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Christopher Russell

33 The Oval, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 9ER, South East, UK, DA15

Featured Claimed branch
4.5 890 reviews

Recent reviews

A selection of reviews, highest rated first. Not every review may be shown.

Abode Estate Agents Google

I have moved from Expert Agent to Rezi and i think the software has great potential and is being developed all of the time. What we have struggled with is: 1. MERGE. this has been poorly managed and much data was missing or placed in the wrong fields. Other issues also to many to list. 2. WORKFLOWS After 4 months mine are not set up with an expected deadline of some time in the future. 3. REPORTS None of the reports work!!!: e.g i cannot print off a single list of my sales! NO PIPELEINE REPORT AFTER 4 MONTHS! 4. IT CRASHES Today again the server is down. Staff arrive at work and can't use the software until 9.20am. The team are open to development and will listen to suggestions and how the system can be improved for estate agents. This does take a long time however and then when they do make those changes they are often un tested and don't work anyway. For example we asked for a postcode field for applicants so that we could filter applicants that live in certain area's, they added it which was great, but they didn't test it and so when we used it it just didn't work and still doesn't, two months later.... I dont mind paying more for a quality product. but after 4 months of banging my head against a wall i'm wondering whether i've done the right thing. Look I believe that this software could be great, but at the moment it feels like its still in development and not ready to be used daily. Maybe if you are looking at this in 6 months or a year they will be ready to take on customers and deliver on their promises. *** I hope they sort this out because it has the potential to be great, but at the moment it looks good but doesn't deliver ***

JayneF Google

Absolutely horrible experience. Very dishonest sales tactics to get me to put my house on with them. I was NEVER told I was tied into a 12 week contract. I was given the contract (which was folded up in an agents handbag) to sign whilst looking at another house. I was promised my house would get a sponsored ad, open day etc. NOTHING. 3 very poor viewings in about 2 months. They dont respond to emails. They dont give any updates. I haven't had any calls from them at all. The agents when I've looked at houses with them are great but the Manager-Owner who lies to get the business should be avoided. I can't wait to get my keys back and go with a more professional, communicative and responsive business.

Reply from Christopher Russell: We are disappointed to read your review and the comments made regarding our service, as providing honest advice and a professional level of customer care is something we take extremely seriously. We categorically reject any suggestion that we use dishonest sales tactics. Our agency agreements are provided electronically to all clients before instruction and clearly set out the terms of our service, including the sole agency period. In this instance, you requested amendments to the agreement, which were made before you signed, confirming that you had read, understood, and accepted the terms. You were under no obligation to proceed until you were completely satisfied with the agreement. We also need to address the marketing comments. You requested that we market the property as a three-bedroom house, despite it being a two-bedroom property. We would never knowingly mislead prospective buyers, and we have a responsibility to ensure all marketing accurately reflects a property. Regarding additional marketing exposure, you were never promised a sponsored or featured advert. However, as part of our proactive approach, we did arrange additional exposure when we felt it would benefit the marketing of the property. We are also disappointed by the comments regarding communication. We do respond to client correspondence and aim to keep all clients updated throughout the sales process. What we will not tolerate, however, is any member of staff being shouted at, spoken to aggressively, or subjected to unreasonable behaviour. Our team works extremely hard for our clients and deserves to be treated with the same professionalism and respect that we provide. We have successfully operated for over 20 years and have built our reputation on honesty, transparency, and delivering results. We are proud to be recognised as one of the leading agents in the local area, having received numerous industry awards and hundreds of positive reviews from clients who value the service we provide. Whilst we are sorry that you feel disappointed with your experience, we stand by the service we have provided and the advice we have given throughout your instruction.
Laetitia Webb Google

Continually disappointed, from a poor launch, to ignoring specific instructions - I would never use this agency again. Over valuing the property initially then almost immediately encouraging me to take low offers, thankfully I held out for my minimum. I’ve had to be very hands on to get anywhere, I can’t wait for it to be over. EDIT In answer to your reply, you give yourselves too much credit. You were pushing me to take the lower offer. My house is immaculately presented so yes it secured interest, the first person through the door offered. However the price secured wasn’t in your valuation bracket. I instructed you not to mark at STC until they had instructed a solicitor, yet you did it immediately and you tell me they won’t instruct a solicitor for a month! NEVER AGAIN! Tip to everyone, if you agree a minimum term eg 4 weeks, please note there’s an additional 28 notice period, so my advice would be to give notice the day you sign contracts, that way if you’re not happy you can leave after 4 weeks (not 8) and if you are happy you can continue. Only time will tell if this sale actually concludes, if not we won’t remarket with this agent.

Reply from Christopher Russell: Laetitia - we can't confirm everything due to GDPR in an open forum, but we agreed a sale on your home within a month! The sale has started, and as you know due to the buyers being on holiday, they can't commence the legal work. The team will continue to do all they can to achieve your more. I can see you are fully up to date with the communications from the team. Chris.
Paul Jeffers Google

Unfortunately, our experience with Starkings & Watson, Poringland, was extremely disappointing. We instructed them on 6 March 2026 under a 20-week sole agency agreement and relied on their professional advice regarding valuation, marketing and sales strategy. The property was initially marketed at £725,000 on their recommendation. When interest failed to materialise, we were advised to reduce to £700,000 and then £675,000, with the expectation that this would generate more interest and viewings. We followed that advice in good faith and reduced the asking price by £50,000. Despite this, after approximately 14 weeks we had received only two viewings and no offers. Our concern is not that the property failed to sell. No estate agent can guarantee a sale. Our concern is the level of communication, buyer qualification and overall management of the instruction. Much of the information we received consisted of online portal statistics showing how many people had viewed the listing. What we repeatedly asked for was meaningful analysis. How many were genuine buyers? How many were contacted? Why were people not booking viewings? Was the issue price, presentation, competition or something else? We never felt these questions were properly answered. We also made it clear that our preference was to accommodate viewers who had already sold, were sold subject to contract, or were actively on the market. On more than one occasion, prospective viewings appeared to involve individuals who were simply considering selling or looking around before listing their own property. When we challenged this and cancelled unsuitable appointments, the response from the office was noticeably negative. The feedback from the two viewings also raised concerns. One viewer wanted space to keep chickens and a larger garden. Another felt the property was overlooked. Both issues were apparent from the marketing materials and, in our view, should have been identified during the qualification process before viewings were arranged. As our concerns grew, we attended a meeting on 11 June 2026 to discuss the lack of progress and explore an early termination of the agreement. We left feeling even more frustrated. Despite raising concerns about communication, follow-up activity and buyer qualification, we were informed that we would not be released from the contract. We have since instructed that the property be removed from the market, yet remain tied into the agreement until the end of July. One final concern arose when collecting our keys. We observed keys being stored in an open basket within the office and labelled with property addresses rather than anonymous reference codes. As homeowners, this raised concerns regarding key security. The most disappointing aspect is the feeling that valuable time has been lost. Having followed the agency's advice, reduced the asking price by £50,000 and allowed them to lead the process, we reached the summer market with only two viewings and no meaningful progress. Based on our experience, we would not instruct Starkings & Watson again and would not recommend them to friends, family or other homeowners considering selling their property.

Reply from Christopher Russell: Mr Jeffers - Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're genuinely sorry that you feel disappointed with your experience, particularly as we know moving home can be a stressful process and we appreciate the frustration that comes when a property does not sell within the desired timeframe. As you rightly acknowledge, no estate agent can guarantee a sale. Our valuation advice is based on our extensive local market knowledge, comparable evidence from recent sales, current buyer demand, and prevailing market conditions at the time of instruction. The subsequent price adjustments were recommended in response to market feedback and activity levels, with the aim of increasing exposure to a wider pool of buyers. Whilst only two viewings ultimately proceeded, we feel it is important for readers to understand that a number of additional viewing requests were received during the marketing period. These appointments did not go ahead because you advised us that you only wished to accommodate buyers who had already sold their own property or were in a specific position. Whilst we fully respected your wishes, this inevitably reduced the number of potential purchasers able to view the property. Some of the buyers who were unable to proceed with viewings may subsequently have sold their own homes and become proceedable. Regarding buyer qualification, we always endeavour to establish a buyer's position before arranging a viewing. However, a buyer's personal requirements and motivations are often only fully understood once they have physically viewed a property. The feedback received following your viewings reflected individual preferences that could not necessarily be determined in advance from a telephone conversation alone. We are also sorry that you felt communication did not meet your expectations. Throughout the instruction we provided regular updates, viewing feedback, market statistics and advice based on the activity generated. We appreciate that you were looking for further analysis and accept that our communication may not have aligned with the level of detail you wished to receive. Finally, we would like to reassure readers regarding key security. All keys held within our offices are securely managed and anonymously tagged with a specific S&W key tag. Our procedures are designed to ensure keys cannot be linked to individual properties by members of the public. Whilst we are disappointed that we were unable to achieve the outcome you hoped for, we thank you for entrusting us with the sale of your home and wish you every success moving forward. Chris
emma mcgeehan Google

Phoned multiple times to complain about damage done to a shared gennal lock the owner of their let damaged to gain access. When I called the office they gave my number to the property owner breaking GDPR.They also never returned any of my calls to discuss repairs despite saying someone would return my call . I am now forced to repair the lock, even though the owner of their let broke it. I guess, the best irony will be if they reply to this review considering they have never replied to my many calls and polite messages. Hopefully your property is never next to one of their lets. Really rubbish all round.

A A Google

Extremely rude and poor service received from "Myles the recruiter" that' is the name he goes by on linkedin. I got two phone calls in the space of 30 min from two different people, discussing my application that I made 3 weeks ago. When I asked Mr Myles to explain what had been the delay he was hesitant to answer and tried to get out of it saying he didn't receive anything. When I tried to explain the events and provide application reference number etc, he wasn't interested and asked me why I was so concerned and when I tried to highlight and explain the concerns and levels of service being received, he was talking over me and told me "I am doing you a favour" "you don't pay our bills" I had to then take him back to basics and remind him they get paid once we are placed successfully hence we do pay their bills as without us they would not exist and neither would the business or the companies that work with them. On this occasion I had to let them know that the levels of customer services were far from perfect and communicating in this manner is totally unexceptable, I am hoping the top management do take reviews seriously and look into this. Hi Steve yes more than happy for you to give me a call and discuss this. Thank You. UPDATE: NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL OR AN APOLOGY FROM MR STEVE AS ABOVE. SEEMS LIKE THE CRACKS ARE STARTING TO APPEAR FOR MR MILES AND STEVE BEING A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT IS TRYING TO SUGARCOAT THE TRUTH AND PROTECTING HIS EMPLOYEES NOT REALISING BAD REVIEWS ARE TOUGHER TO IGNORE THAN THE GOOD ONES. THE COMPANY INCLUDING STEVE TRIED TO SNOOP ON MY LINKEDIN PROFILE AND EVEN GETTING OTHER MEMBERS FROM OTHER RECRUITMENT AGENCY WITHIN THE SAME AREA IN BRACKNELL TO CHECK MY PROFILE OUT, SAD BUT TRUE. ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL WAKE UP.

Reply from Christopher Russell: Dear Ayyaz, I can assure you we take all reviews seriously and I have read with interest your comments. Myles is one of our established team members and we regularly get fantastic feedback from his many clients, and the candidates that he places. At Crux Careers we pride ourselves our 'respond to all' policy and I will investigate as to why you were not contacted immediately. I'd also be happy to give you a call and discuss your issues over the phone, and if you wish, personally get involved in your job search. Steve Meade, Head of Business Development
Mark Peyton-Welch Google

Very easy and quick to use. Approval obtained within 10 mins. You would think that deserved a 5 star review. The problem is you have to handover your username and password so they are able to see your bank account details. Who in their right mind would hand details like that over to an online stranger? A tennant who needs to rent somewhere apparently. Be aware and be ready to change your banking credentials as soon as you have finished with this company.

kate Google

There is no option to enter any other income other than from employment so it isn't an accurate reflection of affordability. No report sent to prospective tenant.

Reece Cook Google

Utterly abysmal company. Do nothing but run around in circles for a week with these idiots. Constantly being asked to provide the same information or complete the same forms over and over again.

About Christopher Russell

No about information yet.

Website: http://www.christopher-russell.co.uk

Our team

Russell Gibbs

Memberships and portals

Guild of Professional Estate Agents Tenancy Deposit Scheme

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