Hannells have been recognised as one of Derby’s best businesses in the Derby Telegraph Business Awards 2015…

After much excitement, anticipation and a wonderful night of food and entertainment, Hannells, the Derby born and bred, family run estate agency has been crowned as one of Derby’s best businesses as they picked up Gold in the “Sales and Marketing” category at the 2015 Derby Telegraph Business Awards.

During a glittering ceremony at Derby College’s Roundhouse last night, there was a fantastic showcase of what Derby has to offer as representatives from a number of Derby’s top businesses across a wide variety of sectors showed just how much diversity there is within the City that is fast becoming a globally recognised location for a number of industries.

In front of a sell-out crowd of around 550 people, Michael Brain, Alison Brain and Benjamin Brain picked up their award from event hosts television celebrity Paul Ross, BBC East Midlands Today presenter Anne Davies and Vision Express (who sponsored the award) Regional Manager, Jamie Macpherson.

They were up against some very tough competition in the “Sales and Marketing” category as they were competing against some of Derby’s brightest and best.

But, they managed to beat off submissions from local wet suit company “Huub” and second hand car dealership “Caralot” who are both enjoying massive success and steady growth within their own industries through creative marketing and impressive sales.

Hannells are Derby’s top selling estate agent, helping more people to move than any other Derby agent. In the latest results, figures showed that they accounted for over 36% of the total sold boards in Derby and the surrounding areas which is all the more impressive given the fact that there are 35 + other estate agencies competing in the same area.

The company has enjoyed massive success over the last few years and as a result, they’ve been focusing heavily on improving the service they offer to their customers, identifying new markets to target and embarking on a relentless sales and marketing campaign which has seen them grow to become one of the most recognisable local brands in Derby.

Benjamin Brain, Director, said “I was genuinely speechless when we were announced winners as we were competing with some brilliant and inspirational businesses. It is satisfying to know that we are moving in the right direction and all of the hard work that has been put in by every single member of the team has contributed to us winning this award tonight and I’d also like to thank all of our customers.”

He continued, “Estate agency is a tough business to be involved in. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see. It’s not just a case of putting your property online and sitting back, waiting for the phone to ring – in fact, far, far from it.  There are many factors that are out of our hands and it’s very hard to please everybody, but we have an absolutely fantastic team that are committed to being the best at what they do and we’re on a continuous journey of improving the service we offer and creating moving experiences for our customers!”

So, in a year that has already seen the independent estate agency break record sales numbers, open a successful lettings department, re-brand the whole business, launch their premier property offering and having now have been announced as one of Derby’s best businesses, what else could be on the cards for a business that clearly has no intention of standing still?

Mr Brain continued, “For the time being, we’re not planning on making any large announcements anytime soon. We’ve built some brilliant and very stable foundations to really drive this company forward now and make sure that we provide a service to our customers that cannot be found elsewhere. Our goal is not to become the biggest estate agency, we want to be the best and that is what our reputation and success has been built on. Training and developing our staff, looking at new ways of providing an even better service and taking advantage of the latest innovations in property marketing is what we will continue to focus on – it is a never-ending journey, but one that we all enjoy!”.

It truly is a year for the history books for Hannells, the business that started humbly from a small shop in Hilton 12 years ago and things are certainly looking positive for the future. If you’re thinking of selling or letting your property, why not take advantage of some free advice from the local experts and contact your local Hannells branch today to arrange a free valuation. All of their contact details can be found at www.hannells.co.uk/contact-us/