A Newtownabbey estate agency is rebranding as it marks its 20th anniversary this year and celebrates one of its most successful trading years to date.
McMillan Estate Agents will be renamed McMillan McClure in what is a £15,000 investment and references a new partnership at the helm of the firm and to mark two decades of success.
Jim McMillan, the former sole director, described the changing times and his vision for moving the business forward:
He said: “Back in 2002 when I opened the business, I did it with a set of core values and a business model that paired high performance with outstanding customer care and a role that would be embedded in the community.
“It has been a wonderful journey, but all journeys need to change and move with the market and changing times. With this in mind, we have made some well-deserved promotions and are launching our new branding as McMillan McClure.”
The company’s new team of directors includes Jim McMillan, Barrie McClure, Katrina Heaney and Laura McMillan. All are long term members of staff with over 90 years’ experience in the industry collectively.
All four directors have invested heavily in the future of the business to help sustain the firm’s consecutive growth over the years.
In fact, McMillan McClure's latest trading figures for 2020-2021 have surpassed its original target by 30 per cent while the property professional’s house sales achieved an average of 3.6 per cent over the asking price in 2021 alone.
Mr McMillan says that activity will continue. He added: “The market has been very strong with lots of potential purchasers presenting themselves in a very active market. Demand is strong and supply is low and consequently prices are generally achieving much higher than expectation. There appears to be no signs of the market slowing down at this time.”
He said the team will continue to grow in sync with the market. He continued: “We reward our staff well with a generous salary, a bonus structure and private health insurance and a pension as well as other perks. As a result of the growth and expansion of our business we plan to announce a number of new positions in the next year.
“We believe nurturing our team and giving back has been key to that success, as too has been our role in the local community.
“From the commencement of the business there was a vision to look after and give back to local communities and charities and over the course of 20 years in business we have donated in excess of £180,000 to numerous charities including the NI Hospice, Lighthouse suicide and mental health charity, Newtownabbey Foodbank, Alzheimer’s Society, Chest Heart & Stroke, Motor Neurone Association, Air Ambulance, Belfast Youth Clubs Down Syndrome charity and more.
“The firm is also committed to school programmes. We visit many local schools every year and have also supported more than 40 work experience children and young people.”
Investment in new technology as well as ongoing training programmes are high up the agenda at the newly rebranded business to ensure McMillan McClure remains a leader in its field.
The latter investment has resulted in numerous award wins at the national Estas Awards while the firm’s Google reviews boast over 300 five star posts.
“As part of our rebranding we will continue to give back,” Mr McMillan added. “We are committing to support a different locally based charity every month. This is our way of providing a helping hand to those in need and saying a huge thanks to the wider community that have supported us over the past 20 years.”
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Billy Webb said: “McMillan McClure is an excellent example of how local businesses continue to contribute to our society and prosperity. I would like to congratulate the team at McMillan McClure on their success, wish them well for the future and thank them for their contribution to our community.”
For further information check out www.mcmillanmcclure.com
