cut stone. Maven was commissioned by a young professional to create a fresh look drawing on Scandinavian influences with a nod to mid-century British design. The brief was that it was not to be a show home but a relaxing, fun space where she could entertain friends. In the living room, different textures including tweed, velvet and silk were used to create a wow factor and, in the bedroom, Maven’s clever use of a simple geometric paint effect added interest while keeping it understated. Wrights Design House’s clients wanted a luxurious look and valued handcrafted and solid wood cabinetry. The kitchen design comes from Wrights Design House’s 50th anniversary collection which was created to acknowledge a major milestone for the Lisburn-based company. The company’s eye for detail was demonstrated in every aspect of the kitchen – from the exposed wood on the island front drawers to the very clock with Wright’s brand and range name. The living room further complemented the kitchen with bespoke cabinets which not only maximised storage but also created that all-important wow factor.
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Kris Turnbull from Kris Turnbull Studios is presented with his award from Arlene Elliott, President of the Northern Ireland Law Society and member of the Judging Panel
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2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY MAC INTERIORS
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Paul McKenna, left, Managing Director of category sponsors Mac Interiors presents Aine Glackin and Claude Maguire of White Ink Architects with their award
PROPERTY DEAL OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY WILSON NESBITT SOLICITORS
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BRE picked up the award for Property Deal of the Year sponsored by Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors. The company was responsible for many stand-out deals in 2015 but the most valuable and prestigious has been the sale of the Project Olympic Portfolio. This Portfolio consisted of four prominent assets in the retail sector here – Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena, Upper Galwally in Belfast, Lisnagelvin in Londonderry and Showgrounds Shopping Centre in Omagh. Overall, the assets contributed in
elfast based White Ink Architects picked up our award for Commercial Architectural Practice of the Year sponsored by MAC Interiors. The company which was set up in 2001 by the three current directors has enjoyed tremendous growth and now employs 24 staff. Based in the Cathedral Quarter it has also demonstrated much resilience in response to the economic downturn. In the past two years, White Ink’s exports have grown substantially – its major projects outside Northern Ireland include a £48million mixeduse development in Bournemouth, a £43million residential development in Westminster Quarter and a 12million euro project in Dublin. Director Claude Maguire said: “We are really pleased to win this award and it is a credit to our highly professional and dedicated team who have worked so hard, especially over the last seven years, to ensure that our
clients continue to receive the best architectural advice. “The White Ink strategy is very simple – we consistently deliver successful projects by working within our clients’ specified budget to optimise the opportunities for space and beauty. “We always strive to exceed our clients’ expectations and our goal is to bring added value to every project we work on. “We have a broad spectrum of work at present ranging from £5m to £120 million both in Northern Ireland and across the UK. In the last 12 months we have completed several prestigious projects in Central London and South East England including four hotels, high-end apartment schemes and newbuild offices. “On the back of this experience we have been appointed to design several significant projects in Northern Ireland and have had several more recent enquiries that suggest the Northern Ireland market is fast moving in a more positive direction.”
FINALIST Todd Architects, based in Belfast, fought hard to survive the recent recession. Its resilience is demonstrated in retaining a position in the Architect’s Journal’s list of top 100 practices in the UK and recently securing its first commission in the Middle East – a new 300 bed teaching hospital near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Todd Architects had also completed its first projects in the aviation sector, including the East Terminal at Bristol Airport and the redevelopment of Luton Airport. The company’s culture ensures the same commitment, energy and design consideration is given to each of its broad range of clients. It continues to grow its team and has recently taken new premises for its expanding Dublin business.
excess of half a million square feet of accommodation and produced a net income of over £8m per annum. CBRE was appointed as the selling agent and despite much scepticism amongst investors due to the uncertain political climate; they successfully secured buyers for each asset within the portfolio, totalling £100million. The company which combines the market-making of management consultants with the accountability of professional advisors work with occupiers, investors and developers of office, industrial and logistic, retail and hotel property. Their wide ranging services include providing strategic advice and execution for property investment, sales and leasing, tenant representation, corporate services, facilities, property and project management, appraisal and valuation, development services, energy and sustainability services and research and consulting.
FINALIST Lambert Smith Hampton provided acquisition advice to what is now the Bank of Montreal Estate Partners in their acquisition of Victoria House, Gloucester Street in Belfast on behalf of Friends First Life Assurance Company. This multi-let Grade A office building with a strong tenant line-up has over 58,000sq ft of space on 11 floors. The purchase price of £8.7million reflected a net initial yield of 8%. The deal also represented a significant turning point in the sector as a whole and demonstrated that confidence in the market was returning once more.
Andrew Coggins, left and Gavin Elliott, right of CBRE is presented with their award from Neil Logan, Partner of category sponsors Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors
BELFAST TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 2015
2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR
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otus Homes UK Ltd picked up the Residential Development of the Year Award for its outstanding Lotus Village development in the heart of Banbridge. Demand for properties in the landmark development was so high that the company was forced to release all of its remaining sites early. It was carefully designed to reflect the original Lotus factory – a listed, art deco style building which has gained iconic status over recent years and which sits majestically as the centrepiece of the development. Lotus design team’s vision – along with architect Kevin Cartin – has resulted in an effective combination of modern heritage-inspired family homes in keeping with the historic site allowing it to once again provide an impressive entrance to the town. As its flagship development the Banbridge-based company was thrilled by its recognition in the Belfast Telegraph Awards. Samantha Shannon, Residential Development Co-Coordinator for the firm said: “We are delighted to pick up the Belfast Telegraph award especially as the competition was very strong. We were quite shocked but very pleased. “I think it reflects the hard work from all the team including the main contractor and all the suppliers. It is a solid well done to everyone for all their efforts over the past year.” The company launched the scheme during the downturn four years ago with some natural concerns about how
RESIDENTIAL LETTINGS AGENCY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY AUTOLINE INSURANCE
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roperty management and lettings agency Rea Estates marked its 20th year in business this year by picking up the Belfast Telegraph Residential Lettings Agency of the Year Award sponsored by Autoline Insurance. The company firmly believes developing a good relationship with landlords is the key to running a good letting agency. It is a winning approach which has seen the firm’s activity increase by 32% in its management portfolio alone with a database of almost 1000 properties. Rea Estates seeks to provide affordable rental accommodation for local residents and boasts a wide range of properties available. The company was taken over two years ago by husband and wife team Robert and Gillian McDowell who were delighted to be singled out for the award. Robert said: “To have come this far in under three years and to get
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it might go. Its success has far exceeded anything they could have hoped for with 53 of 55 homes in the second phase sold since January. The locally owned company has a number of other new developments in the pipeline with demand already registered even before work starts. Said Samantha: “There were a lot of challenges during the downturn and I think the success of Lotus village took us all by surprise. “We have definitely seen a major uplift in other developments and we just released four houses in a new development in Bessbrook and people were queuing last week at 2am in the morning for them. “While as builders we don’t want to see a return to those times it is nice to see demand is there again.”
FINALISTS JFM Construction’s Carndale Meadows is a private housing development in Ballymena totalling 54 units including semi-detached, townhouses and apartments. The development has a strong environmental dimension. All the homes were built using certified timber from sustainable forests and a recycling company was employed to ensure only minimal waste went to landfill. The site was planned and developed with quality, sustainability, security and sense of vitality being key in each stage of the process. Porter & Co have continued their successful housing developments with Saddlers Hall in Hillsborough. Situated adjacent to Porter & Co’s previous development Farriers Green, Saddlers Hall is a stylish mix of detached and semi-detached houses. The development has successfully blended new house types whilst still retaining the classic designs synonymous with Porter Homes.
the recognition at the awards is just tremendous. “I think it is generally reflective of the market and how healthy it has become and the fact that investors are now back looking for opportunities. “We are based in the west and north of the city and I think it shows the good opportunities there are in this part of Belfast. “We are also delighted that our colleague Stephanie Patterson picked up the Young Agent of the Year Award. Stephanie was the first new person we employed when we took over the business and was a stand out candidate and her career is advancing very quickly.” Providing property management services, the company assists landlords with a wide range of support services including arranging all the details of finding tenants, dealing with repairs and furnishing houses. They also liaise closely with landlords to address head-on the issue of low quality housing and, as a result, have had great success in bringing premium quality rental property on to the market. As the company grows it strives to ensure that close personal attention to the details of management is not sacrificed. Rea Estates has also effectively worked with Investors in People to develop its team. The recent opening of a new state of the art office on the Woodvale Road in Belfast marked a significant venture and affirmed Rea Estates’ already existing commitment to providing a competitive, professional service in the local area.
FINALISTS CPS Estate Agents has at least one specialised employee in each branch
Samantha Shannon, centre and Paul O’Rourke of Lotus Homes UK Ltd are presented with their award from Nicola McCrudden from the Chartered Institute of Housing and member of this year’s judging panel
assigned to management of CPS’s rental properties. In the last year, CPS has increased its overall portfolio of managed properties by 28%, while also increasing its Let Only rentals by 18%. CPS’s brand slogan is “A reputation built on trust” and the company continues to go the extra mile for its clients, introducing ‘pay on time’ incentives and operating a 24/7 service for landlords and tenants. The company also employs a full time electrician, a full time plumber and joiner as well as a part time gardener. The company’s focus on efficiency, diligence and reliability is demonstrated in its growth and client retention. John Minnis Estate Agents was established 10 years ago and has three offices in Belfast, Holywood and Donaghadee. It is currently preparing to open an office in Comber in the coming weeks. The rental side of the business has gone from strength-tostrength. Each branch has a dedicated ARLA accredited rentals manager and each team member goes through three months of training before they commence a new role. The rental side of the business has experienced 35% growth in the last year. R Stanley Laird has been operating in the Greater Belfast area for over 45 years. Established by the late Rupert Stanley Laird in 1969, the business is now run by Rupbert’s son, Dairmuid, and boasts one of the biggest portfolios of student properties in the province. In any given day, the company can accommodate up to 90 property viewings due to its flexible and can-do approach. The business currently manages over 500 student and professional properties in the South Belfast area and their 100% letting success is testament to R Stanley Laird’s committed, experienced and knowledgeable staff.
Jamie McDonald, left and Robert McDowell, right of Rea Estates are presented with their award from John Kielty, Commercial Director of category sponsors Autoline Insurance
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2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
COMMERCIAL ESTATE AGENCY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY A & L GOODBODY
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orthern Ireland’s largest commercial property consultancy, Lambert Smith Hampton, was presented with the Commercial Estate Agency of the Year award sponsored by A & L Goodbody. The company has recently been involved in the transaction of over 50 per cent of two million square feet of industrial take-up throughout 2014. Boasting the largest property management team in Belfast the firm employs 18 surveyors and 24 support staff currently managing 10.8 million square feet of commercial property. This includes eight million square feet of retail space across 35 shopping centres and retail parks throughout the UK and Ireland. Paddy Brennan, head of capital markets at Lambert Smith Hampton, said: “This award represents the culmination of years of hard work, maintaining and building on our position despite the impact of the economic crisis. “We are currently the largest commercial property consultancy in Northern Ireland, employing 80 staff, and we believe that this award demonstrates the commitment of each and every one of our employees. “The senior team in Belfast along with colleagues in London recently worked on the acquisition of a major business in Dublin, DNG Commercial. This has strengthened our “all Ireland” presence significantly and with the core management of this business including four members of the Belfast team, we at Lambert Smith Hampton have a superb opportunity to grow our marketing dominance in Northern Ireland and further expand into Dublin and beyond.” Mr Brennan added: “We are now looking ahead to 2016 with optimism as the sector gathers pace once more. We anticipate some exciting
Paddy Brennan, right of Lambert Smith Hampton is presented with his award from Mark Blair, Partner of category sponsors A & L Goodbody transactions in the coming months and we look forward to playing a key role in developing sustainable growth as we move forward.” The services offered by the Belfast office extend way beyond Northern Ireland to cover all parts of the UK as well as across the island of Ireland.
FINALISTS CBRE Belfast is a key player in the Northern Ireland commercial property market. The turnover of the company grew by 265 per cent between 2010 and 2014. CBRE has been at the forefront
of Northern Ireland’s recovering commercial property sector with involvement in many high profile deals and transactions across all aspects of the sector. The company’s valuations department has also increased its activity since 2013. McKibbin Commercial is one of the longest established firms of Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents and Valuers in Northern Ireland and has evolved to become a boutique firm of independent property consultants, providing tailored services to a wide range of private and public sector clients. The firm has made
Des Ewing, right of Des Ewing Residential Architects is presented with their award from Daryl McIntosh from National Association of Estate Agents
a number of notable freehold and leasehold transactions in recent months and has also been successful in a number of public sector tender awards. Murphy Chartered Surveyors, based in Belfast, have specialised in advising occupiers on their property matters from acquisitions, disposals, professional matters and asset management. Murphy Chartered Surveyors has been a strategic advisor on high profile purchases and are committed to offering sound and experienced advice with a personal, no nonsense approach from knowledgeable local people.
Osborne King is Northern Ireland’s largest independent commercial property consultants. The company acts for both the private and public sectors and is active in the management, acquisition, disposal and letting of commercial or residential land and buildings. Throughout the recession, Osborne King evolved and developed, and in 2013 added an Architectural Consultancy Service to its offering. It’s had 13 auctions in 4 years with an overall success rate of 95% and has been in over £195million of investment agency deals across the UK since 2013.
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE OF THE YEAR
award which is recognition of the hard work our team puts in to producing the houses that we do. “Houses are now very specialised items and quite sophisticated and it really is down to the hard work of our team and the dedication required to produce a home that is special and better than the rest. “It is great to see the Belfast Telegraph Property Awards back and it is affirmation that the recession is now behind us and that we are back to a more positive market.” It was because of the recession that the company decided to look outside of Northern Ireland for opportunities and is now building its reputation for excellence in design in the rest of the UK. Des Ewing says his company’s impressive projects are testament to their quest for perfectionism and an eye for detail. Behind the scenes, they listen carefully to their clients and take time to find the look and ambience they are most happy with. The company also researches the latest materials and alternative building methods to ensure they’re bang up to date.
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enowned across Northern Ireland for designing high end bespoke homes, Des Ewing Residential was the winner of our Residential Architectural Practice of the Year. Based in Holywood, Co Down the practice was established in 1993 and since then has fashioned over 200 oneoff homes. A Des Ewing home is easily recognised by its extreme quality and style. Specialising in substantial luxury houses the company not only works in Northern Ireland but has grown its UK portfolio with more than a dozen projects ongoing, mainly around London and Scotland. Picking up the award Des Ewing said: “We are delighted to win this
BELFAST TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 2015
2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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Simon Brien from Simon Brien Residential is presented with the Award for Residential Estate Agency of the Year from Darina Armstrong, Chief Executive of category sponsors Progressive
RESIDENTIAL ESTATE AGENCY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY PROGRESSIVE BUILDING SOCIETY
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he winner of our Residential Estate Agency of the Year Award sponsored by Progressive Building Society is Simon Brien Residential. Formed in 2014, evolving from The Eric Cairns Partnership and BTW Shiells, the company has grown rapidly in a short time working on an ethos of traditional values of customer care, long established experience and a professional, personal service. The new company retained the same management team and senior staff who together have over 30 years’ experience delivering over 20,000 house sales in Northern Ireland and £ƒ billion in
land sales. Its ever growing team currently extends to 50 members of professional staff. Picking up his award a delighted Simon Brien said: “We have grown the team 19% since June 2014 and we have further recruitment planned and not just in the areas of resale and new homes which is very strong right across Northern Ireland but also our professional services team and we have been doing a lot of corporate work in teams of investment and working with local banks. “It really is down to the team many of whom I have worked with for 20 years who do work very hard and are the backbone of the company. “We were fortunate enough to win a Negotiators award in London recently but to us the Telegraph award is more important. “It is your local market and you are competing against local peers and we are not complacent about it at all. For me there was a great sense of relief when our name was called as it was an award we genuinely wanted to win.” Simon Brien Residential is the only estate agency in Northern Ireland to cover every spectrum of residential property services from individual
properties to sites and major land holdings as well as small private developments and large village developments. Since it was set up just over a year ago, as well as increasing staff the company has increased its financial turnover, sold 1,800 houses, let 500 residential properties and managed 800 properties.
FINALISTS Featherston Clements Estate Agents was formed in 2010. The company’s ethos is built on quality service and integrity. Since 2014, the company has expanded, opening three additional branches and acquiring two rental properties. Fetherston Clements successfully merged three companies within a year. Client retention is an impressive 98%. The company has also demonstrated innovation - using the most modern, streamlined IT software, network server and phone system. Michael Chandler Estate Agents has grown rapidly over the past six years to become one of Northern Ireland’s leading estate agents. What began as a husband and wife team operating from their dining room, this innovative company now employs 10 people at its Belfast office. Defying the market trend,
the number of completions recorded by Michael Chandler Estate Agents has grown rapidly– with a record 433% year on year growth in completions in 2014 compared to 2013. Rodgers & Browne has handled some of Northern Ireland’s most high profile sales, not least Rory McIlroy’s Moneyrea home which attracted international attention and was an important endorsement for the Belfast-based company. Rodgers & Browne has been operating since 2010 and, despite market conditions, has significantly increased its staff and turnover. The two partners have over 60 years’ experience in the business and the company prides itself on the highest standards of professional service. Ulster Property Sales sells 1 in every 4 homes in Northern Ireland and has branches in prime locations in Belfast and is strategically located in other major towns across the province. Each branch offers a full end to end service in residential property and each has a financial advisor on mortgage and protection needs. Since last year, Ulster Property Sales has refreshed its boards and introduced a new cutting edge website. This website has received over 20,000 requests from buyers wanting to sign up to its mailing list.
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2015 BELFAST TELEGRAPH PROPERTY AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Stephanie Patterson from Rea Estates presented with her award from Richard McClean, Managing Director, Belfast Telegraph and Emma McNally from propertynews.com
YOUNG AGENT OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY PROPERTYNEWS.COM
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lster University graduate Stephanie Patterson of Rea Estates was the winner of the Young Agent of the Year award sponsored by Propertnews.com Stephanie’s award was the second of the day for the small Belfast based team who were also celebrating winning the Residential Lettings Agency of the Year title. The Dungannon graduate joined Rea Estates as a Housing Officer straight from University in 2013 – and since then she has certainly made an impact.
Her final year dissertation at University was on Housing, Homelessness and the re-integration of ex-offenders back into the community. Stephanie (25) has carried this work on with Rea Estates helping to build relationships with relevant charities and her engaging, empathetic and professional manner enable her to deal with tenants and landlords alike. She is always seeking to improve and expand her skills and knowledge and has played an important role in Rea’s rental department recently seeing its best month of business in its 20 year history. She was stunned to pick up such a prestigious accolade so early in her career: “I definitely didn’t expect it and it was an immense shock but I am so, so happy and especially as we won two awards, everyone is delighted and it is a great opportunity for us to get our name out there.” Since she started with Rea Estates Stephanie has been working closely with the chaplain of the prisons here to help re-house offenders on release and also with the Housing Executive to identify people who face a long wait on their list to find a home.
FINALISTS Ryan Molloy, who joined CPS shortly after his 23rd birthday, has already demonstrated great competence and diligence in the property market.
This year alone he has overseen the sale of 123 private house sales in CPS Armagh as well as selling four properties in Dubai and leasing 17 commercial properties. He has been the top sales executive for six out of the last nine months throughout all the branches. Ryan loves a challenge and is at the forefront of CPS’s drone photography and has recently taken lessons in both professional and aerial photography. He’s also enhanced CPS internally with initiatives such as Innovation Week. One of Ryan’s most endearing qualities is his people skills – he is a real hit amongst CPS staff and clients. For Kirsty Finney, Lettings Manager at Michael Chandler Estate Agents, you could say her career within estate agency began at the age of 11, listening to her mother’s business calls and different deals taking place. At 17, Kirsty started as an office junior at a Belfast estate agents and progressed quickly from there. Fast forward some years, Kirsty began teaching herself everything there was to know about rentals, regularly attending seminars and courses and gaining Diplomas in various aspects of property. In April this year, Kirsty joined Michael Chandler Estate Agents as their Lettings Manager and has already made a real impact in the company’s rental portfolio. Her superb people skills, flawless reputation, attention to detail and 100% commitment make her an
outstanding estate agent. Last October, Seamus McFlynn moved home from Australia to launch Property One’s sales division. He was tasked with building the sales department from the ground up and brought with him expertise he learned in Sydney and adapted it to the local market. He has demonstrated leadership, innovation and initiative from the start and the rewards for his hard work are already becoming obvious. His eye for detail and dedication to potential clients is shown in a particularly impressive conversion rate of valuations into sales instructions of 96%. There are a number of words which regularly crop up in relation to Seamus’ work: ‘hungry’, ‘innovative’, ‘energetic’ – the most common phrase used is a ‘breath of fresh air’. Shane Maguire of Simon Brien Residential graduated in 2008 and served his apprenticeship in one of the most difficult market periods in recent decades. During the past eight years, he has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, secured respect from his colleagues, his peers in the industry as well as long established clients. He also worked with Simon Brien on some of the largest and most prestigious property projects in Northern Ireland. He’s one of the first in the office and one of the last to leave and has made massive strides in relation to his position in the industry, client base, breadth of experience and getting results.