In leaving a review of Lancasters Estate Agents, I want to say how much I realise that they are very different from the large corporate agencies. A lifelong bargain hunter, I did lots of research before choosing Lancasters and found not only personal recommendations, but they are price competitive too. So our saga began. It lasted 16 months and I am absolutely convinced that we would never have made it happen but for their persistence and dedication. It's more than efficiency and professionalism. They get it - that it is your life - in our case making a radical change in all aspects of our lifestyle. We made some poor decisions early on. Finding a house(by chance), that we absolutely fell in love with before putting ours up for sale. Not having major works done before putting it on the market. All the way through Lancasters were never smug or anything less than gently encouraging. They rode the waves with us whilst managing our expectations of success. They accommodated our needs as individuals ( I don't hear very well, so they agreed to email, rather than telephone) . When I requested continuity with one member of staff with whom I'd built up a relationship, they adjusted their processes to allow that. Their communication is consistent, clear and thorough. One Sunday evening when there was a problem, Ben took the time to phone me at home. Anita, many times I know, stayed beyond her working hours so she could send me an update she knew I was anxious about. Each Friday even when there was nothing to report, I would still get an update. That's emotional intelligence for you. You're not just a number or a client. You're a human being or family whose life is on hold until you make that move. Only by meeting in person and forming some kind of connection do you get that I think. Certainly not by using one of these online agencies in my opinion. Always having been budget conscious, I have to say that Lancaster earned their fee many times over with us. The people who sold us our new home would say the opposite of their Estate Agency (part of a large chain). We have had several chats about this. Our sellers never knew what was going on and but for Anita doing, it seemed, some of the work of the other estate agencies involved in the (long) chain, we would never have made it. I would also like to mention Mark, their photographer. Marvellous chap. Brilliant, patient, creative. Everyone who knew our home commented on how superb our photographs were. Even those who fancy themselves as ace photographers! Everything Lancasters said they would do, they did -WHEN they said they would do it. That has got to be a rarity these days - and all through Covid too. Who could ask for more? The result? We have been in our unusual and quite unique property for several weeks now and couldn't be happier. Lancasters guided us through many problems - some complicated and difficult (eg Chancel repair Liability), some technical, some caused by lockdown, issues in the chain, horrendous surveyors, poor solicitors and many others along the way not replying, letting us down or simply being preoccupied with their own problems. Well - told you it was a saga! Julia