Property leadership through difficult terrain
This slogan, chosen by leading UK Estate agents Strutt and Parker to sponsor a recent Polar trek to emulate Shackleton's exploits, is essentially Edward Hall's mission statement for the business in critical times.
As Associate Partner at their Newbury office, Edward, who has contributed from time to time to People Matters, draws on his extensive former experiences as an army officer, and chief executive of a Training and Enterprise Council and an Information Technology company to confront a property recession that his colleagues say is "as bad as they can ever remember". His well known leadership skills are in demand.
The impact is tough, with volumes at the top end of the market some 30% down from their peak, and a number of local competitors going out of business.
Nationally, Strutt and Parker's broad diversified base in property, farming, estate management and sport provide some resilience, while the completion of their merger with Lane Fox in 2008 enabled them to raise the bar on the quality of their people so that only the best stayed on. They also adopted some of the tighter controls and client feedback that Lane Fox had used.
"Our main competitors are Knight Frank and Savills," notes Edward. "They are bigger, but we try harder. We are ruthless in the pursuit of quality but do it with a light touch".
He has moved in with his team, rather than sitting separately, and they meet regularly - at 7.45am if necessary - to consider "and celebrate" their successes and failures; what they have learned; and what they can do better. During the February snowstorms, all the staff made it into the office every day in most difficult circumstances, which perhaps illustrates the loyalty he engenders.
Edward has no doubt about the need to go the extra mile for staff, clients and likely purchasers. He recalls how in those same snowstorms, a potential buyer got stuck one evening on the motorway on the way to a viewing of a prime property. Edward personally drove to dig the individual out of the snow, found a local coffee shop to thaw him out, and then took him to the property. The outcome was positive. "Other agents might simply have rearranged the appointment", he adds.
He sees the next five years as tough and personal training and development may need to be put on hold. However, he is confident that Strutt and Parker will pull through and indeed gain market share, while at the same time developing its strategy abroad with foreign buyers to exploit sterling's weakness.