The shared ownership brand of leading housing association Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing has announced the launch of its new sales agency, created to help make shared ownership more accessible to homebuyers.
SO Resi Agency’s first deal is with Brick By Brick, the development company set up by Croydon Council to provide high quality and affordable homes across the borough.
The newly established SO Resi Agency will handle the sale of these affordable homes, which will be available for purchase through shared ownership. The homes comprise of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments alongside a small number of maisonettes, in keeping with demand for entry-level properties for local first time buyers.
The three schemes, located in Upper Norwood, Thornton Heath and South Croydon in South London, are designed by outstanding architects, including RIBA Stirling Prize-winning Mikhail Riches. Homes have been developed to a high specification, with timber parquet flooring, Silestone worktops, Bosch appliances and private balconies. All have a range of integrated energy-efficient features to ensure their sustainability credentials, including secure cycle storage, solar energy, electric vehicle charging points, and an Environmental Performance Certificate rating of B or higher.
Diana Alam, Head of Sales at SO Resi Agency, commented: “We are excited to announce our first partnership through our new SO Resi Agency, and to work together with Brick By Brick to increase levels of affordable homeownership in Croydon. Partnerships such as these create a genuine opportunity to leverage expertise and work alongside equally ambitious partners to accelerate the delivery of much needed local, affordable housing.
“Croydon is a highly searched area on the SO Resi website, demonstrating that there is a clear demand from customers for shared ownership properties in this area as well as Greater London. We are pleased to be supporting Brick By Brick with the sale of these properties at three developments in the borough, which will allow aspirational first time buyers get onto the property ladder and secure their own home.”
Colm Lacey, CEO at Brick By Brick, said: “Brick By Brick’s partnership with SO Resi Agency will help us to provide high-quality affordable housing to those who need it in Croydon and accelerate the returns we provide to our shareholder Croydon Council. These high-spec homes, which have been designed to our usual high environmental standards, offer a very appealing option for local people looking to take their first step onto the property ladder.”
The award-winning team at SO Resi launched the innovative new shared ownership sales agency for external parties earlier this month, with an official virtual launch set to take place in February. The aim of SO Resi Agency is to provide greater access to affordable homes available with external parties including housing associations, local authority housing providers, investment funds or private developers able to promote their property on the SO Resi website. As well as promotional support, partners will be able to access the SO Resi teams’ shared ownership expertise including marketing and sales support.
SO Resi partners will be able to gain increased exposure for their shared ownership properties via the agency website which already attracts approximately 60,000 visitors every month. Despite the unprecedented challenges the pandemic has posed for the country and the housing sector over the last year, SO Resi has continued to report high levels of demand for shared ownership due to its affordable route to homeownership.
Header image of the SO Resi Agency team.
