John Bray Estate Agents Cornwall

SELLING PROPERTY IN CORNWALL SINCE 1971

WHO WE ARE

John Bray Estates is the trading name of John Bray and Partners Estate Agents LLP. We have been selling the largest most prestigious houses as well as the smallest cottages in Rock, Daymer, Polzeath and Port Isaac for 50 years. Our agency is instructed to sell the majority of houses that are sold in this North Cornwall area and over the years we have expanded our patch organically. Whether the conditions are challenging or not, we don't just market properties we sell them.

We are Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) qualified valuers and have years of professional experience in planning, structural, holiday letting, managing and building, so we can advise and answer all the questions sellers and buyers have at any stage of the transaction process. We can advise clients on asset management and provide efficiency, experience and trusted support for property owners, with a track record of success, in delivering outstanding results.

OUR HISTORY

Rock Estates (Cornwall) Limited was founded in 1971 by John Bray and Hugh Knock. Originally the local postmaster and postman, John Bray was a familiar face to local Rock residents on his rounds. John was asked to be a trusted key holder for some houses in the village, which the owners allowed friends to use for their holidays. The result of which lead to the establishment of a holiday letting agency, which was then expanded into an estate agency. From 1978, John Bray was in sole control of the business, which started trading as John Bray and Partners and John Bray Cornish Holidays. In 1979, John Bray invited John Varcoe to join the business, bringing architectural knowledge and technical expertise.

John Varcoe became a director in 1982 and the two worked successfully together for many years. In 1996, Alex Roads joined the company bringing further professional skills and was made a director the next year. John Bray retired in 1998 and John Varcoe took over the reins and became the majority shareholder. In 2006, Josephine Ashby joined the business, becoming a director in 2011, at which point John Varcoe handed over the business to his fellow directors. Since May 2019, JB Estates has been operated through John Bray & Partners Estate Agents LLP.

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OUR SERVICES

We only sell a limited number of houses each year, both publicly and privately available, so we are therefore able to offer a professional and bespoke service to both buyers and sellers. We understand that parting with a property can sometimes be emotional or stressful and not a time to have too many different faces on the case. In every sale with John Bray you get an experienced director on the team, someone you can talk to, but most importantly someone who communicates effectively with all buyers and professionals involved throughout the sale. We are experts in our patch and have been advising our clients on every aspect of the property market in the North Cornwall area since 1971.

VALUATIONS

Whether you are planning to sell or just looking for an indication of the worth of your property, we would be very happy to provide you with a free market appraisal. We also carry out valuations of residential and mixed use property for a variety of purposes including for sale, purchase, rental or refurbishment. All valuations are market-based and carefully researched to provide an accurate forecast of future as well as current value. Our RICS accredited valuer can also provide formal valuations for probate, estate planning accounts/assets and inheritance tax purposes.

PROPERTY SALES

We hold an unrivalled position in this niche market with a depth and breadth of experience that very few can equal. We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients, carefully matching the right property with the right buyer. Our tailored approach means that we regularly achieve the best results for both parties and tend to be involved in the sales of most properties in the area whether on- or off-market. We hold a strong database of qualified buyers in addition to marketing on all five of the main property portals. The quality of our property marketing is as you would expect from one of the leading estate agents in the county.

BUYING ADVICE

Well established connections with professionals including; architects, builders, interior designers, tradespeople and the wider farming community, means that we can facilitate communications and offer helpful and level headed advice, all backed up by real market insight. We are usually the first to hear about opportunities coming to market and are happy to assist buyers by taking the time to understand their requirements, educating them about the area and helping them to secure their dream home. We do occasionally act for buyers in the event that we are not instructed by the seller, which we are happy to discuss.

MEET THE TEAM

Josephine Ashby Josephine Ashby

JOSEPHINE ASHBY

MANAGING PARTNER

With over 25 years experience in property, Josephine Ashby began working with John Bray Partners in 2005. Having begun her agency life in the central London market for well-known high street London agency, she soon moved to Knight Frank's International department handling the luxury residential markets in France and Italy.

In 2003 Josephine moved to the West Country as Partner, to head up the Residential Development Team out of Exeter, covering the South West division and dealing with everything from small rural developments, to city centre regeneration projects and waterside development. It was here that she came to meet the team at John Bray and Partners and returned to her Cornish roots to her current role at John Bray and Partners.

ALEX ROADS

PARTNER

Alex Roads has been a qualified valuer with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) since February 1994, working with John Bray & Partners since 1996 and was made a director in 1998. He ran the sales side for 15 years but now deals more with the professional work.

Before joining John Bray & Partners, Alex trained and worked for Healey and Baker (now Cushman Wakefield) in the London commercial property market. Apart from being a RICS qualified valuer he has a BA (Hons.) in Economics, Politics and Geography from Durham University, an MBA from University of Cape Town and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Alex Roads Alex Roads
Shireen Cunliffe Shireen Cunliffe

SHIREEN CUNLIFFE

HEAD OF MARKETING & OPERATIONS

With over 20 years experience in PR and Marketing, Shireen relocated to Cornwall from London in 2003 in pursuit of that elusive work/life balance. She joined the John Bray team in 2018 and brings a breadth of full service brand and consumer marketing experience. A Chartered Institute of Marketing professional, she holds a BA (Hons.) in International Business with French.

Charlie Hambly Charlie Hambly

CHARLIE HAMBLY

ASSOCIATE

Charlie joined the sales team in 2016 as an apprentice, having completed a Surveying Technician Diploma with University College of Estate Management. He is a qualified AssocRICS, specialising in Real Estate Agency and also holds a PfCO Drone Pilot license. Having grown up in Cornwall with a wealth of knowledge of the wider Cornwall property market, he conducts valuations on behalf of the agency.

Mark Turner Mark Turner

MARK TURNER

SALES NEGOTIATOR

Mark Turner joined the sales team in 2021 after moving back home from London where he worked as a letting agent in Fulham for just over a year having first travelled and worked abroad. Mark grew up in Rock and completed his education at Wadebridge school and offers a wealth of local knowledge and contacts.

James Heywood James Heywood

JAMES HEYWOOD

SALES NEGOTIATOR

James joined us in 2020 and comes from a background in residential lettings and sales from a busy high street agency. Having studied and grown up in Wadebridge he completed his education in Truro and brings a strong knowledge of the local area along with skills in customer relationship management. 

Sophie Collins Sophie Collins

SOPHIE COLLINS

SALES NEGOTIATOR

The newest member to join the sales team, Sophie comes to us with a background in luxury hospitality having worked for a high-end holiday letting agency, a boutique hotel, and a successful holiday resort since leaving college and moving to North Cornwall in 2002. She brings an acute attention to detail and a passion for exceptional client care. Outside of work she can be found in or by the sea, exploring the great outdoors with Denzel, her dog.

Phoebe Pocock Phoebe Pocock

PHOEBE POCOCK

OFFICE MANAGER

Office manager and sales co-ordinator, Phoebe Pocock, originates from Bristol and moved to Polzeath in 2019, having spent every summer since she can remember holidaying in Cornwall. She holds a BSc. in Business Management with Marketing and is passionate about her surf art and portraiture. When she's not in the studio or office, she can be found surfing, wakeboarding or skateboarding.

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Sell With Us

John Bray and Partners is the premier estate agent in North Cornwall, helping hundreds of buyers each year find their dream home in Rock, Daymer, Polzeath and Port Isaac since 1971. We offer the highest level of expertise, service, and integrity and would be delighted to discuss your property plans.

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