The Marlborough branch of estate agent Savills has closed, just months after rebranding.
The agent opened as Smiths Gore in Marlborough High Street in 2012. In April this year, Savills announced it had bought the chain, which specialised in land and rural properties.
At the time, head of agency Edward Hall said “The depth of our combined foundations, the strength of Savills’ real estate services, and the natural geographical fit between our neighbouring offices means we can provide exceptional national service, pooling the talent from both firms and offering a greater breadth of disciplines.”
But it seems the ‘natural geographical fit’ was the undoing of the Marlborough office, and this week Savills confirmed the closure of the branch.
Louise Rose told Marlborough News Online: “Savills can confirm that following the merger of its rural business with that of Smiths Gore earlier this year, the businesses are now fully integrated.
“Where Savills and former Smiths Gore offices were located in close proximity, the offices have combined. This resulted in the decision to close the Marlborough office and clients of the office will now be serviced from our Salisbury, Winchester and Newbury offices.”
Mr Hall has since joined John D Wood in Chiswick, while Shona Ford has joined the Ramsbury office of local rival Winkworth.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to join a company where the client comes first,” Shona told Marlborough News Online. “With Winkworth, you get a national brand with a local presence that delivers premium sale prices.
“With offices covering Devizes, Marlborough and Newbury, as well as Salisbury and Bath, we care passionately about customer experience, and always go above and beyond to deliver the right result.”
Simon Jacobs, partner of Winkworth Devizes and Ramsbury, said: “Shona brings dynamism to the market place which is very refreshing. It is very importnat to have local people who really know their area well, and there is no doubt that Shona brings local experience and knowledge that will be a huge benefit to our clients.”
In its short time in Marlborough, Smiths Gore had become well known as a patron of the arts and a supporter of Marlborough sports teams. The company was lead sponsor of Marlborough Open Studios in 2014 and 2015, and sponsored new kit for Marlborough’s junior rugby team. Mr Hall was also a committee member of Marlborough Chamber of Commerce.
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