About Us
Martin & Pole are unique. Our professional status, longevity in the market and our range of services combined offers people a genuine alternative.
Martin & Pole, incorporating Watts & Son established 1846 and Nicholas Chartered Surveyors established 1882, have been offering a full range of property related advice and services for over 160 years. Martin & Pole are Chartered Surveyors and this means our first duty is to our Client – in other words, no decisions are made for our own personal benefit before that of the Client. How many other firms can boast this?
A Professional House Selling Service – Martin & Pole
Property Sales: We have invariably led the way with marketing initiatives and modern technology. We offer pre-marketing advice including free valuations. Our brochures are stylish, usually include many photographs and a floor plan, and provide all the relevant and important information that might encourage a buyer to view.
The most important media for advertising property for sale is of course the internet. We advertise on leading property portals including Rightmove and Onthemarket.com. In addition property for redevelopment or improvement often features on other websites attracting that specialist market.
Perhaps the most important part of any sales transaction is the period between negotiating the sale and the day of completion. Rather than pass this responsibility to sales progression departments the senior staff at Martin & Pole maintain our contact with buyers and sellers alike.
The number of offices or location of offices is now largely irrelevant. Buyers and Sellers trawl the internet.
A Professional Property Auction Service – Martin & Pole
Property Auctions: We are the most experienced Property Auctioneers and flew the flag for auctions when other firms publicly mocked in the local newspaper this method of selling – how times have changed! Martin & Pole specialise in the sale of individual property in the Reading and Wokingham areas. Our Clients benefit with individual brochures for each property rather than everything being bundled into a single auction catalogue.
Once again, all property is advertised on various websites so a different location or more offices is not relevant.
However Martin & Pole's Auction Department is located centrally in our busy Wokingham Office – this ensures the Residential and Commercial Agency Departments interact with the Auction Department which is not shut away in a secondary position.
A Professional Residential Lettings Service – Martin & Pole
Residential Lettings: Martin & Pole are the most experienced local firm – we have been handling Residential Lettings for over 100 years! The most important consideration for all owners should be the quality of the Tenant – we do appreciate of course the rental income is also important! Martin & Pole, with our very considerable experience, carefully judge prospective tenants before they are moved into your home – ensuring the minimum of problems.
A Professional Chattels Auction Service – Martin & Pole
Chattels Auctions: Our Auction Rooms have been established in Wokingham for over 150 years. The main office at 7 Broad Street, Wokingham originally included the Auction Rooms which were then moved to Milton Road during the mid 20th Century. Just over 15 years ago the Auction Rooms moved to a new venue but remained in Milton Road, Wokingham. This unique service ensures people seeking advice on property and contents valuations can make a single phone call and get expert advice from suitably qualified personnel. Once again, all items are advertised on prominent specialist websites and there is nothing to suggest that London auction houses might achieve higher prices. Indeed the benefit of dealing with Martin & Pole over a London auction house is that our fees are more competitive.
A Professional Service from very experienced Chartered Surveyors – Martin & Pole
Surveys & Other Professional Work: Our Chartered Surveyor Partner and senior staff offer a significant range of professional services. We are qualified to provide party wall advice and advise leaseholders wishing to extend their leases. We also act as Independent Experts and Single Joint Experts for litigation work which may include appearing in Court and being tested under cross examination.
A Professional Commercial Agency Department – Martin & Pole
Commercial Agency: Once again we have a long established Commercial Agency Department dealing with offices, shops, warehouses and industrial premises with vacant possession either for sale or to let or investments.
Commercial Property Valuations: Martin & Pole are retained by some of the leading Banks to advise on funding for capital purchases. In addition we are experienced in dealing with schedules of condition, schedules of dilapidation, lease renewals and rent reviews.
Professional Development Advice from Chartered Surveyors – Martin & Pole
Land & New Homes: We are most experienced in the negotiation of complex Option Agreements with national house builders. If the terms of the Option/Conditional Contract are not carefully considered at the outset there may well be considerable disappointment later on. Martin & Pole are retained to advise some very high profile and important local landowners in this respect.
The sale of New Homes is also important and 2 of the largest sites Martin & Pole have handled included a site for 161 new houses at Lower Earley which was sold on behalf of Taylor Woodrow; and another site of about 230 houses sold in Binfield and now known as Foxley Fields. On both sites Martin & Pole were Sole Agents on this very significant volume of houses. In addition to handling such large developments, Martin & Pole also handle smaller sites and individual new houses. Marketing new houses requires entirely different skills to the sale of second-hand property – so once again, a diverse range of experience.