ONE of Northwich’s longest established estate agencies has closed its high street office and taken the branch ‘hybrid’.

Wright Marshall has been trading in Cheshire for more than 180 years, but Northwich branch manager, Jack Braithwaite, says physical branches are becoming ‘pretty irrelevant’.

The company’s Bull Ring office closed on Friday, September 29, with most staff transferring to the Knutsford office.

Jack says he's still offering clients the same high-quality marketing service, but with more flexibility, and he can now be much more competitive with fees.

Northwich Guardian: Jack said the move to hybrid is great for customers, as it means more flexibility and more competitive feesJack said the move to hybrid is great for customers, as it means more flexibility and more competitive fees (Image: Wright Marshall)

He said: “This is very much a trend in our business.

“We pride ourselves on being one of the longest-standing agents in the town, but we’re also progressive.

“If I’m honest, physical branches have become pretty irrelevant.

"Gone are the days when people walk into an estate agent's branch to find a property.

“Nine times out of 10, you’d get in touch with an agent on the phone after looking at their website, and you’d meet them at a property.

“Even key collections are done at the property these days, more often than not.  

“It was mainly just me in the building as a full-timer, with a few part-time staff.

“Most of those have moved over to our office down the road in Knutsford.”

Jack took charge of Wright Marshall’s Northwich branch more than two years ago, and has worked hard to build up a wealth of strong business connections over that time.

He added: “I’ve had lots of really positive feedback so far as I can now be much more competitive with fees.

“I’ve always wanted to be that personal estate agent in Northwich, and now I have the flexibility, it can happen. I’m pretty much available six days a week.  

“This won’t affect the marketing services our clients receive. It's second to none, including full video tours, which are so important to clients nowadays.”