8 Eastbourne Lifestyle Kelly Ancell
Founder of Ancells Estates,
www.ancells.co.uk
Tell us a bit about how you came to open Ancells estates?
* I fell into this career at 20, after my Sisters friend
suggested I work in Brighton as her Junior for an
independent agency (I was so bored working in retail). I
absolutely loved the job straight away and really found my
niche with the skills I possessed and of course
working in Brighton was fantastic and I got a company
car! After three years working my way up within that
agency to Lettings Manager I decided I could go it alone
and at 23 thought took that big step, handed my notice in
and started Ancells Estates from the corner of my lounge.
That was over 16 years ago.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
* Usual start of morning stuff (with a large coffee on
desk), catching up on emails & discussing the day ahead
with my team, then its straight into arranging the
payments of my landlords and contractors as it is done
daily to ensure prompt payment. I then spend time on our
social media posts as we have a very strong online
presence across all the platforms which I personally
really enjoy. I’m constantly thinking of new ideas to
keep it engaging. Also over the course of the day I’ll
carry out valuations for prospective clients, set tasks
for my team, network, arrange meetings and
prospect for new properties/clients.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
* Keeping up with the ever changing legislation so we
can ensure our clients are fully up to speed.
What sets you apart from other sales and lettings
agents?
* I often refer to my agency as having a very
‘human to human’ approach. We’ve all been tenants/
vendors/purchasers so we understand their issues,
we are approachable and always have our tenants and
landlords best interests at heart. We really do look
after our clients properties as if they were our own.
Most of our clients have been with us for years and of
course it also helps having a fantastic team
supporting the business.
What’s one thing that you wish you knew when you
first started?
* The area I had little knowledge on was the back
office side of the business, like understanding business
accounts, corporation tax, payrolls, etc. At 23
I knew very little, but I have learnt everything along
the way and taken courses and surrounded myself
with the right people in the areas that were not my
forte.
What’s your best advice for anyone wanting to start
their own business?
* Don’t run before you can walk, but be ambitious
and don’t ever stop stepping out of your comfort
zone – that is so important. Your business will not
grow unless you do and it is very easy to get stuck in
a rut.
What’s next for Ancells estates?
* A rebrand is definitely on the agenda which I am
really excited about! And with a team of 5 women
in total there’s no room in the office for anyone else
(the office dog ‘Binx’ can just about squeeze in), so
perhaps another branch. I am also very interested in
acquisitions, so if any other agents are thinking of
selling up give me a call!
What has been the key to your success in business?
* Having integrity, being transparent and honest in
everything that I do, is paramount to me.
/www.ancells.co.uk
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