Agency redundancies as more buyers prefer online to branch visits

A prominent south west estate agency trading for 50 years is making five redundancies as part of a restructuring. 

Local media report that the staff affected are sales negotiators in the Tavistock branch of Mansbridge Balment: the company’s Yelverton and Okehampton offices are unaffected.

The company is quoted in local media as saying the redundancies are to make the business more sustainable in an era when fewer buyers visit offices.

Nick Henderson, Mansbridge Balment managing director, says: “In recent years the estate agency business has become more dynamic – the digital age has allowed things to happen more quickly and on a much wider scale than before. People buy and sell things in a very different way to the way it was done in the past.  

“Visitor numbers to estate agency offices have dramatically fallen away and much of the work is carried out via digital platforms – we expect to launch a new website ourselves shortly.  

“Estate agency remains a people business and, I think always will be, but the number of staff once required has changed and we have to work differently. 

“Consequently, we will be restructuring the sales side of the business, and this will mean that, sadly, five members of the Tavistock sales team will be redundant.  I would like to thank them for their fantastic contributions to the firm over many years – we are sorry to have to say goodbye.” 

He concludes: “We will continue to offer the same levels of professionalism to buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants, that we have provided for more than 50 years now.”