Jackson-Stops & Staff have surprised even themselves with their performance towards the close of last year, prompting a more positive outlook for 2012 than most had dared hope. To quote Chairman Andrew Froude in his internal memo:
“Following the highly encouraging results in recent months I am delighted to report the year-on-year comparison for December is even more positive.”
Amongst the figures Andrew went on to report were an increase of 24% in demand (measured by new applicants) and, after a real dearth of stock in some areas, an even greater jump in the number of new instructions. Almost every office showed an increase in the number of sales of at least 25%, some of more than 50%.
In part, Jackson-Stops & Staff’s success has been thanks to a broader positioning than some key rivals, who are perceived as being only interested in the super-luxury, multi-million pound market and thus not “ordinary” country homes at, say, £800,000. It is also, I suspect, reaping the benefits of a corporate structure which imposes minimal central overheads and thus really shows its worth in tougher times.
