Couple expand business with lettings service
With more than a decade of surveying experience under their belts, entrepreneurs and husband and wife team, Duncan and Sarah Howie are expanding their chartered surveying business.
The pair are expanding Howie, Kent & Co by launching a residential and commercial lettings agency.
Howie, Kent & Co Lettings, which officially operated for business from February 1, will fill a gap in the market for a rural and on-farm commercial lettings agency in Shropshire and is an opportunity to expand and diversify the work stream of the existing chartered surveying business, the couple said.
In 2016 Duncan and Sarah relocated back to Sarah’s family dairy farm at Welbatch Farm, just south of Shrewsbury, after having both spent five years working in the rural side of large corporate surveying firms. Together they now manage the 300-cow autumn calving dairy herd alongside Sarah’s parents and are fundamental in the day to day milking, husbandry and management, as well as progressing the business forwards sustainably. Duncan is also a partner in his family’s arable, pig and butchery business in Essex.
From the farm office, Howie, Kent & Co was born in 2016. The business was a chance for Duncan and Sarah to keep their pulse on the surveying market, utilise their comprehensive skill sets, experience and knowledge from within the sector and at the same time it perfectly complemented the dairy farming alongside it.
Sarah said: “Duncan and I have always aspired to set up our own business together. After university I moved to Essex to pursue my surveying career, but it has always been our long-term plan to be involved in the dairy farm in Shropshire. We provide general rural property advice, but we specialise in agency, energy projects and residential and commercial development. We carry out property management for clients and therefore the lettings side is an obvious extension of our service offering.”
“We’re a young, rural professional team and we’re extremely determined on getting the very best results for our clients, delivered with complete professionalism throughout.
“It’s our own business and clients like knowing we’ll pick up the phone any time of day.”
Howie, Kent & Co Lettings will let and manage residential and commercial properties, including farm buildings and yards. For rural property owners with residential property to let, or in-town property owners with assets to manage, Howie, Kent & Co could be a valuable solution providing trusted support.
