A record summer for Figurati
Kicking things off with the hospitality front, I'm incredibly proud that Figurati won Best Restaurant for the third year in a row, which is testament to our team's dedication. It's one thing to win an award once, but to do it consistently year after year shows the standard our team continues to deliver.
This summer has been unbelievably busy. We've been regularly fully booked, which is a great sign not just for us but for Southampton's dining scene as a whole. Looking ahead, we're excited to say that Christmas is already almost sold out and we're about to launch our New Year's Eve celebrations — so stay tuned, we're expecting tickets to sell out quickly!
Growth and milestones across our mortgage brands
On the mortgage side, it's been one of our busiest quarters ever. As always, August brought its seasonal dip — people head away on holiday and things naturally slow down. But since then, demand has surged, and we've seen higher enquiry levels than ever before.
A real highlight has been the growth of Police Mortgages. We've added five additional police federations, taking us to 40 of the UK's 48 forces. That's over 10% more coverage in one go, bringing us up to 80% coverage nationwide. I started this business to make life easier for the people protecting our communities, so being able to expand that reach has been a proud moment.
What's even more encouraging is our highest number of inbound enquiries in 15 years, and we've also proven an outstanding conversion rate — helping 1 in 3 customers from enquiry through to completed mortgage. Compared to the industry average of 1 in 20, this is a huge achievement and testament to the expertise of The Mortgage Hut team.
Hard work pays off at Nested Southampton
The property market has been challenging in recent months, but that hasn't stopped us from achieving standout results for our sellers at Nested Southampton.
We've seen consistently strong sales, with 95% of customers achieving asking price or above. We can credit this achievement to our strategic pricing and premium marketing. By pricing accurately and investing in marketing that leaves an impression, we're seeing remarkable results for our customers.
But it's not always easy, especially when down valuations are creeping in. Just last month, we had two: one property originally valued at £425,000 was marked down to £400,000, and another from £325,000 down to £290,000.
These examples show the wider market is still shaky, but with the right approach, we can still secure the top end of what's achievable for our clients. Some might argue that we achieve such strong results because we undervalue properties, but the evidence says otherwise — our success doesn't come from pricing low. Our pricing is accurate and strategic, and it's our marketing and negotiation that get the results.
Take our most recent success story: we had a Southampton property on the market for just five days. In that time, we had 16 viewings, six forward viewings, and five offers — with multiple bidders coming in at the same level. This home is now about to sell for significantly over asking price. That's the exact kind of result we're here to deliver!
Looking ahead
Q3 has been a time of growth, recognition, and record-breaking results across the board. None of it would be possible without the brilliant people I work alongside every day.
For me, it always comes back to two passions: building businesses that raise standards in their industries, and giving something back to the community I grew up in.
What's next? Well, as we move into Q4, we're building on this momentum and hoping to make the year-end as strong as the summer we've just had.
And don't forget to follow Figurati on socials to see how we'll be ending the year with a bang this New Year's Eve!
— Chris